Moose Antler and Cocobolo Top Whorl Drop Spindles

Two new moose antler top whorl drop spindles were added to our Etsy shop today.  The spindle above weights 1.0 ounces, and the one below weights 0.8 ounces.  Both of these stunning handspinning tools have a 7 1/4 inch long cocobolo shaft.

Myrtlewood Magnetic Needle Holder Dish with Ponderosa Pine Needles

Dave has hidden a rare earth magnet under this beautiful little dish that he turned from Oregon myrtlewood. The dish measures 3 1/4 inches in diameter and stands 1 1/4 inches high. To accent this pin dish, ponderosa pine needles were woven around the top.  An additional photo can be found at the Etsy listing for this needle minder dish.

Mini Ponderosa Pine Needle Baskets

We have just added four beautiful miniature baskets in our Etsy shop!  These little beauties were made from ponderosa pine needles and would be perfect for holding buttons and rings.  The lid of each basket has been accented with either fossil ivory, myrtlewood or a vintage rose button.  More photos of these unique little baskets can be found here.

The Celtic Druid's Egg Pendants

We have added two new Celtic "Druid's Egg" pendants to our Etsy shop.  These Druid's Eggs, which are our original design, were crafted from air dry clay.  A rich copper patina was added to give these pendants the appearance of aged bronze.  The pendant featured above was beaded with copper colored glass beads and old African trade brass beads.  The pendant featured below hangs from a leather cord that can be tied to accommodate many necklines, and is easily removed if you have a favorite chain you prefer to use.

New French Spool Knitters

Two new French spool knitters with loop lifters were added to our Etsy shop today.  The first was crafted from cedar burl, and the second from maple burl.  Each spool knitter comes with a spangled buffalo bone loop lifter.

Moose Antler and Cocobolo Top Whorl Drop Spindle

This unique 1.0 ounce moose antler spindle features a notched whorl, and measures 2 1/16 inches in diameter. The cocobolo shaft is 7 1/4 inches in length. The end of the cocobolo shaft has been shaped to accommodate a half hitch and a brass hook has been added to the top.


Moose antlers are naturally shed each year, so no moose were harmed to create this spindle.

The Sea Ranch Treasury!

It's always so thrilling to find one of your pieces in a treasury curated on Etsy!  Etsian skeindalous has included our seahorse ponderosa pine needle plate in her gorgeous collection.

Carved Moose Antler and Ebony Tibetan Support Spindle

*Due to export restrictions of wildlife materials, we cannot ship products crafted from antler outside of the U.S.*


This exquisite 1.7 ounce moose antler Tibetan support spindle has been intricately carved by Dave with his signature leaf motif. The whorl measures 1 5/8 inches in diameter, and the ebony shaft is 9 3/4 inches in length.  You can find this handspinning tool in our Etsy shop.


**Moose antlers are naturally shed each year, so no moose were harmed to create this spindle.**

Medieval Norse Fossil Mammoth Ivory Nalbinding Needle

Dave has carved this 5 inch nalbinding needle from fossil mammoth ivory. This particular piece of fossil ivory had a unique curve that Dave accentuated to make a perfect knitting tool. At the suggestion of some of our wonderful customers who are active participants in the SCA, Dave has tried to create an authentic looking replica of a Medieval tool.  We have photographed both sides of this needle to show the uniqueness of the ancient mammoth ivory.   Additional photos can be found at the Etsy listing for this fiber art tool.

**What is Nalbinding?**

The excerpt below is from Wikipedia and gives an explanation of this ancient art form:

"Nålebinding (Danish: literally "binding with a needle" or "needle-binding", also naalbinding or naalebinding) is a fabric creation technique predating both knitting and crochet. Also known in English as "knotless netting," "knotless knitting," [1]or "single needle knitting," the technique is distinct from crochet in that it involves passing the full length of the working thread through each loop, unlike crochet where the work is formed only of loops, never involving the free end.

Medieval Norse Fossil Walrus Jaw Bone Nalbinding Needles

Three new nalbinding needles were added to our Etsy shop today!  Dave carved these unique knitting needles from fossil walrus jaw bone.  Due to export restrictions, these beautiful tools can only be shipped within the U.S.  If you'd like to view additional photos of these nalbinding needles, please visit our Etsy shop.

Medieval Norse Mammoth Ivory Nalbinding Needles

We have added two new medieval Norse fossil mammoth ivory nalbinding needles to our Etsy shop.  One measures 2 3/4 inches in length, and the other 4 1/2 inches.  More photos of these uniques knitting needles can be found at the listing for each needle.

Brass Picot Gauge Set with Myrtlewood Burl Case©

This unique set of brass picot gauges is a Grizzly Mountain Arts original design! The entire set telescopes inside each other and then slides neatly into the Oregon Myrtlewood burl gauge case. The seven size increments are: 1/16, 3/32, 1/8, 5/32, 3/16, 7/32 and 1/4 inch.  Additional photos can be found in our Etsy shop.

Fiber Art Themed Pendants

Grizzly Mountain Arts now has a new line of fiber art themed pendants!  If you would like to view more photos of these unique pendants, please visit our Etsy shop.  Spinning, weaving and tatting are all represented in these lovely paintings.

Hard Maple and Ceramic Support Spinning Bowl with Pyrography

Our originally designed support spinning bowl combines the efficiency of a ceramic surface with the stability of a wide beautiful wooden base. The icy blue ceramic insert measures 1 3/4 inches in diameter, and the gorgeous hard maple wood base is 3 inches in diameter. Dave has adorned this bowl with one of his signature leaf motifs. Cork has been added to the bottom of this bowl to keep the wood from scratching other hard surfaces.  Additional photos can be found in our Etsy shop.

Padauk and Ash Top Whorl Drop Spindle with Myrtlewood Burl Inlay

Dave has crafted this beautiful notched top whorl drop spindle from padauk and ash. The padauk whorl measures 2 5/8 inches in diameter and the ash shaft is 8 1/2 inches in length, including the brass hook. The whorl has been inlayed with a stunning round piece of myrtlewood burl. The weight of this spindle is 0.8 ounce.  Additional photos can be viewed in our Etsy shop.

Holiday Rim Weighted Holly Wood and Redheart Top Whorl Drop Spindle with Pyrography

Dave has burn etched a holly leaf and berry motif around this 1 7/8 inch diameter holly wood whorl. The leaves and berries were accented with acrylic paint. He has crafted the 8 inch shaft from redheart, and has added a brass hook to the top. The weight of this beautiful rim weighted handspinning tool is 0.9 ounces. Additional photos can be viewed in our Etsy shop.

Tiger Maple Nostepinde Yarn Winder with Pyrography

Dave has crafted this beautiful 10 inch nostepinde, or yarn ball winder, from tiger maple. He has adorned it with his signature pyrographic leaf motif. The ends have been accented with brass nails.  An additional photo can be found at the Etsy listing for this fiber art tool.

Lost Treasure!

This summer we decided to take a break from doing shows, so all of our plastic bins containing our various show supplies (tablecloths, etc) had remained stacked in our studio.  While looking for something else, I happened to open one and found a treasure trove of pine needle baskets!  You know you make a lot of baskets when you find an entire bin full that you hadn't seen in a while.  We have begun to photograph these and have listed nine of them in our Etsy shop today.

Brass Picot Gauge Set with Myrtlewood Burl Case©

Brass Picot Gauge Set with Myrtlewood Burl Case©

This unique set of brass picot gauges is a Grizzly Mountain Arts original design! The entire set telescopes inside each other and then slides neatly into the Oregon Myrtlewood burl gauge case. The seven size increments are: 1/16, 3/32, 1/8, 5/32, 3/16, 7/32 and 1/4 inch.

Carved Moose Antler and Honduras Rosewood Bottom Whorl Drop Spindle

This unique 1.8 ounce moose antler bottom whorl drop spindle has been intricately carved by Dave with his signature rose and leaf motif. The whorl measures 1 3/4 inches in diameter, and the honduras rosewood shaft is 9 inches in length. A brass hook has been added to the top.

Fossil Ivory Nalbinding Needles

We have just listed five new fossil ivory nalbinding needles in our Etsy shop!  Each of these needles measures about 2 3/4 inches in length.  Please visit the "Nalbinding Needles" of our shop to see more photos of these medieval Norse knitting tools.

5 Pin Myrtlewood French Spool Knitter with Buffalo Bone Loop Lifter

5 Pin Myrtlewood French Spool Knitter with Buffalo Bone Loop Lifter

This beautiful French spool knitter was crafted by Dave from myrtlewood. He has inset five brass pins into the top. The overall height of this spool knitter is 3 1/2 inches and the inner barrel measures 5/8 of an inch in diameter. Dave has adorned this spool knitter with his signature pyrographic (burn etched) leaf motif.  Jo has spangled the 5 inch buffalo bone loop lifter with a large amethyst bead, turquoise and carved bone beads.  More photos can be seen at the Etsy.com listing for this fiber art tool.

5 Pin Cocobolo and Turquoise French Spool Knitter with Buffalo Bone Loop Lifter

5 Pin Cocobolo and Turquoise French Spool Knitter with Buffalo Bone Loop Lifter

This beautiful French spool knitter was crafted by Dave from cocobolo. He has inset five brass pins into the top. The overall height of this spool knitter is 3 1/2 inches and the inner barrel measures 5/8 of an inch in diameter. Dave has inlayed this unique fiber art tool with dots of turquoise.  Jo has spangled the 5 inch buffalo bone loop lifter with ceramic beads, rose quartz and African copper trade beads.

4 Pin Birdseye Maple French Spool Knitter with Buffalo Bone Loop Lifter

4 Pin Birdseye Maple French Spool Knitter with Buffalo Bone Loop Lifter

This beautiful French spool knitter was crafted by Dave from birdseye maple. He has inset four brass pins into the top. The overall height of this spool knitter is 3 1/2 inches and the inner barrel measures 5/8 of an inch in diameter. Dave has adorned this spool knitter with his signature pyrographic (burn etched) leaf motif.  Jo has spangled the 5 inch buffalo bone loop lifter with carved bone beads and carnelian.

Carved Moose Antler Burr and Ebony Bottom Whorl Drop Spindle

Carved Moose Antler Burr and Ebony Bottom Whorl Drop Spindle

Dave has made this unique 1.8 ounce bottom whorl drop spindle from the burr of a moose antler. There is only one burr at the base of each antler (two per moose), and they are very heavy and dense. Dave decided this notched 2 inch whorl was so heavy it was best used as a bottom whorl.  The ebony shaft measures 10 inches in length, which includes the brass hook.  More photos can be seen at the Etsy.com listing for this spindle.


**Moose antlers are naturally shed each year, so no moose were harmed to create this spindle.**

Vintage Green Treasury on Etsy.com

It's always such a treat to find your handmade items included in a treasury on Etsy.com!  Jo's "Delicate Floral Ceramic Bobby Pins" were included in the "Vintage Green Treasury" today by CurlyGirlCrochet.

4 Pin Apricot French Spool Knitter with Buffalo Bone and Turquoise Loop Lifter

4 Pin Apricot French Spool Knitter with Buffalo Bone and Turquoise Loop Lifter

This beautiful French spool knitter was crafted by Dave from apricot wood. He has inset four brass pins into the top. The overall height of this spool knitter is 3 3/4 inches and the inner barrel measures 5/8 of an inch in diameter.

Jo has spangled the 5 inch buffalo bone loop lifter with carved bone beads and turquoise.  Additional photos can been seen at the Etsy.com listing for this set.

Myrtlewood Russian Support Spindle with Matching Bowl

Myrtlewood Russian Support Spindle with Matching Bowl

Dave has crafted this beautiful Russian support spindle and matching bowl from Oregon myrtlewood. The 11 inches long Russian support spindle weights 28 grams (1.0 ounces) and has been adorned with his signature leaf motif. The 3 inch diameter myrtlewood support bowl has a mauve earthenware ceramic insert.  More photos of this set can be found in our Etsy.com shop.

Carved Moose Antler, Cocobolo and Fossil Walrus Ivory Top Whorl Drop Spindle

Carved Moose Antler, Cocobolo and Fossil Walrus Ivory Top Whorl Drop Spindle

This 1.0 ounce moose antler top whorl drop spindle has been inlayed with a fossil walrus ivory disk. Dave has left some of the unique surface area of the antler on the top of the whorl. The notched whorl measures 2 inches in diameter, and the cocobolo shaft is 7 1/4 inches in length. The end of the cocobolo shaft has been shaped to accommodate a half hitch and a brass hook has been added to the top. More photos of this spindle can be found at the Etsy.com listing.

Carved Moose Antler and Cocobolo Top Whorl Drop Spindle

Carved Moose Antler and Cocobolo Top Whorl Drop Spindle

This unique 1.2 ounce moose antler top whorl drop spindle has been intricately carved by Dave with his signature leaf motif and inlayed with a cocobolo disk. The notched whorl measures 2 1/4 inches in diameter, and the cocobolo shaft is 8 inches in length. The end of the cocobolo shaft has been shaped to accommodate a half hitch and a brass hook has been added to the top.  More photos can be seen at the Etsy.com listing for this spindle.

Honduras Rosewood, East Indian Rosewood and Fossil Walrus Ivory Top Whorl Drop Spindle

New Spindles by Grizzly Mountain Arts

The beautiful 2 1/2 inch diameter notched whorl of the top whorl drop spindle on the right above was crafted from Honduran rosewood. Dave has adorned the whorl with fossil walrus ivory. The 8 1/2 inch long shaft was turned from East Indian rosewood. This spindle weights 1.2 ounces.  Due to export restrictions, this item is available for U.S. shipping only.


The 2 1/2 inch diameter notched whorl of the top whorl drop spindle on the left above, was crafted from a gorgeous piece of spalted maple. Dave has adorned the whorl with fossil mammoth ivory. The shaped 9 inch long shaft was turned from leopardwood. This spindle weights 1.0 ounces.

Two New Spindles

Dave recently completed two new spindles for our Etsy.com shop.  The first, is a cocobolo and cherry "Tibetan Lite" support spindle.  This beautiful little "Tibetan Lite" support spindle weights 1.4 ounces. The cherry shaft measures about 10 3/4 inches in length and the whorl, which is crafted from cocobolo, measures about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.   The second, is a rosewood and cocobolo top whorl drop spindle with mammoth ivory inlay.  The beautiful 1 3/4 inch diameter notched whorl of this top whorl drop spindle was crafted from a gorgeous piece of East Indian rosewood.  Dave has adorned the whorl with fossil mammoth ivory.  The 8 inches long shaft was turned from cocobolo. This spindle weights 1.1 ounces.  

Myrtlewood Tibetan Lite Support Spindle

Myrtlewood Tibetan Lite Support Spindle

This beautiful little "Tibetan Lite" support spindle weights .9 ounces (25 grams). The myrtlewood shaft measures about 10 1/2 inches in length and the whorl, which is also crafted from myrtlewood, measures about 1 1/4 inches in diameter. The end of the shaft has been shaped to accommodate a half hitch.

Additional photos can be seen at the Etsy.com listing for this spindle.

Apricot and Walnut Top Whorl Drop Spindle with Pyrography

Apricot and Walnut Top Whorl Drop Spindle with Pyrography

Dave has burn-etched his signature leaf motif around this 1 7/8 inch diameter apricot whorl. He has crafted the 8 1/2 inch shaft from walnut, and has added a brass hook to the top. The weight of this beautiful handspinning tool is 0.8 ounces.

Additional photos can be seen at the Etsy.com listing for this spindle.

Birdseye Maple Russian Support Spindle with Matching Lap Bowl

Birdseye Maple Russian Support Spindle with Matching Lap Bowl

Dave has crafted this lovely Russian support spindle from birdseye maple. He has inlayed the spindle with turquoise accents. This Russian support spindle measures 11 1/2 inches in length, and weights 52g (1.9 ounces). The matching lap bowl measures 6 1/2 inches in height, and is 2 3/4 in diameter.


Additional photos can be found in our Etsy shop listing for this set.

Medieval Norse Mammoth Ivory Nalbinding Rug Needle

Medieval Norse Mammoth Ivory Nalbinding Rug Needle

Dave has carved this 5 3/4 inches long nalbinding rug needle from fossil mammoth ivory. At the suggestion of some of our wonderful customers who are active participants in the SCA, Dave has tried to create an authentic looking replica of a Medieval tool. 

Myrtlewood Tibetan Lite Support Spindle with Matching Lap Bowl

This beautiful little "Tibetan Lite" weights 0.8 ounces (23 grams). The goncalo alves shaft measures about 10 inches in length and the myrtlewood whorl measures about 1 1/4 inches in diameter. The end of the shaft has been shaped to accommodate a half hitch.

Dave has crafted the beautiful matching lap support spinning bowl from myrtlewood and has adorned it with his signature pyrographed leaf motif. The ceramic bowl measures 1 3/4 inches in diameter, and the myrtlewood base is approximately 2 1/2 inches in diameter and 6 1/2 inches in length. Jo has used as earthy green glaze on the earthenware clay inner bowl. Cork dots on the bottom keep the wood from scratching your chair.


Additional photos can be found in our Etsy shop.

Birdseye Maple and Purpleheart Tibetan Lite Support Spindle with Matching Bowl

Birdseye Maple and Purpleheart Tibetan Lite Support Spindle with Matching Bowl

Dave has crafted this beautiful 1.0 ounce "Tibetan Lite" support spindle from Birdseye maple and purpleheart woods. The Birdseye maple whorl measures about 1 1/2 inches in diameter, and the purpleheart shaft is 10 1/2 inches long. The end of the shaft has been shaped to accommodate a half hitch. Jo used a wine colored glaze on the ceramic insert in the matching Birdseye maple bowl that almost perfectly matches the purpleheart shaft of the spindle.

This beautiful support spindle and bowl set can be found in our Etsy shop.

Two New Carved Moose Antler Spindles

Carved Moose Antler Top Whorl Drop Spindles

We added two new carved moose antler top whorl drop spindles to our Etsy shop today!  One has a leopardwood shaft, and the other a purpleheart.  Both spindles feature Dave's signature carved leaf motif on the 1.5 inch diameter notched whorls.  The shafts measure 7 1/2 inches, and have a brass hook in the top and a shaped end to accommodate a half hitch.

Carved Moose Antler and Chechen Top Whorl Drop Spindle

Carved Moose Antler and Chechen Top Whorl Drop Spindle

*Due to export restrictions of wildlife materials, we cannot ship products crafted from antler outside of the U.S.*


Dave has been carrying a moose antler around for some time now, and he finally decided to donate it to the "spindle" cause. I think you'll find it well worth the sacrifice! 


This unique 1.9 ounces moose antler top whorl drop spindle has been intricately carved by Dave with his signature leaf motif. The notched whorl measures 2 1//4 inches in diameter, and the chechen shaft is 9 1/2 inches in length. The end of the chechen shaft has been shaped to accommodate a half hitch and a brass hook has been added to the top.


**Moose antlers are naturally shed each year, so no moose were harmed to create this spindle.**

The Three Sisters Lightweight Walnut and Birch Drop Spindles with Pyrography

The Three Sisters Lightweight Walnut and Birch Drop Spindles with Pyrography

The "Three Sisters" are a group of mountains in the Cascade Range that we see every day here in Central Oregon. Dave has crafted his latest trio of lightweight drop spindles, so named for these beautiful mountains, from dark, elegant walnut. Each whorl has been notched and adorned with Dave's signature pyrographic leaf design. The end of each birch shaft has been shaped to accommodate a half hitch and a brass hook has been added to the top.


The sizes of these spindles are:


*Length: 10 inch spindle 
Diameter: 2 3/8 inch whorl
Weight: 1.0 ounces


*Length: 8 inch spindle
Diameter: 2 inch whorl
Weight: 0.75 ounces


*Length: 6 inch spindle
Diameter: 1 1/2 inch whorl
Weight: 0.5 ounces

A Message to Our Customers

Dave and I wanted to let all of our wonderful customers that we were NOT mugged in London yesterday, in fact we never left home.  While there WAS a crime committed upon us, it was via our Grizzly Mountain Arts yahoo email account.  A malicious person from Nigeria was able to gain access to our business email and delete all of our contacts.  We have now regained control of our email account and this person has been reported and is being investigated.


Beware of a user going by the name "GrizzlyMountainArtss"--same name as ours, but with an extra "s" on the end.  They have set up a Yahoo email address with this name in hopes of causing confusion.  If you do happen to receive an email from this impostor, please forward the email to your email providers "abuse" address.


We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you!  We are also going to be ending our newsletter as we have been getting some users signing up for reasons other than wanting to know about our upcoming item postings.  In the future, we will be posting our "Heads Up!" notices on our Facebook Fan Page.

Introducing the Acorn Lite!

Acorn Lite Support Spindles

The ”Acorn Lite” support spindle is the newest spindle designed by Dave. The beautiful acorn whorl measures about 1 1/4 inches in diameter and the birch shaft is 10 1/2 inches in length. The “cap” of the acorn has checkered detailing and the end of the shaft has been shaped to accommodate a half hitch.

Five New "Tibetan Lite" Support Spindles

Goncalo Alves, Bocote, Cocobolo, Purpleheart and Rosewood 

We have just added five new "Tibetan Lite" support spindles to our Etsy shop.  This is a smaller version of Dave's popular Tibetan support spindle.

Tibetan Lite Support Spindles

Tibetan Lite Support Spindles

This is another original design from Grizzly Mountain Arts!  Dave has created a “Lite” version of his popular Tibetan support spindle. These beautiful little Tibetans have a small whorl, with a diameter of about 1 1/4 inches.  There are currently four of these new spindles still available in our Etsy shop :)

Cocobolo and Ceramic Support Spinning Bowl

Cocobolo and Ceramic Support Spinning Bowl

Our originally designed support spinning bowl combines the efficiency of a ceramic surface with the stability of a wide beautiful wooden base. The ceramic bowl measures 1 3/4 inches in diameter, and the gorgeous cocobolo wooden base is 2 3/4 inches in diameter. Cork has been added to the bottom of this bowl to keep the wood from scratching other hard surfaces.

Additional photos can be found in our Etsy shop.