Cynthia Wood Spinner

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Amherst, VA
Cynthia Wood Spinner

I am Cynthia D. Haney, artisan wood turner. I make tools for the fiber arts including crochet hooks,

06/25/2026

Throwback Thursday: 2018 Powhatan's Festival of Fiber

I was wearing my PFoF t-shirt today. Brought back happy memories of a great local fiber festival. I had my spindles there every year. It was wonderfully organized. I loved being able to do it all in one day. The only thing I don't miss about it is stressing over the weather. The first year that I had my own tent booth it was 46 degrees and raining. I learned a lot that year.

In the first photo you can see my top whorl drop spindle sets with matching display stands on the top shelf. At the front corner my first hand spindle spun and knit sweater is on display. Spindle bags are hanging down the tent pole. Individual spindles are throughout the booth. Second photo you can see ornament spindles and threading tools on the mesh behind me. I tied that mesh by hand. I store it carefully. I still use it in my booth. I am demonstrating spinning on my drop spindle like always. Third photo gives you another view of the booth.

06/22/2026

Mail Monday

I made this spindle all in solid Maple wood. The pale beauty of the wood highlights the spindle's shape. I turned the whorl deeply hollowed for a long duration spin. I turned the shaft complete with my distinctive curves at the top. This makes a very solid connection to the whorl. Having the whorl at the top of the shaft makes it at top whorl drop spindle. Branch size, my middle, with the long duration whorl shape makes it beginner friendly. Even experienced spinners use spindles like this for most of their spinning.

What attracts you more shape or color in a tool?

06/20/2026

I will be at the Clotho's Handspinners meeting today. I always take a small selection of spindles with me.

06/19/2026

Spun, plied, skeined, washed, and decent photos taken. I enjoyed this spin. Both the singles and plying were on my bottom whorl spindles used supported. I took the Corriedale top, pulled off staple lenghts, folded them over my finger, and spun from the fold long draw. This made for an wonderful puffy yarn. While pink is not my color, Bede Sisters beautiful dye job kept it fun. Now to spin more and decide what to make for Mom.

Bede Sisters

06/18/2026

Tool Thursday Shawl Pins

A Shawl Pin is a fastener to keep your handmade shawl from falling off. I turn solid wood stick type Shawl Pins. I have Maple, Cherry, and Black Walnut ones available. They are fun to turn and allow me to use wood too short for spindle shafts.
I could have called this project supplies Thursday instead.

Do you use a Shawl Pin?

06/17/2026

Wood Wednesday Holly

Holly, Ilex opaca, is a native small tree. Holly is beautiful pale wood that is a dream to turn. Lumber suppliers don't bother with small trees. The only way I get Holly is local freshly cut logs. Then many hours of preparation and years of air drying. I did all that work several years ago so I have Holly ready to turn now.

Buttons give me a unique opportunity to harvest, dry, and utilize small diameter wood. I saved a thick branch and waited for it to dry. Then I turned these buttons from the branch not a board. That gave me the concentric growth rings visible on the dome of the button. If I had used a board only a few arcs would have been visible.

06/16/2026

Tip Tuesday

Check your sample and notes when resuming a project.

Need I say more?

When in doubt take more notes, pictures, make yourself a short video, keep samples of all the stages (for spinning make a control card).

I have been thankful for my notes recently. When resuming knitting a glove to test out my measurements. I am knitting a test pair in leftover commercial yarn before using my handspun.

06/15/2026

Mail Monday

A beginner friendly branch size top whorl drop spindle I made found a home.

Black Walnut is a favorite of many people. I used it when I turned the whorl. I choose Maple for turning the shaft for visual contrast.

Doesn't this spindle tempt you to pick it up and spin?

I love making functional art.

06/12/2026

Same yarn, same backdrop, what a difference in color. This is why I don't rely on my cellphone taking important pictures. A reminder to get out the real camera even for simple project photos. This is the two ply skein fully spun and plied supported on my spindles. I spun the singles from the fold on lovely Corriedale dyed by Bede Sisters. I used one of my long spinning branch size bottom whorl spindles for the singles. Then I spun the two ply, still supported, on a trunk size bottom whorl spindle. Using a stump I made for the bowl. Then wound the skein on a full size two yard niddy-noddy I made. The result a wonderfully soft squishy yarn. True color slightly less intense than the skein photo.

06/11/2026

Throwback Thursday:

The article I wrote for Ply Magazine's Blog came out in November. The planning, spinning, and writing started much earlier. Link to the article on my website or go direct.
https://plymagazine.com/2025/11/falling-in-love-with-bottom-whorl-supported-spindle/

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Address

1601 Falling Rock Drive
Amherst, VA
24521

Telephone

+14342828461

Website

https://CynthiaWoodSpinner.com/

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