I’m hearing two questions asked a lot lately, and I’m intrigued about them, so I figure it’s time to Ask The Blog. Are you ready? Okay, the first question is:
“Can you spin with a spindle while you’re standing up?”
and the second one is:
“Can you spin with a spindle while you’re sitting down?”
So I’d love to hear from you: how do you do it, and why? When you were starting out, did you strongly believe you had to do it one way or the other? Do you remember why you may have thought that? Has your opinion on the subject changed over time?
I do both now. When I started, I felt like I had to sit in order to hold the spindle between my thighs while drafting. I started to spin standing as I got better, and I still really like the thrill of spinning continuously until the spindle reaches the floor.
A better question is “Can you spin while lying down?” and the answer is “Of course!” Standing up is for suckers!
Kidding, mostly. I stand up if I feel like, sit most of the time because I’m lazy that way, and lay down when I’m using most of my support spindles. The less effort, the better.
Both, of course. Spin in the front seat of a car? Yeah. Spin walking around? Yeah. Spin anywhere.
It’s true, when I’m using a Navajo spindle I always sit down, although sometimes I spin Navajo-style while sitting on a chair (or in a car) and sometimes while sitting on the ground. Also any tiny spindle that works best for supported spinning usually gets me to sit down (unless it lends itself to akha-style spinning, although I’m more adept at other styles).
Both. Now. I learned to spin sitting down, and that’s what I did. Then I started to stand and spin because a) I could get a longer length of single, and; b) it’s easier on my low back to stand and move around. When I get a copy of your book, I hope to learn various tricks about getting twist into a length of single that is just touching the floor when I’m holding it all at arms length from my body. At this point, I can’t get the twist past my hand.
I don’t spin when walking because I keep kicking the spindle. And I don’t spin in the car because there’s not enough room between my body and the dashboard. I’m amazed that people can do that.
Both. Fancy spindle, I sit. so it drops in my lap and doesn’t get arsed.
Non fancy spindles, I stand.
Plying… my fav is standing so I can whip the spindle and hit people. People like you Abby.
Both ways. I am faster when I stand and rave with a crowd, but that is probably a function of the people, not the spindle.
It depends on what I’m doing. I taught myself to spindle spin while standing in lines at the airport, so I’m very comfortable standing to spin and walking too. (Note I had originally learned to spin on a wheel, so the learning curve was pretty small.) But I will also sit if I’m somewhere where standing would be more disruptive. I also sit to demo/teach it to children. It makes it easier for them to help.
I don’t spin in the car because there isn’t enough room for my long arms.
I spin both ways. When I want to sit down, I sit down and spin, when I want to stand up I stand up and spin. I don’t use my spindles that much, it seems like I’m currently more often using a spindle as a demo someplace, so I may be standing up so that they can see what I’m doing better. When I’m teaching parents (who are going to be spending the night with their children at a historical site where I volunteer, they’ll be doing “period” things) I’m usually standing up, but some parents never get past the twisty stick stage of spinning. I’ve never thought that I should spin one way or another. In fact, I seem to remember teaching myself to spindle with a CD spindle I put together with stuff around the house, and I was standing on the bed at one point to see how long I could get the yarn before I wound it on the spindle.
I’m a fairly new spindler, too, and started out parking a lot while seated. Lately I’ve skipped the parking step and actually don’t drop the spindle very often any more. Yesterday my sitter got tired and I spun standing up for the first time; it worked fine and seemed faster because of fewer transitions from spinning to winding.
I learned from a “pro” at a spin-in. She taught the park and draft method, so I learned sitting down. I still sit down, but often let it go down to the floor instead of only to my knees. I never stand.
I’ve honestly never gave this any thought. Standing, sitting, walking, talking…it’s all good!
I find it depends on what I want at the time. If I’m looking to just spin for a bit, enjoying myself and relaxing then I tend to spin sitting down. If I want to get through more fiber faster then I stand up since I can spin more before needing to wind on. Taken to its furthest extent, I tend to spin while running when my kids are outside. Whee!
I do both, but I tend to stand, because I like to get in the groove more and spin longer before winding on. I just taught myself to spin, with Ravelry help (including you!) and books, and hadn’t seen much spinning while seated demo’ed. (or much spinning at all, but what I had seen IRL was standing, I guess!)
But mostly, when I sat while learning, I would just be starting to get the feel of things when I’d have to stop and wind on. Now I’m very comfortable sitting also.
It surprises me that people ask, though. Why couldn’t you do either? Why would people think that you couldn’t?
When I started, I did it sitting down so that I could more easily use the inchworm method. Now I mostly do it standing up, so that I can spin more fibre before stopping to wind.
When I was taught, I was sitting down, but it annoyed the heck out of me, so I started standing up and walking when learning to spindle spin. I often have stand/pace when I’m learning something ‘difficult’
90% of the time I’ll spindle spin while pacing still and about 10% of the time I’ll sit down while spindle spinning.
Cheers Eva
Both, ever since the earliest awkward park-and-draft phase. I usually spin sitting down because I’m lazy, but I usually ply standing up, because it just feels easier to get as long a length as possible. If I pick up the spindle for two minutes or less, I usually stand so I can get a longer length before winding on. If I need to park the spindle, I tuck it under my arm.
And sometimes I spin while walking, too, though haven’t yet taken the spindle outside for fear of dropping it in the dirt!
I learned how to do both and depending on who I’m talking to, one or the other is the wrong way to spindle.
My theory is, I’m making yarn I like so they can jump in a very cold lake!
This spindling while walking intriques me, perhaps that will be my next trick!
I prefer to stand. If my feet are tired at the end of the day, I sit. I am practicing walking and spinning so I can spin on the walk to the subway and not lose the spindle or break it on the sidewalk. One mile of walking twice a day = lots of yardage. I think I’ll need to wear a backpack instead of carrying my purse, though.
I do it both ways. It just depends on what I feel like doing. If I get tired of standing, I sit, and vice versa.
It depends, I do both
. I tend to draft lots of fibre first and then spin it up and wind it, so I can get at most a meter of yarn. I haven’t yet perfected the continuous drafting required to spin really long lengths of yarn. A friend says she walks up her staircase while spinning so she can maximise the time spinning before she has to wind it on.
I usually sit while spinning as I like to “catch” the spindle with my feet. But I can and do stand at times. Never ever thought it must be done a certain way.
I learned standing on a chair!
But now I’m okay standing or sitting. My favorite is sitting on my in-laws’ front porch because I can sit but still have a long way down.
In the winter time up in the Catskill Mountains of NY, I spin in the car at lunchtime to destress. Otherwise it just depends on what I feel like doing. I’ve demonstrated both ways. Plying seems to go much easier standing. B-
The 2 people who actually use a spindle besides me had spun standing. So I thought I was supposed to learn standing up. But I couldn’t get that “ah hah!” moment til I learned to park and draft, which allowed me to concentrate on the drafting instead of worrying about the inevitable “clunk” I was going to get when the spindle hit the floor. Once I got the drafting down, the standing came without thinking because I started spinning and drafting too long to remain sitting. Now when I teach, I start my victims with park and draft and concentrate on the drafting and stand up to continue spinning and then winding on and don’t even mention the standing part to them and have noted they’ll simply start standing up on their own so they continue the drafting, too. Finally, they conclude they can actually remain standing and stop popping up and down. It seems to improve their confidence and give them a big boost to realize they’re suddenly spinning standing up without a big hassle of my trying to demo it. Maybe that’s cheating but hey, it’s working so far.
i mainly spin sitting down as i have M.E and standing still for exstended periords kills my energy levels, but am perfectly able to spin standing, havent quite cracked spinning while walking yet though
Actually, now that you’ve got me paying attention, I’ve noticed I do a LOT of my spindle spinning while seated. Matter moves toward chaos; I, apparently, move towards sitting on my ass if at all possible.
I also wheelspun while lying down, once, but it required more energy to keep my arms up than to sit, so I didn’t try it again.
Well, I’ve only been spinning since early February, but I spin both seated and standing, and will move from one to the other according to the demands of my bad knees (and other bits) that demand changes of position.
I tried spinning at a wheel, and found it problematic because I couldn’t just stand up and keep spinning when the pain said ‘get up and move’.
Both. I find my back starts to hurt when sitting down. And I can maintain much better posture when standing so I often stand to spindle spin.
When I started I sat mostly. But I’m not sure I ever thought I had to. Easier to grab it with your knees to regain control though.
I learned to spindle sitting down. It made the “park” part of the park and draft easier.
I never believed that I couldn’t spindle however I wanted to. I don’t think remember anyone in particular telling me that it could or couldn’t be done one way or the other. It just made intuitive sense that I could if I wanted to. However, it required enough time until I developed the necessary skills to get past the ‘park’ part so that I could spindle standing up. I still prefer spindling while sitting down. I tell myself it’s because I like the shorter length and winding on more versus possibly breaking and dropping the spindle, but really it’s likely that I’m just a lazy spinner.
I started out only spinning while standing. I thought I “needed” the height from arm to floor to get enough yarn spun to make it worth my while to spin it!
I’ve since started spinning cotton on an akha spindle and have discovered that it’s ok to sit and spin–my lap is an ok support for the spindle. Now I can spin wool while seated as well.
I’m a newish spinner and I can spin standing up, a little. I’m not working at it because sitting down is easier on my back right now. Maybe after it gets better I’ll do more spinning afoot, but I kind of doubt it. I am really enjoying spinning, and I’m not in a hurry to finish a bit of wool, because then I’d have to get more.
I’d love to have a wheel, too, and may get one for a Birthday/Christmas gift. But I’m torn as well, because it might move things along too fast.
I’d still use my spindles, though, because they’re relaxing. They’re also silent and when I can’t sleep, I can use them for stealth spinning without waking my husband.
(I can’t believe no one’s given this answer yet.)
No, you can’t do either. People used to be able to, but it’s too complicated to learn now.
As many others have said – I can do both. It all depends on how I’m feeling – sitting is maybe more relaxing? but standing lets me go longer at a single go which is nice and rhythmic.
I do both. When standing I can spin longer without stopping. I sit when I am spinning in places like drs. offices, or when in meetings. More discreet that way!
I taught myself to spin with internet videos and written descriptions – park and draft looked easiest for a beginner, so that’s where I started. Sitting down, at first parking between my knees, then my feet.
I can spindle standing up, but I still prefer sitting – easier on my back.
Yes.
Yes.
Obviously there is no right or wrong to this question, but I decided to chime in with my experience. When I first started spindling, I could only do so standing. I also ended up with a stiff neck and sore fingers. Quite clearly, the process did not begin as a relaxing one for me. Now I can sit to spindle or stand, and I love the way it helps me to de-stress.
This is an interesting question. I think I am about to try to help someone who just bought two drop spindles. I do not know that I am much of a teacher, but I love to share the fiber love.
I learned to spindle sitting down, and I still find it easier that way as I can park the spindle with my knees. I haven’t practiced enough to be really comfortable with my control of the spindle. I did once see photos of someone sitting on top of a fridge spinning because it allowed more space before having to wind on…
I can do either, but prefer sitting, simply because the distance to the floor is a good length for me to wind on. If I go longer, I have a tendency to get those nasty little kinks going, and sometimes the single breaks when I’m trying to get it worked back out.
Either. For drop spindles: Standing is more efficient. If my feet are tired, I sit, preferably on a tall stool.
For support spindles: I prefer sitting on a bed or beside a table where I can draft supported, then give a good twirl and add extra twist suspended.
It’s more efficient to add the extra twist suspended, since there’s less friction at the base of the spindle. It also makes a denser, less fuzzy cotton yarn. I learned this from a takli book from India. I don’t know if you remember, but I talked to you a little about this book at the end of the Gathering in the fall.
Both. And walking. I tend to sit to spin, but that’s because standing for long periods is painful for me. When I learned to spin quite a long time ago the only spindle available was that big heavy Shacht spindle. It took real concentration to to get enough twist in the the yarn to keep it from breaking with the weight of the spindle.
What I had a problem with was plying on a spindle. The person who taught me to spin only knew how to ply on a wheel. It took me a while to figure that one out. But I actually prefer plying on a spindle to wheel plying.
I never would have taken up spinning if I thought I couldn’t do it in any position that was comfortable. In fact, that’s why I resisted the wheel for so long: you have to *sit*, in one place.
That said, I’ve found that different types of spindle are more comfortable in different positions. A tiny top whorl is most portable for me (any position but lying down), the tahkli or bead whorl least so (I have to be sitting, with the bowl on a hard surface at exactly the right height.) And since I lie around a lot, I keep a couple of of projects on Russian spindles by the couch.
I do both, but I prefer spinning standing up, because it allows me to spin more before winding it onto the shaft. When I was first learning, I was mostly park and draft, so I did it sitting down. And of course, if I’m working with a supported spindle, I’m sitting down also.
Both. If I’m sitting, I sit. If I’m standing, I stand. If I’m walking, I walk (I can’t spin laying down, though. Can’t do it while jumping rope either).
I sit when I am spinning on the drop spindle, but also stand when I am tired of sitting! So…either way is good for me!
Hi Abby.
1. I stand while spindle spinning. I like to stand in general whenever I get the chance. Feels good to stretch the arms and legs.
2. I learned to spin on my knees, close to the floor, so that I could build up twist then set down the spindle and watch the twist go up the fiber as I drafted out. Would be happy to share with you who teaches kneeling at the beginning. I worked nicely, I was up and standing in no time.
3. I didn’t have a strong opinion on sitting or standing, just that everyone I watched spin stood up, so once I got the hang of things I stood up too.
4. Over time? Yes, I may very well learn to spin while sitting, espcially as I am looking at a long transAtlantic flight soon and would like to be able to spin on the plane.
Cheers
so I never thought it had to be one way or the other. But i find that I prefer to sit and spindle a lot more than standing. I do stand some. I find some fibers are easier to spin standing and others are more fun sitting. perhaps that is odd.
I learned sitting, it was a small space! I ended by standing, I can draft longer, and can see the spindle spinning around more easily.
I do both, depending on where I am, space, what’s going on around me, etc. Never occurred to me that anyone might think it was one or the other (until now).
I spin standing up.
I spin a little bit sitting down.
Im very short so it is much easier,
for me to spin standing.
Id like to be able to spin both ways.
There is no one near me to teach me,and i dont venture out much alone outside my general area.
so I dont attend guilds.