Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Spinning a Heavy Cop using Oseberg Distaff

Viking-style

 I've been asked by viewers for longer visuals on the use of the hand distaff in action while spinning wool and I also wanted to show a Viking Oseberg-style drop spindle in use when it is getting very heavy.

Clip of missingspindle using an Oseberg Hand Distaff
See Link below.


Here's the link to the video on my Flickr account.
(https://www.flickr.com/photos/29553597@N07/16384579277/in/photostream/) you might have to click twice - I'm an amateur at setting this up.

In this demo, the spindle wool cop weighs 3 ounces, and the spindle shaft weighs 1/2 ounce.  It is getting too heavy for me to easily spin.  I use method B to attach the yarn each time, going around the bottom of the cop before I half hitch the yarn to the nok.  The distaff has drum-carded Romney wool mounted on it, as seen in my YouTube videos.  The red leader and white Romney yarn are to help you see the path of the yarn as it is spun and attached to the cop.

The Flickr video is shot against a red Japanese maple tree and I am wearing a Medieval Liripipe hood but using a Viking Oseberg-style spindle.  I am also sitting backwards on the top of a ladder (not recommended, safety-wise) to match the level of the first-time videographer, who is standing in the back of a pickup truck trying to hold the video camera (high quality $70 point and shoot camera bought cheaply ;-)).  This is my first foray into providing simple how-I-do-it to my students and customers.

I've chosen not to provide this on YouTube with my professionally shot instructional videos.  Those are here:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjUCUOUGq_WC-sv2N_qfIhpJDi8LbR-9U

Comments are welcome.  More short videos to come as I master the mysteries of making and uploading.

I will also point out that the Greek and Roman hand distaffs (distaves) would likely use the same movements, those most seem to be shorter than the Oseberg.

And, I forgot to mention, I am Left Hand Dominant.  If you are Right Hand Dominant and want to do this, think of yourself as looking in a mirror.  In other words, you might like to hold the Distaff in your left hand……….

Lois Swales, missingspindle Spinster








1 comment:

  1. Beautiful video! Look at all that RED!

    And you appear to be enjoying that draft down :)
    Nicely done!!

    ReplyDelete