Showing posts with label handspinning tools. Show all posts
Showing posts with label handspinning tools. Show all posts

Saturday

The Raven's Egg Support Spindle


Dave has named this beautiful 1.0 ounce (27 gram) egg whorl support spindle "The Raven's Egg".  He has scrimshawed the alternative ivory egg whorl with two depictions of a raven.  The 10" shaft was crafted from ebony.

Dave spends hours painstakingly etching with a needle on each egg, so the prices will vary depending on how much scrimshaw is on each egg. 

The egg whorl of this support spindle was crafted by Dave from an alternative ivory composite material created by him using a formula of resin, calcium carbonate (powdered limestone) and recycled mammoth ivory dust that he collects from his carvings and sawing of mammoth ivory. He casts the alternative ivory material into turning blanks, then turns the egg shape whorl together with the wooden shaft for balance.



Sunday

Mini Dimpled Ceramic and Wood Support Spindle Bowls


Five new mini support spinning bowls were listed in our Etsy shop today.  These adorable little spindle bowls feature a dimpled earthenware ceramic insert.  The woods used in these bowls are hard maple, figured Oregon myrtlewood and African mahogany.

Friday

New Spindles


Three new spindles were listed in our Etsy shop today.  The handspinning tool above was crafted from Swiss pear and cocobolo.  Our Victorian lace weight top whorl spindle features checkering around the whorl and a Victorian era leaf motif.  Also listed today were two French style cove and groove support spindles. Please click the links to view additional photos of these tools.


Paduak and Dymondwood



Wednesday

Heirloom Mini Support Spindle and Ceramic Spinning Bowl Set


Dave has combined his years of experience as a scrimshaw artist, ivory carver and spindle maker to create this one-of-a-kind heirloom mini support spindle

This 9 inch spindle features a 1.5 inch diameter rosewood whorl with a relief carved leaf motif and two miniature ancient mammoth ivory roses also hand carved by Dave and inset into the whorl. This mammoth ivory is at least 10,000 years old, the approximate time at which mammoth became extinct. The shaft is turned from hard maple with a very hard rosewood tip. 

The spindle has been sealed and has a hand rubbed finish using Renaissance wax. This wax is a micro-crystalline polish made of refined waxes blended to a formula used by the British Museum and restoration specialist internationally to revive and protect museum quality pieces.

Accompanying this little beauty is a mini ceramic spinning bowl which has been decorated with glaze by hand. A faux suede bag is included to store your bowl when it's not in use.




Monday

Oregon Myrtlewood Burl, Hard Maple and Box Elder Tibetan Support Spindle


This beautiful support spindle weights 1.2 ounces (33 grams). The hard maple shaft measures about 11 inches in length, and the whorl which was crafted from Oregon myrtlewood burl, measures about 2 inches in diameter. The voids of the burl have been filled with brass. The tip has been crafted from dyed and stabilized box elder.

When constructing his spindles, Dave mounts the spindle whorl blank on the shaft, and then turns and shapes the whorl and shaft together to achieve a well balanced spindle.  Additional photos of this handspinning tool can be found in our Etsy shop.



Wednesday

Top Whorl Drop Spindles


These are the newest top whorl drop spindles crafted by Dave.  The whorl woods are Oregon myrtlewood, maple burl and birdseye maple.  Please visit our Etsy shop to see additional photos of other fiber art tools by Grizzly Mountain Arts.

Ambrosia Maple, Hard Maple and Diamondwood Tibetan Support Spindle


This beautiful Tibetan support spindle weights 0.9 ounces (25 grams). The hard maple shaft measures about 11 inches in length, and the whorl which is crafted from ambrosia maple, measures about 1 3/4 inches in diameter. The tip has been crafted from emerald green diamondwood.

When constructing his spindles, Dave mounts the spindle whorl blank on the shaft, and then turns and shapes the whorl and shaft together to achieve a well balanced spindle.

Friday

Travel Size Ceramic Support Spindle Bowls






Four new travel size ceramic support spinning bowls were listed in our Etsy shop today.  If you'd like to see more photos of these handspinning tools, please click here to visit our shop.  Thanks for looking!

Wednesday

Oregon Myrtlewood Tibetan Support Spindle





This beautiful support spindle weights 1.3 ounces (36 grams). The Oregon myrtlewood shaft measures about 11 1/2 inches in length, and the whorl which is also crafted from Oregon myrtlewood, measures about 2 inches in diameter. The tip has been crafted from jatoba. The whorl of this handspinning tool has been adorned with Dave's signature pyrographed leaf motif.

When constructing his spindles, Dave mounts the spindle whorl blank on the shaft, and then turns and shapes the whorl and shaft together to achieve a well balanced spindle.

This beautiful handspinning tool is for sale in our Etsy shop.



Wood and Ceramic Support Spinning Bowls

Oregon myrtlewood, African mahogany and birdseye maple are a few of the woods used in Grizzly Mountain Arts newest support spinning bowls.  Each bowl features one of our ceramic inserts that we have decorated by hand.  This unique wood and ceramic combination is a Grizzly Mountain Arts original design.  If you'd like to view additional photos of these beautiful spindle bowls, please click here to visit our Etsy shop.


Saturday

DIY Poplar and Birch Top Whorl Spindle


Here is your opportunity to put your own spin on making a one of a kind spindle for yourself or as a gift or resale. Why waste time and money on wooden toy wheels, crooked dowel rods, coffee cup hooks and split shafts? 

Dave has professionally crafted this DYI top whorl spindle complete with a 1 7/8 inch poplar whorl and a 9 1/2 inch birch shaft (8 inches below the whorl), brass hook and a notch in the 3 o'clock position. The whorl has been sealed and sanded smooth ready to paint (do not stain since the wood has been sealed). The birch shaft has already been finished with polish. Of course you don't have to paint it if you don't want to. Just wax the whorl and off you go. 

This spindle weighs 0.7 oz (21 grams) and can be found in our Etsy shop.



Thursday

New Mini Tibetan Support Spindle Travel Sets


Seven new mini Tibetan support spindle travel sets were listed in our Etsy shop today.  The woods used for the whorls of these beautiful handspinning tools are canarywood, padauk, bubinga, ambrosia maple, hormigo negro, Swiss pear and East Indian rosewood.  If you'd like to view more photos of these support spindles, please visit our Etsy.com shop.

Friday

New Mini Support Spindle Travel Sets






These five colorful mini support spindle travel sets were listed in our Etsy.com shop today.  Each spindle set contains a mini ceramic spindle bowl.  A velvet pouch is provided to protect your ceramic spinning bowl.



Wednesday

New Spindles on Etsy.com



We took a road trip to visit family this month, so it's been a while since new handspinning tools were listed for sale in our Etsy shop.  As you can see in the photos, Dave has been busy in his studio.  The four drop spindles above were crafted from colorwood and birch.  They are all a nice weight for plying.


These six bottom whorl spindles are Dave's newest modified Andean/Peruvian reproduction drop spindles.  The original Andean spindle reproductions were basic no frills drop spindles with a shaped top to accommodate a half hitch and spinning was more or less off one side. They were intended to be a primitive design. Some customers had problems using the spindle with only the shaped end and wanted a better way to hold the yarn. A brass hook could have been added, but that really moves it away from being an Andean and more of a common bottom whorl suspended spindle. 



In lieu of a hook, Dave has hand carved a T Notch (aka notch and slot) at the top of the shaft. Now your half hitch is held securely, and you can also spin in center line with the shaft.














Last, but certainly not least, are the four new mini Tibetan support spindle travel sets seen below.The woods used to craft the whorls are redheart, bubinga, chechen and cocobolo.


Tuesday

Ebony and Fossil Mammoth Ivory Mini Phang Support Spindle



This 8 inch mini phang support spindle  was crafted from ebony. It has been inlayed with fossil mammoth ivory. This beautiful handspinning tool weights 1.6 ounces (44 grams).

**What is fossil ivory?**

Fossil ivory is ancient ivory whose composition has changed from ivory to mineral. Care should be taken to distinguish fossil ivory from recent ivory which has yellowed or discolored. Fossil ivory (including walrus, mammoth and mastodon) and other archaeological and paleontological materials are regulated by an array of Federal and State laws. These items may not be collected on any Federal or
State lands. Fossil ivory may be collected on private lands with the permission of the land owner, and is not regulated under the Marine Mammals Protection Act. Fossil ivory does not have to be tagged or registered. Anyone may sell fossil ivory without first handcrafting it.

**Where do we get our fossil ivory?**

Ancient walrus and mammoth tusks are dug out of the permafrost or bone mounds by Alaskan and Siberian natives annually during the summer thaw and sold to subsidize their family or village income. We buy our ancient walrus ivory shards from ivory buyers that travel to the St. Lawrence Island area to buy from the ivory co-ops.

**Learn more about fossil ivory**

If you would like to learn more about fossil ivory, please visit the link below:
http://alaska.fws.gov/fisheries/mmm/qa_sub_harvest.htm


"Fresh" ivory and elephant ivory will never be used in any of the artwork created by Grizzly Mountain Arts.

Golden Oregon Myrtlewood Burl Top Whorl Drop Spindles



Gorgeous doesn't begin to describe the golden Oregon myrtlewood burl that Dave used for these new top whorl drop spindles!  Each has a rich golden color and amazing grain patterns.  The shafts used for these beautiful handspinning tools are jatoba, ebony and purpleheart.  Additional photos can be seen in our Etsy shop.

Saturday

Mini Tibetan Support Spindle Travel Sets


Five new mini Tibetan support spindle travel sets were listed for sale in our Etsy shop this morning.  These little beauties are perfect for lace weight and other fine, lightweight fibers.  The woods used for the whorls are ambrosia maple, bloodwood, chechen, canary wood and apricot.

Monday

Native American Basket Design Support Spindle with Turquoise Inlay


Dave has crafted this unique Native American inspired 1 1/2" basket whorl from maple. He has adorned the textured whorl with pyrography and inlayed turquoise. The 10 3/4 inch long shaft was crafted from hickory.  The weight of this beautiful support spindle is 1.2 ounces (34 grams).