I’ve tried some merino/tussah silk fiber and also some BFL from Mountain Colors. The merino blend is tricky, when you get to the end of the fibers and have all those little short pieces left. I tend to let it draft down too fine, but I think I’m getting over that. It’s a hangover from spinning cotton. The wool does draft differently.
I’ve been using the spindle with the hook. I did try it without it at first and it works fine that way. I’ve gotten the hang of using the spiral. I am able to spin this supported on my leg without a bowl. I’ve used my standard wooden bowl and also a small silver plated salt cellar. It seems to work well no matter how I use it. I’ve not really tried holding it in hand and twiddling it with my fingers. It seems way too slow. I’ll play around with that at some point, just to make sure I know how to do it.
It’s different from using a high whorl, but it’s fun. I was thinking about how nice it is to be a spinner these days. Lots of gorgeous spindles to use, lots of glitzy fiber to spin. It’s a big contrast from my last spindle purchase, the old Bulgarian spindle. The tools do the same job. We spin for pleasure, not necessity.