Tools of the Trade: What do I need to start spinning?

New spinners can be intimidated by the wide variety of tools that are available for preparing and spinning fiber, managing the yarn that’s been spun, and finishing it. Which tools are necessary, and which ones are just nice to have?

At the most basic, a spinner needs one tool for spinning—a spindle or a spinning wheel. A wide variety of ready-to-spin fiber is available, which can be used straight from the packaging without any additional processing.

There are many varieties of spindles and wheels available. A spindle can be made easily and inexpensively by gluing a toy wheel or a CD onto a dowel, making spinning available to almost everyone. When purchasing a spinning wheel, I recommend testing as many kinds as you can. Most fiber shops and spinning/weaving guilds will have wheels that you can rent or try, and it is worthwhile to find the wheel that works best for you.

Beyond the Bare Bones

Once you can spin yarn you’ll need some tools to manage it, so I would add a niddy-noddy to my tool kit next. A niddy-noddy is used for making skeins of yarn for wet finishing and storage. One can use the back of a chair or wind from foot to hand, but a niddy-noddy is much easier to use and makes a consistently sized skein each time.

Devin’s tools include (front to back): handcards, a drop spindle, and niddy-noddy. Photo by Devin Helmen

Now that you can make yarn and manage it after it has been made, I would recommend adding a fiber-preparation tool to your took kit. This will open up the possibilities for the types of yarn you can make. You do not need a tool to prepare wool for spinning; you can use your hands to tease clean fleece open into a cloud and attenuate it into a roving, but a tool will add variety to the preparations you can make and may make it more efficient.

There are many uses for handcards. Photo by Matt Graves

My first choice for a fiber-preparation tool would be a set of handcards with teeth set at 72 teeth per inch (tpi). Handcards can be used to blend already prepared fiber for making color or fiber blends, for carding fleece into rolags, or as a flick card for opening up locks. Handcards with 72 tpi will work with a wide variety of wool and fibers (though not for the finest wools or cotton) and will give you the most “bang for your buck” in fiber-preparation tool investment.

Devin displays four fiber preparations made with handcards only: (left to right) a rolag rolled the long way, a rolag rolled sideways, a batt, and flicked locks. Photo by Devin Helmen

What’s Next?

This is the basic tool kit I recommend for new spinners. The very most basic is just a spindle and your hands, but for a basic tool kit to prepare and spin a variety of yarns, I recommend a spindle or wheel, a niddy-noddy, and a set of handcards. For many years my spinning tool kit was limited to two spindles, a pair of handcards, and a niddy-noddy, and I was able to spin a variety of yarns from fleece and prepared fibers and enjoy the process.

As I devoted more time and energy to textile work, I added a spinning wheel, more spindles, and other items to my tool kit. Beyond the basics, I recommend adding a set of two-pitch Viking-style combs for combing wool into top if you have interest in and enjoy fiber preparation, followed by a drumcarder if you enjoy spinning carded fiber preps or are interested in making blends in large quantities. I recommend taking a class where you can try combing or drumcarding before purchasing these tools to make sure they are suitable investments for you.

Drumcarders are great for blending colors for spinning. Photo by Matt Graves

There are so many more tools that can expand the spinner’s tool kit, but all you need are the basics to make yarn suited for weaving, knitting, crocheting, and other uses. A small tool kit can take up a small amount of space but result in a lot of spinning pleasure.

Further Resources:

• Build your spindle skills with Devin’s techniques for effortless plying, fiber control, long draw, and more: Spindle Spinning Essentials course
• For a great list of spinning tools and terms, visit “Essentials: Niddy-noddy, doffer, and diz—oh, my!”
• Tips on using a niddy-noddy: “Tying a 2-Yard Skein”
• Finishing your yarn: “Skill Guide: Winding and Finishing Your Yarn”

Devin Helmen has been immersed in fiber since learning to spin at age 8. They spin, knit, and weave in beautiful Minnesota. Devin enjoys writing and teaching about fiber arts and has a passion for spindles and everyday textiles. They blog, intermittently, at www.afewgreenfigs.blogspot.com.

Originally published July 12, 2021; updated February 10, 2025.