In the Spring Flax 2018 issue, I was fortunate to author two articles and an opinion on the Hot Button question. "Twist on Flax" and "Finishing Flax" hold several of my tips for working with flax fibers.
Other writers filled in the starting and drafting articles. Here is what I would add. I'm a firm believer in spinning from long line strick for the finest flax/linen yarns. In workshops I help the students recognize how helpful the distaff is. It becomes an extra helping hand, your backhand to hold the fibers. This frees your usual backhand to for new tasks. The first task for the back-hand is holding the twist to keep it out of the fibers while the forward hand dips into the water pot for wet-spinning. The second task is traffic controller, managing unruly fibers only when needed.
In this video, you will see how my backhand replaces my front hand allowing me to wet my fingers then I continue wet spinning my flax with my wet forward hand. The backhand just holds the twist so it doesn't move further into the fibers until the front hand has time to re-wet.
I always keep my fibers under control and prefer to draft the fibers as they move straight down from the distaff. My favorite style of dressing the distaff is the ponytail. This requires a very tall distaff. It is helpful if it is adjustable as you will spin the longest fibers first and over the spinning day you will be working with ever shortening fibers.
A distaff can be created many ways, it is a truly utilitarian tool. Sometimes it was only a peg on the wall near where the spinner sat. Sometimes there was a hole in the chair seat that held the distaff beside the spinner. Sometimes it is a stand-alone tall rack like a coat rack. Many times it is attached to the wheel with a 3 piece arrangement that gives some adjustment to the placement.
My brother made an adjustment to where the Ashford distaff attached to the traditional wheel. Instead of attaching to the front leg, mine attaches to the side leg nearest my knee. (Below there is more information on exactly how it was created.) The distaff I'm using is a handmade paddle style that is extra tall. This is what works best for me.
Some of my students like drafting from the middle of the fibers and I recommend tieing both ends of the stick to make a loop. The loop is helpful if you have a very short distaff. Below you can see how the fork is attached with a rubber band and is used to hold the top of the tied fibers.
Below are a few different stand-alone setups. That you can try. The base can be a Christmas tree stand, a dress form stand, a coat rack, or a music stand. The uprights can be a dowel or even a handle from a broom or "swifer" style cleaning tool. In class I often use a plastic fork taped or rubber banded to the top.
Since I prefer to draft from the end of a ponytail, I usually use it without the birdcage.
If you have a Traditional Ashford wheel and your backhand is your right, here are photos of how my holder was shortened so that I could attach it to the wheel upright.
The original clamp was longer and made to fit on the front leg and hold the distaff to the left of the spinner. Be creative experiment with different styles, once you know exactly how and where you like your distaff, then you can have someone make one to fit your style.
Some of my students like drafting from the middle of the fibers and I recommend tieing both ends of the stick to make a loop. The loop is helpful if you have a very short distaff. Below you can see how the fork is attached with a rubber band and is used to hold the top of the tied fibers.
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| Attached fork |
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| Flax loop |
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| A variety of distaffs |
Below are a few different stand-alone setups. That you can try. The base can be a Christmas tree stand, a dress form stand, a coat rack, or a music stand. The uprights can be a dowel or even a handle from a broom or "swifer" style cleaning tool. In class I often use a plastic fork taped or rubber banded to the top.
The far right is a lovely oak birdcage or basket distaff made years ago by Rick Reeves. If you have someone who can do some woodwork this is a lovely style to try and copy. Start with a small stool, drill a hole to attach a long pole. The basket is bent basket reeds.
Since I prefer to draft from the end of a ponytail, I usually use it without the birdcage.
If you have a Traditional Ashford wheel and your backhand is your right, here are photos of how my holder was shortened so that I could attach it to the wheel upright.
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| The full setup with a paddle distaff |
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| Shortened clamp |
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| Clamped to the upright |
The original clamp was longer and made to fit on the front leg and hold the distaff to the left of the spinner. Be creative experiment with different styles, once you know exactly how and where you like your distaff, then you can have someone make one to fit your style.
Just an explanation of the white cord below the distaff holder, I keep my extra long drive band for when I use this wheel as a double drive, with a diferent mother of all. Teachers are like that!
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