Watson, if you are using a hopping foot then it will be difficult to get smooth spirals unless you either make them larger or speed up. The same is true for pebbles. When I want to do small pebbles I usually switch from my hopping foot to my Janome Fmq foot that doesn't hop.
also, if you want to have points on your spirals remember to pause briefly at the point before heading back around, that will help you avoid eyelashes and will also give you time to regroup and focus on where you want to go next.
Rob