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A full-sized spindle -- sized and constructed along the lines of the "Production" and "Fancy." Available in either of two shaft lengths. I hand-bend the brass hook.
We debuted the High Whorl at Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival
'96 -- "testdrivers" there were divided on the question
of shaft-length. But, they were unanimous on one important point
-- they liked it a lot -- especially in lighter weights:
ranging from 1.5 oz to 2.25 oz. (42 - 64 grams).
You see, Toni Neil of The Fold
out in Marengo, IL has this husband and wife team of spinning
customers -- Jerry & Ellen. Well , Jerry, by all reports an
expert spinner, wanted a spindle that weighed somewhere between
a fullsize high whorl and the Kaari. He figured I could "cut
down" a 12" shaft to maybe 8" and proportionally
reduce the whorl's diameter "to match".
I made the one for Jerry and it just looked like something I should do more of. Besides...I thought the fiber world needed a spindle named after a guy!! We haven't had the "Jerry" advertised here on the website or in our "snailmail catalog", but word-of-mouth has been at work. It's usually the first spindle to sell out at the few shows we do as vendors. The "Jerry" worked out so well that it even inspired me to make a low whorl version I'm calling the "Stubby".
That's pretty much how Kaari Parrish described what she wanted in e-mail from North Pole, Alaska. This may be the first handspindle designed on the internet!!
"Kaari Parrish family page" -- See a color photo of Kaari and DH Dan @ Fiberfest '97
We
took two the first two "Kaari" prototypes to '96's Maryland
Sheep and Wool Festival for people to testdrive. The response
was VERY POSITIVE. This spindle continues as our hands down most
popular. Check the spinner sitting next to you, he/she probably
has a "Kaari" in their bag.
I feel a little guilty hyping the Amelia to any great degree.
Far from being a really NEW spindle design, she is only our Kaari
with a longer shaft -- 10.5" -- that's 2.5" or so longer
than the Kaari.
The Amelia
is on the left
-- the Kaari's on the right.
But, it can't be argued, the extra shaft length does make this a new and interesting spindle. The spinners at last year's Maryland and New York sheep & wool festivals agreed with that point of view. The few Amelias we managed to bring with us were always the first style to vanish from the shelf.
I don't measure every whorl as they come off the lathe. But, I would not be surprized if I am tending to make the average Amelia whorl a little larger than that of the average Kaari. The Amelia tends to weigh right roundabout 1.25 oz (35 g).
This spindle had been on my "to do list" since I first saw it it Bette Hochberg's book Handspindles. Mrs. Hochberg described it as being a spindle design used by "ladies" for the "recreational" spinning of silk in northern Europe during the late 18th century.
I *MUST* credit here a certain "Ann D." from Florida (she'd be after me if I didn't). It was her persistent harassment via e-mail that cajoled me into turning the "solid 18th century high whorl spindle like the one in Handspindles."
I
extrapolated crude measurements from the photo in Handspindles,
but, as you can see above, have wound up turning my own versions
of this spindle. The weight range of the Lady Ann varies mostly
with the wood used -- in Cherry and Walnut they tip my laboratory
balance "around" 1.2 oz.-- Maple's a teeny bit heavier
-- but heavier yet are most of the exotics.
This photo of "Ladies Three" shows off shape options:
The "Stripper" version of the Lady Ann (and
the Long Lady) is just what I call the most minimal variation
of the "Lady profile". On the lathe, I turn away a good
amount of wood -- taking the shaft down to a 
minimum
diameter -- even hollowing out the underside of the "whorl
area". The spindle's weight is reduced while keeping a good
amount of mass out at the "rim" to 
maintain
as long a "spin-time" as possible.
Be sure to mention if you want your Lady to be a "stripper"!
The TRUTH: The Lady Ann is NOT a "volkspindle" -- that is, she's not for everyone. Most of the Hatchtown versions I turn are much more "narrow-waisted" than the original which increases spin-time", but the Lady should never be classed as a long-spinner. She's GREAT for spinning VERY FINE yarn requiring more than a little twist. She would not be a good first spindle for a beginner.
Having said that, a lot of Lady Ann owners tell me I'm full of it -- they're using their Ladys for spinning all kinds of stuff. And, of course, she's SOOoooo pretty! -- EVERY handspinner should have a Lady Ann in their collection! <gggggg>
Now, I don't subscribe to "bigger is
better", especially when it comes to handspindles. BUT there
did seem to be room for some scaling up....and I did happen to
have a few chunks of wood that were a bit longer than they needed
to be.....so...the "Long Lady" happened. The first two
to come off the lathe are pictured rightmost in the photo.
I've kept the same diameters and only sssttretchhhed her length.
The "Long Lady" measures approximately 10 1/2"
long (vs. the "Lady Anne's" 8 1/2").
From L to R: two regular "Lady Annes" in Maple, a "Long Lady" in Cocobolo and one in Maple (un-oiled)
The "Long Lady" maybe comes closer to maybe being an "all around" spindle than the smaller "Lady Ann". The extra "shaft" length makes her easier to run up your thigh and increases yarn "capacity". But she's still not going to outspin something like our "12" High Whorl" with its "disk-like" whorl.
This one pictured in Maple tipped the scale at 1.6 oz. ( 45g ). The Cocobolo, as svelte and graceful as she looks, was a rather hefty 2.6 oz. ( 74g ). Amongst the few I've done there have been a Maple at 1.3 oz. ( 37g ) and two other Cocobolos at 2.3 oz. ( 65g ) and 3.0 oz. ( 85g ).
The "Stripper" version of the Long Lady (and
the Lady Ann) is getting close to what I think might be the most
minimized variation of the "Lady profile". I turn the
the "shaft" down to minimum diameter while keeping the
"whorl area" at a maximum -- with its underside "hollowed
out" -- placing the most mass possible out at the "rim"
to lengthen "spin-time" as much as the Lady design permits.
more info about the "stripper"
Be sure to mention if you want your Lady to be a "stripper"!