Norse Style Bentwood BoxesSoapstone Drop SpindlesNiddy NoddiesWool CombsRare Breeds Sheep Fleeces
These Norse styled tools were the beginnings
of Wyrde Thyngs Inc. We started making soapstone drop spindles many years
ago and have added to our product line since. We now offer bent-wood work
baskets in three sizes, a wide variety of soapstone drop spindles, niddy
noddies in four skein sizes, wool combs and dizes. What would wool-working
tools be without the wool to work? We also offer many types of rare-breeds
sheep fleeces.
Norse Style Bentwood Boxes
Very stylish in their simplicity, these neat oval boxes are a secure way
to carry and store works in progress. The Large and Medium sizes can be
used as carry on luggage since the lid can be turned over to fit under seats.
The Small size makes a great and novel purse. They are lined in felt to
keep your treasures from being caught on the wood inside. They also make
great lunch boxes. They are made of birch plywood with hardwood handles
and latches. Available in clear, chestnut and walnut finishes, they can
also be shipped unfinished for painting by you.
Small: 10" long x 6" wide x 4" tall:
$55.00
Medium: 13" long x 8" wide x 6" tall:
$85.00
Large: 16" long x 10" wide x 8" tall:
$125.00
Soapstone Drop Spindles
These beauties are based on the archeological finds all around Northern Europe and were in use from before the Bronze Age to nearly the present time.
There are three main types of drop spindle, the top whorl, the bottom whorl and the supported. See the pictures below. Our spindle whorls are hand turned and carefully balanced to give the best spin possible. We also give them a high polish to show the natural beauty of the variegated stones. Due to supply and picture quality, it is hard to guarantee a specific colour, but we do try to get you the general shade of stone you would like. Available stone shades are: pinks and variegated purples, bluish grey, light green, dark green, clouded green, variegated greens and oranges, near white and matt black.
| Tiny: 25-29 gms: | $20.00 |  | Small: 30-39 gms: | $25.00 | Medium: 40-49 gms: | $30.00 | Large: 50-69 gms: | $35.00 | Over size: 70 gms+: | $40.00 |
Supported spindles are available only in the medium, large and oversize. Prices are based on the weight of the finished spindle. We also include a care manual and felted cover.
Niddy Noddies
Niddy Noddies, or nitty notties as they are in some places called, are very useful items for making yarn skeins off of the spindles. The Norse versions were often made of whale or deer bone. They were also flat, that is both the arms were in the same plane rather than perpendicular to each other as modern ones are generally. Ours are wooden and can be twisted either perpendicular or flat as you wish. We make four sizes, the two smaller of which are designed to fit into the medium bent wood box. The measurement refers to how long one wrap of yarn around the niddy noddy is so you can easily count how many yards of yarn you have in your skein.
| One yard Niddy Noddy: | $15.00 |  | One metre Niddy Noddy: | $15.00 | Two yard Niddy Noddy: | $25.00 | Two metre Niddy Noddy: | $25.00 |
Included in the price are illustrated instructions on how to wind the skein onto the niddy noddy.
Wool Combs
These were the items used up until the 16th century to make wool fit for spinning. At present we offer these small, double pitch, hand combs for use. These are very sturdy and designed for many years of work. They are not so large as to cause a great deal of strain on the arms and shoulders, but they are big enough to accomplish a lot of combing. The tines are approximately 3 1/2 inches long and the handles are nicely finished and stained hardwood.
| Pair of Small Hand Combs: | $85.00 |  |
Price includes the combs, a leather pouch to store them in and an illustrated manual describing the use of this very useful and ancient tool. A wooden diz is also included with the pair of combs. A diz is a small tool to aid in the combing process and was often made of a curved piece of bone, antler, shell or wood that had a small hole in it through which the wool was drawn off the combs. It serves to keep the fibres being pulled thru it aligned and eases the drawing off process.
Rare Breeds Sheep Fleeces
One of our personal missions is to support bio-diversity on farms. We try our best to support local farmers with the rare-breeds animals needed to ensure genetic variety. By encouraging the rare-breeds fleeces niche market we hope to keep the rare-breeds on the farms.
We comb the countryside looking for the best fleeces to offer our customers. We have found many farmers who have the small flocks of the ancient style breeds that are reputed to be period type breeds. Of course, due to modern meddling in sheep breeding, it is nearly impossible to ascertain that a particular breed is as it was during the Middle Ages. Be that as it may, we do find fleeces that closely answer to some of the ancient descriptions. We can get the following breed fleeces subject to seasonal availability, so enquiries in the spring are best.
- Jacob,
- Clun Forest,
- Icelandic,
- Shetland,
- Black Welsh Mountain,
- Finnish Landrace,
- Cotswold,
- and some crosses of these.
Both full fleeces and partial fleeces by the pound are available. Enquire for the current stock and price list.
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