Cynthia Wood Spinner

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United States
Amherst, VA
Cynthia Wood Spinner

I am Cynthia D. Haney, artisan wood turner. I make tools for the fiber arts including crochet hooks,

09/29/2026

Tip Tuesday

Visit a Fiber Festival with any budget!

I encourage you to visit a fiber festival even if you budget is only the entrance fee and a packed lunch. Explore, be inspired, learn something with the demos, take notes, plan for gift requests or future projects, collect business cards etc. *most festivals provide free admission to volunteers and always need more help.

If you budget has room for some shopping consider taking it as cash. It will be easy to not over spend. Vendors appreciate not loosing 3% or more to the credit card company.

Give some thought to your preferences.
Do you want to:
learn something new? invest in classes or tools with a lesson
have lasting enjoyment? invest in quality tools & notions
make a special project? buy the perfect fiber
craft without stressing the cost? buy plenty of mid price fiber
have a great day with fellow fiber & yarn people? Come!

This weekend is Fall Fiber Festival & Montpelier Sheep Dog Trials just South of Orange, VA. I will have my booth in the back right corner of Vendor Tent 1 aka Crafter 1. This is a great full featured local festival.

October 23-25 is Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair across from the Asheville, NC airport. I am teaching classes on the 22nd and 23rd. I have my booth in the middle of the Davis Arena Friday - Sunday. Please come see me at this great festival!!

09/28/2026

Mail Monday

I made this Top Whorl Drop Spindle in Maple wood. I shaped the whorl for a long duration spin. The spindle is in my Trunk size, largest. The weight and spin duration make it Beginner Friendly, great for experienced spinners too.

I mostly use this size for Plying my yarn. You can learn how in my Plying Yarn on a Spindle class at SAFF October 22. See more details on my website.

09/26/2026

Join me Saturday and Sunday for this great local festival!

I will be in the Inside Vendor Tent 1 aka Crafter 1 in the back right corner. Let me show you all about spindles. I have a chair for spinning lessons with spindle purchase.

09/25/2026

Flashback Friday
Fall Fiber Festival 2024

Come see me October 3 & 4 in the field across from James Madison's Montpelier. Route 20 between Charlottesville and Orange, VA

09/22/2026

Tip Tuesday

Avoid tangles plying your yarn. Learn how in my Plying Yarn on a Spindle class at SAFF.

Plying is the second step in spinning yarn. The first is taking fiber, wool, and adding twist to make a handspun singles yarn. To achieve a plied, multistrand, yarn two or more singles are spun together in the opposite direction.
Discover the freedom a spindle provides for plying, the next step in spinning yarn. Learn easy ways to ply yarn without tangles. Test tricks and techniques for singles management as you two ply sample skeins. Then find out how three or more plies work. Explore the possibilities for chain ply including ply on the fly. Cynthia, a spindle maker, will demystify spindle plying.
Beginner spindle spinners welcome, substitute sock yarn for the homework singles as needed.

October 22 in Asheville, NC

09/21/2026

Mail Monday

This is a Classic beauty Branch size Bottom Whorl Spindle I made. It can be spun as a drop spindle suspended or as a support spindle.

I made the whorl from Tulip Poplar and shaft from Maple. A spindle like this is included with my Get Hooked on Spinning Supported class at SAFF October 22.

09/19/2026

Occasionally, I get questions when people notice this on my business cards or signs.

No it is not part of a horse's bridle.

It is my signature. My personal style monogram to be specific.

I am Cynthia Dianne Haney. I sign all my work with the connected C H D you see here.

Under the whorl of every spindle you will see this handwritten. I wood burn it on crochet hooks and all the other tools I make. I even have it on the tag inside my spindle bags.

09/18/2026

Festival Planning on this Friday

Schedule time to learn spinning with a spindle. Come to Asheville, NC for Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair, SAFF, and take one of my classes.

I recommend Plying Yarn on a Spindle for everyone. It is even easier than learning how to spin. You can take this class and one of my others and become a well rounded spinner. Or if you already spin this class will help you ply anywhere without tangles.

For total beginners I recommend taking Plying Yarn on a Spindle and Making Yarn on a Spindle.

For those ready to try support spinning to make super fluffy yarn take Get Hooked on Spinning Supported and Plying Yarn on a Spindle.

09/17/2026

Tool Thursday Beginner Friendly Spindles

I call spindles beginner friendly when they are good for a beginner spinner due to weight and spinning properties. Many people do all their yarn making with spindles like these. Beginner Friendly refers to function not price range.

Branch size is my standard beginner recommendation. If you like bulky yarn use a Trunk size, heavier spindle better for making thicker yarn. A longer shaft is good for larger hands, shorter shaft for small hands or always spinning seated. Please contact me with questions.

In the first photo is a Beginner Friendly Branch Size Top Whorl Drop Spindle. I made it with a Cherry whorl, deeply hollowed for a long duration spin, and a Maple shaft.

Third photo is a Beginner Friendly Trunk Size Top Whorl Drop Spindle. I made it with a Black Walnut whorl, again deeply hollowed for a long duration spin, and a Maple shaft.

I keep a Beginner Friendly Spindle section on my website, same as my name dot com. At festivals I dedicate a table for Beginner Friendly Spindles.

Come see for yourself: October 3 & 4, 2026 Fall Fiber Festival
October 23 – 25, 2026 Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair

Even better take my Making Yarn on a Spindle class at SAFF October 23, it includes a spindle like the first photo.

09/16/2026

Workbench Wednesday

I know how busy I am because my workbench was full. So I took this picture the unused side of my table saw. This is a batch of Classic Beauty Branch Size Top Whorl Drop Spindles. Most are Beginner Friendly. They are heading to my booth at my festivals this October.

Address

1601 Falling Rock Drive
Amherst, VA
24521

Telephone

+14342828461

Website

https://CynthiaWoodSpinner.com/

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