What I am holding in my hand is a delightful spinning tool. It is called a ring distaff. It is designed to go over your pinkie finger and be held with the rest of your hand. Fiber is wrapped about it and drafted out between the thumb and forefinger just like with a wrist distaff.
While much of my stuff is focused on Viking era things, this distaff design comes from their contemporaries, the Romans. The first thing I noticed immediately about this is that it is the perfect size for a wand.
As I do incorporate spinning into my magical practices, having a distaff that can double as a wand is awesome because it makes it easier to project my intention into the fiber and thread. It just goes to show that any stick like item can make a good wand. (The ring distaff was made by Dan Tracy, my mother-in-law gave it to me as a 'happy 4th of July' gift. I have some spindles from him, and crochet hooks too. His work is really great.)
Note: this is not a paid endorsement, I just think his work is great and he's a semi-local artist.
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