• a hand holding a ball of spun single yarn to ply from alongside a sparkly green with gold leaves design mayan spin and ply spinners with the caption make a plying ball while you spin
  • a green sparkly mayan spinner paddle with an inlaid gold effect leafy vines pattern atop a black handle and peg sporting my logo in a matching gold. Text reads one paddle (elven vines pattern in green sparkle and gold), one handle (handle body in black with gold detail) and one black peg
  • Pictures detailing how to spin and remove your spun yarn from the tool. Text reads spin by slipping yarn into orifice and rotating paddle, suits one handed drafting and park and draft. Wrap around paddle and peg to create a ball to ply from. When your paddle is full (approx 10g of yarn) twist off the peg and remove spun yarn.
  • This slide is a tutorial on how to wrap the peg to create a plying ball. Text reads once you understand how the paddle should be wrapped you will eventually find a wrapping movement that works for you individually. I like to flip my spinner over to help me wrap. Keeping yarn in front, wrap around the peg. Flip spinner over, wrap yarn around back - do not wrap around the peg. Flip spinner over. Keeping yarn in front wrap around the peg
  • This picture gives some information on mayan spinners. It reads this tool is most commonly known as a mayan spinner, it is also known as the following varying by region: Hair twister, whirligig, tarabilla, tarrabee, tarabi, tarabe, twisting paddle, twister, rakestraw spinner, rope spinner. Sourve: university of innscruck: spinning of coarses plant fibers and rope making in america
  • though opinions are mixed on whether it was brought to the americas by the spanish or if it was developed independently, it is known to have been used in the northern caucasus and in pharaonic egypt as well as cadiz in spain and the americas. It has been used to spin esparto grass, spanish moss, agave fibers and cactus fibers. It was mainly used for making rope and twine but in louisiana they made saddle blankets too
  • spinning with a mayan spinner was traditionally done by two people. One spinning the paddle, one drafting the fiber. The available pictures show quite large and heavy looking paddles. As a spinner, this makes a lot of sense when it comes to favouring them for rope and twine. I designed my paddle to be much lighter and easier to spin, making it suitable for one person to use and for a variety of fibers including wool
  • Caring for your mayan spin & ply. This tool is 3d printed from PLA plastic. The peg is very robust and difficult to break (i've tried!) Do pay attention to your surroundings and take care that you don't hit it on any hard surfaces while you spin. Twist peg to remove it. Tip: if your handle becomes squeaky, take some fine sandpaper or emery board to the part of it in contact with the paddle and rough it up just a little
  • pictures of a paddle being weighed on a scale, the paddle, handle and peg against a sharpie and a picture of removing the spun fibre from the paddle. Text reads: lightweight - in order to cause less strain on your body while spinning, i have designed this tool to be as light as possible. It weighs approx 22 grams. Compace: easy to take out and about and nice to use while sat down. Don't stop spinning!: Paddle full? simply remove the peg, pull the spun yarn off, replace the peg and you're ready to spin again
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Song Spinner

Mayan 'Spin & Ply' Spinner (Elven Vines) - Make a plying ball as you spin!

Mayan 'Spin & Ply' Spinner (Elven Vines) - Make a plying ball as you spin!

£24.00 GBP
£24.00 GBP
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Taxes included. Shipping calculated at checkout.

This is a Mayan paddle spinner - with a twist! (get it?)
For standard Mayan spinners you store the spun yarn by wrapping it around the paddle. I designed a built-in plying ball maker which is incorporated in the handle.

The paddle body is a sparkly green PLA with a gold silk PLA design to create an inlaid metallic look. Fancy!


This spinner features:

• A plying ball maker
- This is designed to have yarn wrapped around it in the same way as one would with an Andean plyer or Bracelet plying tool. The idea is that you wrap it as you spin, similar to a Turkish drop spindle. 
- You can remove this plying ball once the paddle is full (around 10g-15g of fiber) and can continue to spin on a now-empty paddle. No need for unwinding like on a spindle, it just pulls right off!
- You can ply directly from this ball or store it for later use or plying lots of them together

• Lightweight build
- I tested a lot of different weights and shapes and found that a lightweight tool caused the least strain on my arm and back while spinning compared to heavier spinners
- If you do most of the movement with your wrist, you can spin without tensing your shoulder at all

• Small but mighty
- This spinner is entirely collapsible and able to fit in a pencil case for travel
- I like to use it while sat on the sofa, it's small enough that it isn't going to hit your surroundings and you can stay reclined during use
- The peg is deceptively strong. I've accidentally hit it while spinning countless times with little issue. Don't do this, if you hit it hard enough it *will* break like anything would, but it's definitely not flimsy.

• Other features
- By spinning the paddle in the opposite direction, you can ply with this tool
- Supports park and draft as well as one handed drafting methods
- The wide 'shoulders' near the orifice help guide the yarn into the orifice
- Smooth design - no snagging!
- Cute paddle colours - it's a feature, I promise!

Caring for your Spin & Ply
- Twist the peg to remove it
- If your handle starts squeaking, take some fine sandpaper and rough it up a little in the place where it touches the paddle
- This tool is made of Bambu PLA Plastic, a thermoplastic. As such please do not leave it anywhere extremely hot or it may deform
- Be careful of your surroundings when spinning - the peg is durable but not indestructible!

Your spinner may arrive in a box made of (clean!) previously used cardboard. This is to reduce single-use packaging. It may not look fancy but your spinner will arrive safe and sound.

All my products (this included) are entirely designed, printed, hand-finished, packaged and posted by me in my little studio. As such small visual imperfections may occur. 

For a tutorial on how to use this spinner, including how to wrap the peg, I have a video on my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/0v2P5u4Xbmk

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