The drop spindle is the oldest known tool for hand spinning raw fibres into yarn for textiles. Though primitive, it was essentially the only tool available before the advent of the spinning wheel. It is rarely romanticised in fairy tales, but it is nevertheless enduringly popular amongst fibre artists and enthusiasts.

In its most elemental form, spinning consists of twisting fibres together to make a thread which is longer, thicker, and stronger than the individual fibres. It is likely that this was originally done, long before recorded history, by rolling bundles of fibres on the ground, on a thigh, or between hands, twisting them into crude yarns. Later on a long, straight stick was incorporated into the process; yarn could be wound onto it after it was spun, keeping it untangled and tidy for later on.

Eventually the stick became integral to the spinning process itself. By having a pre-made length of yarn between the raw fibre and the stick, rotating the stick would transfer twist to the fibre, which greatly increased the speed of the process. A disc-like whorl was attached to add weight so that the stick could dangle and spin for longer on its own, and the drop spindle was born.

Though it has been around for millennia, the form of the drop spindle has changed little. Simply put, the spindle consists of a long shaft and a whorl or disc at one end. Sometimes, a hook is attached to the end of the shaft nearest the whorl; this is for stability, catching the yarn before it passes over the whorl to be wound onto the shaft. Within this broad category there are two main types of drop spindles: suspended ones, and supported ones.

Suspended spindles are categorised as either top-whorl or bottom-whorl, depending on how they are used. Bottom-whorl spindles are the ones most commonly seen in Europe and the United States, both historically and in modern times; the whorl is located at the bottom of the shaft when it is suspended, and the top of the shaft, closest to the spinner, has a hook or notch around which the yarn is tied in a half-hitch to keep it from slipping off. The spindle rotates freely suspended from the yarn; this leaves both of the spinner's hands free to draft the fibre, making it ideal for beginners.

Because the spindle must be of a certain weight in order to hang properly, a bottom-whorl spindle is unsuitable for soft fibres; I know from unhappy experience that delicate alpaca, Merino lambswool, and angora break before there is enough twist to support the spindle's weight. Also, the whorl at the bottom means that the spindle rotates relatively slowly. Though this is a very positive thing for new spinners, allowing ample time to draft evenly, it means that fine yarns with high twist cannot be spun effectively.

For fine yarn and fragile fibre, there is the top-whorl spindle, believed to have originated in the Middle East. These are quite often more lightweight than their bottom-whorl counterparts; they look the same, except that the hook or notch lies on the end of the shaft closest to the whorl. When they are in use, the whorl is at the top; this means that it spins at a much higher speed, making it ideal for yarns of cobweb delicacy and fibres that would break on a heavier bottom-whorl spindle.

Supported spindles are larger than suspended ones. One type is the Navajo spindle; this has a longer shaft and a heavier whorl. Its use requires the spinner to be seated, either on a chair or on the ground; with the bottom part of the shaft resting on the floor and the top part against the thigh, the spindle is rolled up the thigh and allowed to twirl, then to fall back again to the bottom of the thigh. This is somewhat slower than using a suspended spindle, especially a top-whorl spindle, but it is closest to what the original process of rolling fibres must have been like.

African spindles, tahklis, for shorter fibres like cotton use the Navajo method, though they are extremely lightweight with a thin shaft and tiny beadlike whorl; a heavier spindle would break the fibre, as would a shorter one that had no support.

Making a simple drop spindle could hardly be easier. A trip to a craft shop or home renovation centre yields a wooden car wheel, somewhere between two and three inches in diameter; this is to be the whorl, and it comes with a hole pre-drilled in its centre. A dowel that fits snugly in the hole, cut to a length of twelve inches, makes a shaft. A hole drilled in one end with a small cup hook screwed into it makes a catch for yarn; sand off rough spots, insert the shaft into the whorl so that it lies about an inch and a half away from the end without the hook, and a bottom-whorled spindle is finished. For one with the whorl at the top simply flip the shaft around so that the whorl is closest to the hook.

Spinning with a drop spindle has a soothing rhythm. A length of pre-made yarn is tied onto the shaft of the spindle and passed through the hook as a leader; the spindle suspended from the leader is spun gently, and raw fibre drafted into ethereal thinness is laid over the leader. The twist transfers through, making yarn; more fibre is drafted out with the right hand, occasionally bending down to give the spindle another twist, until the yarn is an arm's length long. Then the spinning is stopped and the yarn is wound around the shaft, just above the whorl for a bottom-whorl spindle and just below it for a top-whorl spindle; and then the process is repeated.

Then suddenly it is five hours later, the shaft of the spindle is full, and you're entirely out of fibre. The rhythm, though repetitive, is infectious.

Though mostly confined to the studios of fibre artists looking for the peaceful rhythm and portability it brings, drop spindles are still seen in the hands of men and women who make their living as artisans. In Turkey, a drop spindle is called a kirmen, and it is used to spin wool for kilim rugs. In Bolivia, it is called a phushka, and the yarn spun by spinners is woven into intricate and colourful textiles for home use and for sale in markets.

For the contemporary handspinner who does not rely on their work for income, much of the appeal of a drop spindle lies in its portability: where a spinning wheel might make for more even yarns in greater quantity, there is a great deal to be said for being able to take your spinning camping somewhere remote, or keep it in a handbag for idle moments standing in queues.

I can't take my spinning wheel to university with me in fall; there's a finite amount of big things that will fit in one half of a closet-sized dormitory room, and it is mostly taken up by the stereo and the guitar I can't leave outside arm's reach. But it is easy enough to tuck a drop spindle or five in different weights and woods into corners of bags and suitcases.

Though drop spindles are simple, they come in myriad sizes and weights. As a general rule, longer and heavier spindles are for fibres with longer staple lengths and for spinning heavier yarns. Anything that weighs more than about four ounces will probably be too heavy to use comfortably for any length of time; lighter than two ounces, and it is suitable only for the finest of fibres.

Sources:
Austin, Alison. Spinning in Ancient Rome. http://www.unc.edu/courses/rometech/public/content/survival/Alison_Austin/spinning.html
Drop Spindles from Lake Titicaca in Bolivia. http://www.icelandicsheep.com/drop_spindles.htm
How to Make a Drop Spindle. http://www.joyofhandspinning.com/make-dropspin.html
How to Use the Drop Spindle. www.handspinning.com/lollipops/spininst.htm
Spindle. Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spindle
Techniques of Rug and Flatweave Construction. http://www.bazaarturkey.com/techniques_of_rug.htm
"The evolution of spinning equipment". http://www.spinsterstreadle.com/spinning.htm
Types of Drop Spindles. http://www.joyofhandspinning.com/spindle-types.html