Episode 141: How to Keep Track of Your Spindles

In this episode, Sasha shares her system for keeping track of her ever-growing spindle collection.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Podcast Freebie: Click here to download

You can find the script for this episode HERE.

You can comment on and discuss this episode here in The Flock, Sheepspot’s free online community for inquisitive spinners.

Here's the link to the Podcast search page and playlists. 

Episode Transcript

(00:59):
I've never actually caught them in the act, which now that I think of it is probably a good thing.
But I'm convinced that spindles breed in captivity.
One day you buy a spindle, then you buy another.
Take two, they're small. Then somehow, before you know it and without even trying,

(01:22):
you have a spindle collection.
Clearly, there is magical spinning hanky-panky going on when I'm not looking.
Hello there, darling Sheepspotter. Welcome to episode 141 of the Sheepspot Podcast.
I'm Sasha, and my job is to help you make more yarns you love.
In today's episode, I'm going to share why and exactly how I keep track of my spindles.

(01:50):
Now, as you know, I'm not a huge spindle spinner, but I do love spindles.
I think they're beautiful, and I find them pretty irresistible just as objects.
Plus, they're so small and easy to pack. Why not throw a couple in your bag?
The results of this devil-may-care attitude is that I have a tendency to buy

(02:11):
spindles that are very similar to each other.
Like my two bird's-eye maple Bosworths, which were purchased more than a decade apart.
I love bird's-eye maple. it's one of my favorite woods, and that explains how
I acquired the first one.
But by the time I bought the second one, I had completely forgotten that I had the first one.

(02:36):
So to prevent this, I created a spindle tracker.
It's a table in a Google Doc, so it lives in the cloud, and I can access it from anywhere.
So the next time I'm in the Bosworth booth and I'm tempted to buy a third bird's
eye maple spindle, I can only hope that I will consult the tracker if I'm not

(02:57):
too drunk on the wool fumes.
I'm going to tell you what information I track and why so that you can easily
create your own, but why reinvent the wheel?
I've created a downloadable PDF of my tracker if you'd like one for your very own.
It will be in the freebies section of the Flock, Sheepspot's free online community

(03:21):
for inquisitive hand spinners, along with all of the other freebies I've created for the podcast.
And there will be a link to it in the show notes.
So my table has eight columns. The first is for the maker and the type of spindle.
So for example, For example, Bosworth Midi or Cascade St.

(03:43):
Helens or Greensleeves Ethan Jacob.
In the second column, I list where I bought the spindle and how much I paid for it.
The next column is for the type of spindle, top whorl, bottom whorl,
Turkish, suspended, etc.

(04:03):
Then I list the weight. And as an American living in Canada,
I'm fluent in both metric and imperial. So I list both because I'm extra,
but you can just choose one of them.
And I tend to sort the table by this column so that spindles of similar weight
will be next to each other for reasons I'm going to discuss in a moment.

(04:27):
The next column is for information about the whorl or in the case of a Turkish spindle, the arms.
So I list the material, the shape, the diameter or the length,
whether the whorl is notched.
And if it is, I list the notch position.
So if you think of the spindle as a clock face, and I'm talking about suspended spindles now,

(04:57):
if you think of a spindle as a clock face where the open side of the hook is
12 o'clock, hook I describe the notch position relative to that.
Most often the notch is at six o'clock directly opposite the hook but not always.
Then in the next column I record whether the spindle has a hook and if so what

(05:19):
the what shape the hook is.
Is it a shepherd's crook? Is it a diamond? a pigtail, or a simple J shape.
In the penultimate column, I list information about the length,
shape, and the material of the shaft.
For example, the shaft on my Jenkins Turkish Delight spindle is made of bamboo.

(05:41):
It's four and seven eighth inches long, and it's tapered.
And the last column is for notes. This is where I would record any quirks about
the spindle that I discover when using it, and any notes about damage and repairs.
Now, creating this list is tedious the first time through, especially if you

(06:05):
have a lot of spindles, but I found it really useful in a few different situations.
First, as we've already discussed, it prevents duplicate purchases.
Unless I'm actually trying to buy multiple similar spindles, that could be.
But if you're not trying to do that, it prevents duplicate purchases.

(06:28):
Two, in the case of some sort of spindle disaster, a drop spindle living up
to its name and landing right smack on its hook and bending it,
for example, I have a record of the correct shape and orientation of the hook.
Third, because I sort the table by weight, I can easily see which of my spindles

(06:50):
I can use together in making a project.
For example, looking at my chart, I can see at a glance that I have two top-whirl
spindles that are about the same weight, so I can spin onto each of them before making my plying ball.
Fourth, having this list allows me to identify gaps in weights or spindle types

(07:13):
to guide for future buying decisions.
This list will also tell you if there are particular woods that you're drawn
to, and it provides a handy place to make a note if you've loaned out a spindle
and to whom you have loaned it.
So be sure to download the free PDF if you would like to start keeping track

(07:39):
of your spindles in this way.
You can use it as is, or you can use it as a reference in creating your own system.
You will find it in the podcast freebies section of The Flock,
where you'll also find a dedicated discussion thread where you can comment on
this episode and discuss it with me and other listeners.

(08:00):
The links to that thread, as well as to the freebie, are in the show notes for
this episode, which you'll find right inside your podcast app.
Darling Sheepspotter, that is it for me this week.
While you are waiting for the next episode to come around, give yourself the

(08:20):
gift of spinning something.
I am certain it will do you good.