Footman – The bar the connects the treadle to the fly wheel and causes it to turn. K. Orifice – The opening at the end of the spindle where the yarn goes through to connect to the hooks of the flyer.
What are the parts of a spinning wheel called?
The working unit on all modern spinning wheels is the combination of the flyer (the ‘U’ shaped piece) and the bobbin on to which the yarn is wound as well as the whorl. The bobbin is mounted on the flyer shaft and rotates independently of the flyer. This winds on the yarn as it is spun.
What is the mother of all on a spinning wheel?
The mother-of-all is the business end of the spinning wheel. This is the piece that holds the maidens, which in turn hold the flyer, bobbin and brake system. The flyer is a U-shaped piece with a metal shaft through the middle to hold the bobbin and whorls, if necessary.
What is an Irish spinning wheel?
These Dutch wheels were introduced to Ireland in the 18th century and used for spinning flax. Each wheel is hand-crafted by Johnny “from start to finish”. Each spinning wheel is a fine piece of craftmanship, while also being fully functional.
What is double drive spinning?
A double drive system. Another common drive system is called “double drive.” In double drive, a single long string is looped twice around the drive wheel; one of the loops goes around a whorl on the flyer, and one of them goes around a smaller whorl on the bobbin.
Do people still use spinning wheels?
Today, spinning wheels are carved and turned of hardwood and used only by craftspeople for handspun yarns. Spinning wheels are entirely obsolete as large manufacturers use industrial spinners to produce millions of yards of thread or yarn each day.
What is a distaff on a spinning wheel?
A distaff (/ˈdɪstɑːf/, /ˈdɪstæf/, also called a rock) is a tool used in spinning. It is designed to hold the unspun fibers, keeping them untangled and thus easing the spinning process. It is most commonly used to hold flax, and sometimes wool, but can be used for any type of fibre.
Does the bobbin spin on a spinning wheel?
When spinning, both the flyer and the bobbin are rotated by the drive band. The bobbin whorl is smaller in diameter than the flyer whorl, therefore, it will spin faster than the flyer if there is no brake being used.
What is the difference between Irish and Scotch tension?
Scotch Tension has the drive belt on the flyer, and a tension band on the bobbin makes the bobbin spin slower than the flyer which adds twist. Irish Tension has the drive belt on the bobbin, and a tension band on the flyer makes the flyer spin slower than the bobbin which adds twist.
What is Scotch tension?
In Scotch tension, the tension of the bobbin, and the tension of the flyer are independent of one another, with the brake band on the bobbin, and the drive band on the flyer whorl. In double drive, the tension of the bobbin and the flyer are in direct relation to each other.
What is a flyer LED spinning wheel?
Flyer wheels. Flyer wheels (also called flyer-and-bobbin wheels) allow continuous spinning: the spinner does not have to stop drafting for the newly created yarn to wind onto the bobbin. For this to happen, the flyer needs to rotate more quickly or more slowly than the bobbin.
What is Irish tension?
Irish tension is a single-drive tension system often referred to as bobbin lead. “Bobbin lead” means that the bobbin turns faster than the flyer as the yarn winds on. The drive band wraps around the drive wheel and the bobbin with its built-in whorl, rotating the bobbin.
What is a Saxony spinning wheel?
Saxony Wheel. When most people think of spinning wheel, the saxony style is the most familiar. It is often referred to as the “Cinderella” wheel. The elements of a saxony wheel are arranged horizontally, with a large wheel at one end and the flyer at the other, and normally have three legs.
How does a spinning wheel work?
On single drive wheels the bobbin has a separate brake to control its speed. The fiber is twisted as the flyer rotates and the spinner holds the yarn. One revolution of the flyer puts one twist into the yarn. The longer the yarn is held before letting it wind onto the bobbin, the more twist it will receive.
How does a distaff work?
distaff, Device used in hand spinning in which individual fibres are drawn out of a mass of prepared fibres held on a stick (the distaff), twisted together to form a continuous strand, and wound on a second stick (the spindle). It is most often used for making linen; wool does not require a distaff (see carding).
What replaced the spinning wheel?
The spinning Jenny was invented in 1764 and replaced the spinning wheel, due to increased efficiency, as it was able to spin multiple threads at once.
Why do people spin their own yarn?
Some people learn to spin because they have access to a lot of fiber, either from their own fiber animals or from generous friends. These spinners might need to make a wide variety of yarn from the same fibers, and they probably need to develop excellent fiber preparation skills.
Why is the male side called the spear side?
The OED says the expression “spear side” comes from the Old English spere-healfe (in Anglo-Saxon times healfe could mean side). A citation from around 885 in King Alfred’s will refers to leaving land on the sperehealfe or spinhealfe — that is, the “spear side” or “spindle side.”
What is the difference between a spindle and a distaff?
The basic tools used to spin the fibers were the spindle and the distaff. A distaff is designed to hold the unspun fibers, meanwhile a spindle is a straight spike, usually made from wood, onto which the fiber is being spun. The most commonly used fibers in Europe were wool and flax.
Do you need a distaff to spin flax?
The traditional way of spinning flax stricks is to use a distaff, but it is not required. A distaff is a long vertical pole that can be attached to the spinning wheel, or free standing next to the wheel. The long fibers of flax are tied together at one end and the rest of the fibers are fanned out.
What does double drive mean?
The Double Drive Time law requires the moving company to double the origin to destination time. i.e. If it takes 15 minutes to get from origin to destination, the moving company will put 30 minutes on the invoice as Double Drive Time.
What is distaff side?
distaff side in American English noun. the female side of a family (opposed to spear side)
