Spinning

Found a good "Spinning" link? Let Us Know!

Wool: The Survival Fiber by Compatriot Howard Thomas: If one traces the development of civilization through the middle East and Europe, the parallel between those early lifestyles and the possible life of the survivalist family in the future can hardly be avoided. The early nations lived by agriculture, wood and brick architecture (if any), and by manufacture of their own clothing. Almost invariably the clothing of first choice was wool. What made wool the first choice of fiber for early people makes it the most logical choice for a family in a long-term survival situation in the future...

Types of Drop Spindles For centuries, the handspindle played a role in producing thread and yarn. It is still a tool used in parts of the world today. The form and function of the spindle is basically the same everywhere. MEG's note: Great site! I won't be insulted if you take your time and browse around it before coming back here... in fact, I may be insulted if you don't sift through their ENTIRE site. Wow. Really impressive. I love finding links like this...

How To Make A Drop Spindle If you would like to learn how to spin, but buying a wheel just isn't in your budget. Then here's an easy and economical way to make you own drop spindle.

Making Yarn With A Drop Spindle This is a cool little QuickTime video, with accompanying text.

Fibers, spindles and treadles - a glossary of spinning terms Ask most people what they know about the craft of spinning, or spinning wheels, and they are likely to mention something about a beauty that pricks her finger and falls into a deep sleep until a handsome prince awakens her. But for the Tuesday Treadlers Spinning Guild in Baton Rouge, spinning isn’t about fairytales and romance. It’s a hobby that brings 11 friends together twice a month for spinning, fun and fellowship... [PDF link recovered 5/1/11]

Using a Niddy Noddy: A niddy noddy is a simple tool that is used to make a skein of your hand spun yarn straight off the wheel. The yarn can then be washed, dyed and the twist set. Setting the twist is very important if you want balanced, professional looking yarn. The unusual name comes from the action of the skeiner. The faster you wind, the more the skeiner develops a niddy noddy action! [PDF link recovered 5/1/11]

Selecting a Spinning Wheel, Buying a Spinning Wheel, Spinning Wheel Information This page will give you an introduction to selecting a spinning wheel, buying a spinning wheel, touching on the types of wheels, technical terms, attachments, spinning options and considerations in choosing a wheel, including, perhaps, your first wheel. Sales site, but good info.

Small Scale Cotton Growing & Processing - By Nev Sweeney: I am interested in processes, how things are made from start to finish like growing the wheat to grind to make flour to bake the bread sort of thing and I suppose that this is where this idea started out. Being your average city slicker, I had never seen cotton growing, except in those old movies set in the deep (American) south, although I did know that we produced a fair bit of cotton here in Australia. Having worn cotton undies for years I assumed that it gave me a unique insight into the growing of the raw material, well perhaps not, but knowing nothing about its cultivation I was ready to give it a go!

Spinning wheel: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - A spinning wheel is a device for spinning thread or yarn from fibrous material such as wool or cotton. The spinning wheel was an advancement on the concept of the drop-spindle, invented somewhere in China or India between 500 and 1000 AD; like the drop-spindle, the spinning wheel works by spinning the material, twisting the fibers into a long, continuous strand.

Modern History Sourcebook: Observations on the Loss of Woollen Spinning, 1794 The new machines did not all come at once. It proved easier to mechanize spinning than weaving. This is an account of the effects of the loss of spinning work for those previously employed in "cottage industry".

Charkha Tips: How to Spin Cotton on Mahatma Gandhi’s Spinning Wheel By Mark Shepard: Adapted and updated from the articles “Another View on the Charkha,” Spin-Off, Fall 1983, and “More on Charkha Techniques,” Spin-Off, Summer 1984

Frequently asked questions about the stringy stuff hanging from needles and hooks This document was written by Wendy Chatley Green in 1995.

Learn to Spin with a Drop Spindle Spinning was a necessity in colonial America and children learned to use a drop spindle at a very young age. It is a craft that you can learn with a minimum of equipment and expense. This is a sales site, but hey - there doesn't seem to be many crafter sites out there with info...

WLG 30 Spinning a Good Yarn [PDF] Spinning is twisting two or more fibers together to make a continuous thread. Spinning by hand creates one-of-a-kind thread. Spinning is a relaxing activity. The spinner’s whole body is in rhythm with the movement of the wheel. Hands and feet work together in coordination to produce a thread. Nice little 4 page article.

Peterborough Handweavers and Spinners Guild Newsletters: Each has at least one interesting article - all PDF
November/December2005 September / October 2005 May / June 2005 March / April 2005	January / February 2005 November / December 2004 September / October 2004

A Helpful Hints Page for Spinners, Weavers and Knitters!

Tips & Tricks for Weaving & Spinning: This is a page for your Tips & Tricks.

Examples of Various Spinning Wheel Types Just photos on a sale site, but nice to see.

Making Yarn from Nettles All text, but interesting. [PDF link recovered 5/1/11]

Skirting a Fleece, Revisited This is a tutorial on skirting a fleece, and learning to recognize the parts of a fleece. See Also: how fleeces are skirted and made ready for show or sale.

Wool Grading This site, from Gleason's Fine Woolies, explains wool grading. There is a glossary of terms following the article.

Washing Grease Fleece ... Washing wool is not scintillating, and on the "excitement scale" is somewhere below watching grass grow or paint dry. However, to the person wanting to wash wool at home, this may be useful information. See also: Making Something With Wool: Beginning Needle Felting Kit - Batch Dyeing - Making a Felted Bird Ornament - Hand Painting Roving - Begining Soumak Weaving - Felting - Feltballs - Felting a Large Sheet of Felt - Needle Felting Making a Wool Felt Pouch

Nostepinde Instructions This site, from Hatchtown Farms, gives step-by-steps for winding onto a nostepinde.

Spinning with a Top-Whorl Drop Spindle Carole Cassidy-Fayer, Lollipops, gives step-by-step directions on using a drop spindle.

Steps in Processing Wool into Yarn This site from the Blackberry Ridge folks, walks you through the process.

How to Use the Drop Spindle

Twine and Textiles A chemistry lesson about yarn.

Spinning Wheel Tips Here is a list of frequently asked questions and helpful spinning and knitting tips on a sales site.

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