Spinning

Spinning fibre has been around since before language. Originally fibres were collected and then spun around a stick. Give it a try it is harder then it looks

Later a weight was added to the stick and the drop spindle was invented.  This weight  allowed for a quicker and finer spin though you still needed to stop every turn to wind your thread. Drop spindles could be made out of almost everything and children were taught from a very young age. It was something that could be easily kept in a pocket and worked on throughout the day.

   The first wheels came about in India and China. The first illustration showing a wheel was made in 1237. Once the spinning wheel was in use it began to make the spindle obsolete which frightened those who based their income on the spindle. Thus the spinning wheel yarn was banned into the early 1300’s until they could no longer logically make an argument against it. 

The “U” shape of the wheel was added in 1480 and made it possible to spin continuously as you did not have to stop to wind the thread.

In the 1800’s people would have been spinning using one type of fibre they would not have been able to afford or acquire the variety we have now.

Fibres:

Fibers range from ½ inch to 3inches in length. The act of spinning the fibre allows for it to be secured to the next making it strong

Cotton:  Has very short fibres making it harder to spin. Cotton was not used often in earlier times. It had to be brought in from the south and as a crop it was always dependant on the weather. It was one of the most expensive fibres to spin.

Linen: More available in the north however the fibres are long and must be spun when wet. Not only is this messy but it could also compromise wooden wheels. Same as cotton, this crop was dependant on weather and bugs.

Wool: Available in almost all areas, it is renewable, easy to dye and the fibres are a good length. This was a very popular fibre to use for spinning.  Be very careful when choosing your wool. Every variety of sheep has a very different wool texture.  I find corridale spins the best, however others here seem to like merino.

Alpaca: You might see this fibre being used in the southern states but would rarely get to use it this far north. It is decent to spin and gives a soft yarn.  We found out this is a very easy and stretchy fibre to spin...but the lanolin in the fibre does get troublesome.

Silk: Small and very strong fibres. It is hard to separate in the drafting but is excellent for studier jobs. This would have been difficult to come by however the rich would have attempted to get it as the influence of India and the Orient were very big during the late regency.  My personal favourite to spin. It almost drafts itself!

We are just starting to experiment with plant fibres....it hasn’t been pretty.  You almost have to learn to spin all over again. If any of the readers have tips please share!

Note: We just had a beautiful loom donated to the site!  We are very much looking forward to our adventure in learning to weave. Wish us luck.

Note 2: check out how our garden is coming along.