Simple Distaffs

Spinners often find it challenging to hold the fiber while using a spindle. Distaffs allow the spinner to hold the fiber, keeping it organized and out of the way.

There are many types of distaffs, and author Rita Buchanan shows us how to make many different styles, including:

• Bracelet-style wrist distaff, which is good for holding commercially prepared top or sliver of any fiber, wool top you've combed yourself, or sliver that you've prepared by pulling lengthwise on a drumcarded batt.

• Twisted-skein distaff, crafted from a skein of yarn that's twisted into a rope that hangs from the wrist.

• Two-skein twisted distaff, which combines a softer yarn as the loop that fits around the wrist and a coarser fiber for the tail that the roving will be wrapped around.

• Supertwist skein distaff, which is a simple project that takes advantage of the elasticity of high-twist singles yarn, forming a small, lively skein that you can easily slide on and off your wrist.

• Knitted-cuff wrist distaffs, which is similar to the cuff of a long-sleeved sweater but looser fitting. This type can be knitted in the round, knitted as a long, skinny strip, or knitted as a short, wide one.

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