Image 6: 150g whorl with two shafts for supported spinning, short and long.
Large supported spindle
Image 6: 150g whorl with two shafts for supported spinning, short and long.
A short but heavy supported spindle is used the same way as a small supported spindle, with the end in a shallow bowl or on a hard surface. It works best for thicker yarns and can be used for "park and draft" type spinning. For a long spindle (40 cm or more in length,) spin while seated by setting the bottom of the spindle on the floor and the top over your thigh. Turn the spindle with your fingers or roll the shaft along your thigh, depending on the amount of twist required. Always roll in the same direction, hold the turning spindle in your fingers and move your hand to return to your starting point. Draft horizontally off the tip of the spindle and be sure to maintain an angle between the shaft and your yarn. A large supported spindle can hold a lot of yarn as long as it does not interfere with handling the spindle.
This item is scored with its associated yarn.
Examiner 1 noted that the Navajo people used a large supported spindle for hard warp yarns. I didn't mention any history because the requirement for this section was about use, something that required many edits to remove things I wanted to say. This comment didn't affect my score, however.