Which fiber is best to learn on? Wheel or Spindle?

What is the best fiber for a Spinner to learn on, Wheel or drop spindle?
I've been asked this questions many times. In the United States and most of Europe, the answer seems to be wool. What I have found out through research, is the best fiber to learn on, is what is easily available to you. Let me explain.In India, cotton is spun by many people and is considered the fiber of choice. A beginning spinner in India learns on cotton, not wool. I think if you asked a spinner in India, they would reply that cotton was an easy fiber for a beginning spinner to learn on. In China, a spinner's answer might be that silk was the easiest fiber to learn on. In Ancient Egypt, the answer most likely would be flax. The easiest fiber for one person in one culture might be considered a difficult fiber in another culture. I have friends that learned to spin with Angora rabbit fur, as that is what they had available to them. When many people will tell you that Angora is only for an experienced spinner. From my experience as a spinning and weaving teacher, I can truthfully say there is no hard and fast rule on what is the best fiber for a beginner. I will admit that I do most often use a medium wool with about a 4 inch staple to teach students how to spin on drop spindles or wheels. Yet, I have taken exception to it, when I have had a student that wasn't interested in learning on wool for one reason or another and instead wanted to learn with angora or even dog hair. My first belief is that a student will be more motivated to learn with a fiber that they find appealing to them. If a person is allergic to wool, I would not suggest wool as a fiber for them to learn on. Instead, maybe use silk or bamboo as a learning fiber for that person.Now, along with whatever fiber you use, it is always easier to learn to spin with the spindle or wheel set up to match that particular fiber. I'll admit at this point, when I took my first spinning lesson, it was a total disaster. I figured out that the reason they called the drop spindle, a "drop" spindle, was because you kept dropping it on the floor when your fiber separated. Actually a drop spindle gets its name because as you spin on the spindle and develop your yarn, the spindle lowers or drops closer to the floor. I didn't get discouraged from the first lesson, but I did see a person spinning away at a spinning wheel, so before the next week was out, I has purchased my first wheel, an Ashford Traveler, and started spinning some roving on the wheel. I found out that I could spin on a wheel but not a drop spindle! (A few months later, I tried the drop spindle again, and found out that I could now spin on one) So, why do so many instructors insist on teaching students to begin with a drop spindle? Most likely, it is because the monetary investment is small when gepared to the cost of a wheel. It is also important to use the right spindle or set your wheel up for the fiber you wish to spin. If you are going to spin cotton, you are not going to use a spindle that weighs 3 ounces, but will chose a spindle that is light with a fine tip and that is most likely a supported spindle so the cotton will not have to hold the weight of the spindle while it is forming into yarn. I have seen and I do own a drop spindle that is ultra light that I can spin cotton on. But that spindle is the exception. And you would not choose a spindle with a weight of a half ounce to do a bulky wool yarn on. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it won't work, but just that it is not the best choice. The same would hold true for your spinning wheel. If spinning a very fine yarn, you would not want to have the wheel set on the lowest speed, but the highest speed. There are many wheels on the market and most wheels are designed to do a variety of fibers. It is just that some of the wheels are more efficient for certain types of fibers and yarns. This is also a good reason to justify having more than one spindle or more than one wheel. In conclusion, I am really telling you that there is no one perfect fiber to learn on, as it is matter of preference, availability, geographic location, and culture. Whether you learn on a wheel or a drop spindle is up to individual choice too. If you are having trouble learning on a spindle, try a wheel or another type or weight of a drop spindle. You will be amazed at the difference in how different spindles handle different fibers. I love my spinning wheels, but I take a small drop spindle and fiber that fit into my purse to spin on whenever I have a spare moment or two. You would be surprised at how much you can spin in a day's time, when you carry your drop spindle around with you. And something to think about, back in the Middle Ages, all fabric was spun on drop spindles and hand woven. Think about the sails on the sea going ships, all the sail cloth was handspun on drop spindles. That took a lot of hours and effort to spin that much yarn for the weavers to weave the sail cloth for the ships.I hope you found this guide helpful. If you have any questions or gements about this article, please email me.