Spinning in the Old Way: How (and Why) To Make Your Own Yarn With A High-Whorl Handspindle

I have several books on hand-spinning and this is THE best. My only complaint is lack of photos but that would jack up the price and isn't really necessary. The illustrations do a good job as is. I learned to spin on a high-whorl spindle by buying one and doing the spinny thing with my fingers - this book shows how you get WAY more spin by spinning it (in the old way!) up or down your thigh. At first this sounded hokey. I thought I had a good spin using my fingers. I was wrong. Now I'm a convert to thigh-spinning! (I know it sounds weird, but this author knows what she is talking about!) The book also talks about how you can use cheap and inexpensive things as spinning tools. I like the author's idea of keeping it simple and portable. I also like the section on plying - lacking in a lot of books. The author actually tried a bunch of ways and rated them for ease, and then tells how to do it in the easiest way. That's useful. I love the book and would recommend it to anyone. If you don't have a drop spindle yet, BUY THE BOOK FIRST, then shop for your spindle when you know something about the difference between a good, useful one and a bad one. I had to get rid of my first "beginner" spindle - it wobbled, had a bad hook, and no notch.

I purchased this book after finding that a more basic spindle spinning book, while valuable, did not answer a myriad of questions that I had. Twist? Drafting methods? Plying? So many things I wanted to learn about... And Spinning in the Old Way really covered everything I wanted to know. It's one of those books that you will keep in your library and refer to as needed and never, ever part with.

I just learnt how spin last week and saw another book, which I will not mention- which was useless. this book is excellent! it explains the process, variations, techniques, different spindles (who knew?) and gives clear instructions that even a beginner can follow. it really illuminates the hand spinning process. don't be fooled by some other book's glossy look.

from this book, even the experienced spinners! I haven't read any of Priscillas other books, so the reprint issue is irrelevent, but as someone who gave up on trying to spin with a bottom whorl spindle, the top whorl spindle is a revelation, and I have yet to see a book available to Australian spinners that has the wealth and variety of information that is explained in this book! Even if you don't spindle spin, there is a lot to learn about fibre preparation, plying and other aspects of spinning that it is so often taken for granted that we know! If you don't have the original, beg borrow or steal a copy if you can't get it here!

I'm a new spinner and prefer my wheel to the handspindle, so I almost passed this book by. I went ahead and picked it up since I have learned much from PGR's other books. And this one is a keeper. Her discussion on how much twist in singles and plies is invaluable. Also her discussion on finishing yarn was an eye opener for me. I'm busily plying some yarn so I can try her "boiling" recipe!