Hey, it's yarn!

The new drop spindle works better than expected. I went ahead and added a metal hook after all to make it easier to use as a top whorl spindle. It isn't necessary for a bottom whorl set up and really, I guess there's no reason you can't jut flip one over to use it one way or the other. Not sure why they are even sold as one or the other now that I think about it.

There are spinning style reasons that might make you want use one type or another. In my case I learned on a bottom whorl spindle but that's not what I'm most comfortable with.  Practical reasons might be that top whorls are sometimes thought of as easier to use unsupported but again it's not critical. You really just need the thing to spin and make sure your fiber can handle the weight of the spindle taking into consideration that it will of course get more heavy the longer you spin. The photo shows my new spindle with only a few yards on it but it adds up in a hurry once you get going.

I also didn't have the money to spare for commercial cards so I substituted a couple of standard pet store dog "slicker" brushes. They work fine at a fraction of the cost. I may also build some combs if I keep spinning. It'll all depend on how it adds to my life. I'll give most things a go at least a couple times but there's just too much to experience in one life to devote a lot of time to something that doesn't make a positive impact on how I live. In the past spinning and the consequent interactions with knitters and weavers were definitely a good thing!

The mohair didn't smell until I put it in the first bath to wash it and then wow, talk about a wet smelly goat! It was still a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to washing the rest of the fleece and giving it a go. Jumping back in with the long fiber goat hair was probably not the best idea I've ever had as it can be tricky to spin. More tricky than the lambs wool sitting on the floor next to it anyway.

Now I want more fiber and am looking forward to making a couple more spindles. Making the whorls with polymer clay opens up a world of function and style options I can't wait to explore.