In my first picture Friday post I wrote about how I loved discovering techniques I’d developed in Period art. When first saw this picture I had the same thing happen.
Here you can see clearly how she holds the spindle. The spindle tip is through the third and fourth fingers and the thumb and second finger are turning the spindle.
Just recently I discovered this image is actually from a stained glass window.
How do you hold your spindle?
15thcenturyspinning 
I usually roll mine off the thigh, so I suppose…grasp it in my hand? I don’t quite know how to describe it, but my muscles do. I am very entranced by your gracious ways of describing spinning with words, because for me it’s mostly muscle memory at this point.
For using it as a drop spindle, Ancient Greek style (i.e. vertical), I hold the tip of the spindle shaft between the thumb and first two fingers of my right hand and flick it clockwise (looking down on the spindle) using a motion very similar to how you make the snap noise with your fingers.
(However, I’ve just asked for some Pallia spindles as a birthday present so that I can try to experiment with your method.)
I hold mine the same way, and didn’t realize it til now when this post made me look down at my hand. Never was a chosen act, just felt natural. Funny how that goes.