If you’re new to the world of spinning your own yarn you may be confused about what the term “ lazy kate” even means. Who is Kate? Why is she lazy, how will this lazy woman ever help me with my spinning? Perhaps a distant cousin of Lazy Susan? Well I’m not sure why this spinning tool is called a Lazy Kate but I do know that they are one of the most useful tools I can think of for spining. The long and short of it is that you use a Kate to hold your bobbins full of single ply yarn so that they can spin freely while you are plying your yarn. This is useful no matter if you you are doing a basic double ply or something more fancy like a chain ply. In a pinch you could just put your bobbins or balls of yarn into a shoebox to keep them from running off but this is not ideal at all because they will still be bumping around and possibly damaging fine delicate singles. If you are newer to spinning your singles may not have a firm enough twist and could start to come apart on you with all of the bumping around. This is where the Lazy Kate comes into play. The standard Lazy Kate will hold your bobbins up right on rods letting you ply easily while they free spin. Some spinning wheels have an attached lazy Kate like the pollywog, bullfrog, or bees. The Modular spinning wheels, Echo, Firefly, and Monarch are best used with the attachable standard lazy kate. This accessories can be used either attached or free standing on the floor.
Example of the standard SpinOlution Lazy Kate Below
SpinOlution Standard Lazy Kate
Plain Standard Kate $219; with optional $39 engraving, $258 total. A compact floor-standing plying station for use beside any SpinOlution wheel.
Holds bobbins up to 64 oz. Includes three 1/4 in rods with 3/8 in adapters, stored in side pockets. Adjustable legs and no assembly required. Confirm the adapter needed for your bobbin shaft before ordering.
The legacy Hopper-specific kate option is unavailable pending confirmation of its current mount and price; contact Erin for a Hopper attachment. Prefer the tensioned Bessie Kate?
Accessory shipping depends on destination. Contact Erin to confirm fit, shipping and current lead time. Photos may show optional engraving or other accessories. Standard Feral Scene coupons do not apply to SpinOlution.
2026 USD pricing and specifications checked against SpinOlution’s current product information, October 19, 2026.
So What is a the deal with a tensioned lazy Kate and why would you want one?
Well when you’re plying with a non tensioned lazy Kate the bobbins get a bit of momentum behind them and can spin back and forth which can cause a bit of a hurky-jerky sensation. This can be avoided by keeping a steady pace and not making huge movements with your hands but sometimes this happens even to the best of us. Since I spin mainly sport weight and larger yarns my yarns are pretty sturdy and this isn’t a big deal for me but for people who like to spin very fine yarns or just desire a smoother expireance you may really want a tensioned lazy Kate.
Enter the brand new Bessie from SpinOluiton. I’ve been a dealer with SpinOlution for a few years now and this is something that has been a customer request for a while and I know this has been on a lot of peoples wish list.
I’m super excited that Mike has just debuted this product. With a magical combination of adjustable tension block and magnets for your bobbins you’ll be on your way to smooth plying.
SpinOlution Bessie Tensioned Kate
A compact plying station for keeping multiple bobbins together beside your wheel. $279, with optional full engraving $39 extra.
Holds bobbins up to 64 oz. Three 1/4 in rods store in side pockets and include adapters for 3/8 in bobbins. Adjustable legs; no assembly required. It can sit on the floor beside any SpinOlution wheel. When attached, use the outermost rods for smoother plying. Confirm adapters for your exact bobbin shafts before ordering.
Accessory shipping depends on destination. Contact Erin to confirm fit, shipping and current lead time. Photos may show optional engraving or other accessories. Standard Feral Scene coupons do not apply to SpinOlution.
2026 USD pricing and specifications checked against SpinOlution’s current product information, October 19, 2026.
