How to spin wool with a drop spindle: a step-by-step guide for beginners

By Tiago Reis, co-founder of Ra-Ro · View profile

About a 5 minute read

Spinning wool with a spindle means turning loose fibres into a continuous yarn by twisting them with a stick that spins. It is the oldest way of making yarn and needs only two things: carded wool, already combed and ready to spin, and a spindle. You can learn it in an afternoon and it improves with practice. At Ra-Ro, the ash spindles and carded wool come from Madeira, from the Enfia o Barrete collective.

Spindle spinning at a glance

• What you need: carded wool and a spindle.
• The basic move: spin the spindle, draft the fibres and let the twist travel up.
• Time to learn: an afternoon for your first yarn; a few weeks for an even one.
• What the yarn is for: knitting, weaving, embroidery or a traditional hat.
• At Ra-Ro: Spindle for wool and linen (33.80 euros), Carded regional wool 100 g (16.90 euros) and the carded wool and spindle set (54.20 euros).

What you need

• Carded wool: washed and combed wool with loose, airy fibres. The easiest way to start.
• A spindle: a wooden stick that spins. Larger spindles suit thicker wool yarns; smaller ones suit fine wool and linen.
• A leader: about 50 centimetres of ready-made yarn to attach the wool at the start.
• Patience: your first yarn will be uneven, and that is part of it.

How to spin wool with a spindle, step by step

1. Prepare the wool. Pull off a tuft of carded wool and open it with your fingers to loosen the fibres.
2. Attach the leader. Tie the leader to the spindle, wind on a few turns and leave a free end.
3. Join the wool to the leader. Overlap a few centimetres of fibre with the end of the leader.
4. Add twist. Spin the spindle, always in the same direction. The twist travels up and catches the fibres.
5. Draft the fibres. Hold the tuft in one hand and gently pull out a few fibres with the other, letting the twist run into them.
6. Wind on. When the yarn is long or the spindle nears the floor, wind the finished yarn onto the spindle.
7. Repeat. Spin, draft, wind on. When the tuft runs out, overlap a new one and carry on.

Tips and common mistakes

• The yarn breaks: you drafted too many fibres at once. Pull less and let more twist in.
• The yarn is hard and kinky: too much twist. Draft a little faster.
• The spindle drops: start seated, spinning the spindle and parking it between your knees while you draft. It is the easiest way to learn.
• Uneven yarn: normal at first. Evenness comes with rhythm.
• Setting the twist: at the end, wind the yarn into a skein, soak it in warm water and let it dry.

Madeira wool and Enfia o Barrete

Madeira's sheep are small but give a long, strong, robust fibre that is good for hand spinning. The Enfia o Barrete collective was founded in 2021 by Irina Andrusko, a researcher and textile maker, and Luz Ornelas, a wood engineer, to study and promote Madeiran wool and preserve the traditional earflap hat. The wool arrives carded and ready to spin, in white, brown or feiteira. The spindles are made of ash in three sizes: 47 cm for wool, and 41 cm or 30 cm for wool and linen. With use they take on a natural polish.

Read the story of the hat in Madeira's earflap hat and, to wear wool every day, see how to wear fingerless gloves.

Frequently asked questions

How do you spin wool with a spindle?

Attach the wool to a leader tied to the spindle, spin the spindle to add twist and gently draft the fibres so the twist travels into them. Then wind the yarn onto the spindle and repeat.

What wool should I use to start spinning?

Carded wool, already washed and combed, with loose fibres. A long-fibred wool such as Madeiran wool is easier to spin.

What size spindle should I choose?

A larger spindle for thicker wool yarns and a smaller one for fine wool and linen yarns.

How long does it take to learn to spin?

Your first yarn takes an afternoon. An even yarn usually takes a few weeks of practice.

Why does my yarn keep breaking?

Usually because too many fibres are drafted at once or there is too little twist. Draft fewer fibres and let the twist travel up.

Where can I buy a spindle and spinning wool?

At Ra-Ro, which sells ash spindles and carded Madeiran wool from the Enfia o Barrete collective, separately or as a set.