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| My Spinning Wheel |
Proverbs 31:19 uses the word distaff: "She stretches out her hands to the distaff, and her hand holds the spindle". It's been written about thru the ages, and Chaucer classed this art among the natural endowments of the fair sex: "Deceit, weeping, spinning, God hath given to women kindly, while they may live". (We've come a long way baby!)
If you wanted clothing to cover yourself, beyond wearing fig leaves or animal skins, a fiber would need to be twisted into a thread. Then it could be crocheted, knit, or woven into a textile material. The twisting of fiber probably was discovered about the same timing as fire, the lever, and then the wheel.
With industrialization we don't have to spin anymore. This puts spinning in the category of 'heirloom art'. Why would anyone want to spin? I like it because it's fun and relaxing. I can even do it while watching movies. Heirloom art brings us into the process of creating. Heirloom by definition means something of value that is passed down through the generations. Not only its beauty but the fact that your hands created it gives it value.
I have demonstrated spinning at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, and other places. It seems men and boys are more fascinated with the process than females, but I think it's because of the workmanship of my spinning wheel - it's beautiful. I had a man watch for a long time and ask me, "How many miles do you figure you're doing with your feet treadling? How many yards of thread in say a minute, or hour? How long would it take you to get enough and make me a sweater?"
People in days of old didn't have many idle moments, and spinning was one of those very necessary jobs. Hand-held distaffs and spindles were the beginning. Leonardo da Vinci probably made the earliest drawings of the spinning wheel's design. The distaff is different from my spinning wheel. It's used primarily for spinning flax, which is a very long fiber. Once the flax plant is soaked and pounded and the fibers teased apart, they can be woven into linen. It's a much more difficult process than making wool or cotton thread, and it's harder on your hands.
In many cultures, a drop-spindle is still the primary tool, even used by kids walking to school. In our early American history, the colonists were required to give England a quota of yarn and woven material. In order to meet that demand, many single women were taken into households to spin - thus the name "spinster".
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Or So She Says, Six Sister Stuff, Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop, Frugally Sustainable, Simple Lives Thursday, Clever Chicks Barn Hop, Homestead Barnhop
4 comments:
Thanks for the post.I have been wanting to learn to spin for several years.trying to fit a spinning wheel into the budget but it is one of those things at the bottom of the list. I have free access to wool. I have thought about the drop spindle but they look pretty hard.
Connie from frugallivingonthewatkinsranch.blogspot.com
Connie, I can do a drop spindle, but it is not the place to start spinning, tho some people have with success. My starts always "dropped" as the wool separated since it wasn't spinning right. It is hard and slow. Lots of cultures have people, including kids, always using their drop spindle, even as they walk about. It takes a very nicely balanced drop spindle to learn on. A lot of them are too heavy. An actual easy version is using an old CD and just sticking a dowel thru it's hole . . . I think I still have one of those around.
Good post. I just learned how to spin on a drop spindle this week. My first "yarn" is lumpy but it was fun and "Practice makes perfect" or at least better!
Oh I remember those lumpy beginnings! Funny thing tho, some of those expensive yarns with the lumps? I can't create lumps anymore even if I wanted to!
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