Weekly Spindle Review ~ 3D Printed Turkish

Maker:TurtleMade
Weight: 31 g /  1 oz
Length: 7" Shaft, 5" Arms  
Style: Turkish Spindle
Material: PLA Filament (thermoplastic)

Probably one of the COOLEST spindles I own.

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First of all, 3D printing boggles my mind.  The idea of it is pretty darn cool and the second I saw this spindle online it was mine.


For others who wonder how the heck 3D printers work I found this video to be particularly helpful

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My sample is Merino/Alpaca/Seacell in the colourway "Silver Linings" by Kinfolk Yarn and Fibre.  


About 5 minutes after my purchase, I received notification that it had shipped, which impressed me right off the bat.  I was really eager to get this spindle and check it out and see what something "printed" in 3D looked like, how did it feel? I was totally giddy for this one.  

You are able to pick which colours you would like for the shaft and arms.  I chose orange arms and a purple shaft for contrast.  The arms to me look like a reflector and I think it is really neat how you can see all the layers it took to make the spindle take its shape.  If you have trouble deciding on colour, she also sells shafts separately so you can mix and match.  The plastic is hard and rigid, a very solid spindle yet very lightweight.  There is an O-ring in the middle of the smaller arm so there is a no slippage when the shaft is set in place.  This is the standard size of TurtleMade's spindles, she also sells a mini size as well.  I found this particular size perfect. It's not gigantic and not so small that you will have to spin a million tiny balls to get a decent sized skein.  I bet you could easily fit a few ounces (if not more) on this one.  

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I should also state clearly that I am not a Turkish spindle user.  I only have 2 Turkish spindles and I acquired both this year.  I find them slow, frustrating and awkward.  With that being said, perhaps it is just jealously rearing its ugly head because a couple of my friends; Sara and Lindsay, are excellent Turkish spindle spinners and their skills are both amazing and inspirational.  My Turkish spindle skills are l.a.c.k.i.n.g. Big time.  I threw all my judgments away the instant I saw this spindle online, and it was only $15!!!

The shaft fits perfectly in the cross-section of the arms without budging.  Because of the nature of 3D printing, the shaft is not smooth, but that makes it perfect for holding a half hitch.  There is a nice taper near the tip for holding your yarn in place as well.  This detail helps me get over the awkwardness of my yarn slipping off the shaft when I give the spindle a good flick.  This Turkish now takes 3rd place for longest spin time.  

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This spindle has the makers name on the underside of the larger arm - stamped into the spindle itself - how the heck did she do that?

Now onto the spinning.  An absolute joy.  I was amazed how it danced and spun in thin air with no effort.  It's arms whirled around without shaking, no slowing down, and my mind in disbelief at its speed. The spindle was on the ground with a hearty length of yarn spun before I felt the need to look down to see if it needed a boost. Light also reflects off its surface and it shimmers as you spin.   Pretty impressive. 

I will definitely be packing this spindle with me wherever I go.  I have zero fear of it breaking, (and if it does, I can replace the shaft for $5).  It is a super cool conversation piece and a tool that you can hand off for someone else to try and you will be able to see them smile at it's awseome-ness.  You're looking pretty cool now aren't you?

Winding on has also been a bit of an issue for me.  I started by trying to make it look all fancy but threw that by the wayside when it was slowing me down.  It's not important for a sample size and it made no difference when it came to plying from the centre pull ball the spindle had created.  The technique I used was "over two, under one" and since I was able to grip the shaft easily, this made for winding the spun yarn on much easier.  

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Spindle rating:
Length of spin:  35.4 seconds (average of three tests)
Fibre storage ability: Excellent
Looks: By far the coolest spindle I own
Overall Rating: 9.5/10


This spindle has shattered my previous opinions about Turkish styles.  It was not awkward to spin, it was not slow and its size was easy to handle.  
I also like the fact that with this spindle you are combining a primitive tool with an advanced scientific technology to make an object that is highly functional, swanky looking and well made.  Pick one up - you know you want to ;)

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