Discover the Drop Spindle
By: Katrina Wood, Master Program Specialist
Learning to craft materials as a new hobby (or pandemic pastime) awaits you this Spring! Durham Parks and Recreation is offering a two-session workshop on weaving with a Drop Spindle, a wooden instrument with a weighted whorl and typically, a hook or notch. Join a spinner, weaver, knitter, and living history professional who can tell you all about the origins of materials and how different types of wool are used in one’s everyday life.
Hannah Smith will conduct a Drop Spindle workshop on April 10 and 24 via Zoom, and while she’s been knitting since her freshman year in college (and quickly finding that she couldn’t be without her wheel while her friends were attending parties), she does not expect workshop participants to arrive with as many years of experience.
In speaking with Hannah, her enthusiasm for weaving with a variety of materials and her ability to share that enthusiasm with participants will appeal to weavers of all skill levels. She provides an informative primer on a variety of fiber materials along with the breakdown of the labor of weaving in the 18th and 19th centuries. She’s an active member of the “fiber community” and has found the means to connect with others online who are interested in and engage in material culture. Hannah can suggest organizations and (virtual) festivals in North Carolina if participants would like to further explore this network.
Intertwining disciplines of medical history, cooking, spinning, and other disciplines help guide Hannah as an instructor—she interprets a variety of subjects through her so-called ‘day job’ in archaeology. As an ongoing spinner who works on a project while catching up on Netflix programs, Hannah can assure everyone that she’s there for participants who might be looking for an overview to the drop spindle as well as those who aspire to pandemic spinning challenges and having their own studio (Hannah’s is called Fiber and Fluff).
Participants in this upcoming workshop will have a gap in between the two dates so that they can assess their individual projects and return with questions or updates for Hannah. She devotes a significant ‘chunk’ of instruction for ‘dialogue with students,’ she says, and she emphasizes that there isn’t one right way to spin materials. The content she’ll provide is multi-layered, but she promotes each would-be spinner to find ease with the craft and the drop spindle that could give way to relaxation. She directs those who would like to know more about her projects and studio to glance through her Instagram: @fiberandfluff. She also can be reached through email.
For more on the drop spindle, check out these tutorials from weaving demonstrators:
Learning to craft materials as a new hobby (or pandemic pastime) awaits you this Spring! Durham Parks and Recreation is offering a two-session workshop on weaving with a Drop Spindle, a wooden instrument with a weighted whorl and typically, a hook or notch. Join a spinner, weaver, knitter, and living history professional who can tell you all about the origins of materials and how different types of wool are used in one’s everyday life.
In speaking with Hannah, her enthusiasm for weaving with a variety of materials and her ability to share that enthusiasm with participants will appeal to weavers of all skill levels. She provides an informative primer on a variety of fiber materials along with the breakdown of the labor of weaving in the 18th and 19th centuries. She’s an active member of the “fiber community” and has found the means to connect with others online who are interested in and engage in material culture. Hannah can suggest organizations and (virtual) festivals in North Carolina if participants would like to further explore this network.
Intertwining disciplines of medical history, cooking, spinning, and other disciplines help guide Hannah as an instructor—she interprets a variety of subjects through her so-called ‘day job’ in archaeology. As an ongoing spinner who works on a project while catching up on Netflix programs, Hannah can assure everyone that she’s there for participants who might be looking for an overview to the drop spindle as well as those who aspire to pandemic spinning challenges and having their own studio (Hannah’s is called Fiber and Fluff).
For more on the drop spindle, check out these tutorials from weaving demonstrators:
For background on North Carolina-specific “fiber arts and fiber farms” in the western region of the state, visit this website.
We hope you join us for The Drop to Spindle workshop on April 10 and 24, from 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Preregistration is required! The fees are $12 for City residents and $17 for Non-City residents. The program is suited for ages 13 and up. Register today!
We hope you join us for The Drop to Spindle workshop on April 10 and 24, from 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Preregistration is required! The fees are $12 for City residents and $17 for Non-City residents. The program is suited for ages 13 and up. Register today!
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