Spinning is an ancient textile art in which plant, animal or synthetic fibers are twisted together to form yarn (or thread, rope, or cable). The textile arts are those Arts and Crafts that use plant, animal, or synthetic Fibers to construct practical or decorative Fiber crops are field crops grown for their Fibers which are used to make Paper, Cloth, or Rope. Animal fibers are Natural fibers that consist largely of particular proteins Synthetic fibers are the result of extensive research by Scientists to improve upon naturally occurring Animal and plant Fiber or fibre is a class of Materials that are continuous filaments or are in discrete elongated pieces similar to lengths of thread. This article is about the fiber product For the type of joke see Shaggy dog story. A rope is a length of Fibers twisted or Braided together to improve strength for pulling and Connecting. For thousands of years, fiber was spun by hand using simple tools, the spindle and distaff. A spindle (sometimes called a drop spindle) is a Wooden spike weighted at one end with a circular Whorl; it may have an optional hook at either end of the As a Noun, a distaff (also called a rock) is a Tool used in spinning. Only in the early Medieval era did the spinning wheel increase the output of individual spinners, and mass-production only arose in the 18th century with the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution. A spinning wheel is a device for spinning thread or Yarn from natural or Synthetic Fibers History Technology in World Civilization The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the Hand-spinning remains a popular handicraft. Handicraft, also known as craftwork or simply Craft, is a type of work where useful and decorative devices are made completely by hand or using only simple tools
Characteristics of spun yarn vary based on the material used, fiber length and alignment, quantity of fiber used, and degree of twist.
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History
Hand spinning
The origins of spinning fiber to make string or yarn are lost in time, but archaeological evidence in the form of representation of string skirts has been dated to the Upper Paleolithic era, some 20,000 years ago. The Roscheider Hof Open Air Museum is the Open air museum and Folklore Museum of the Greater SaarLorLux Region Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos The Upper Paleolithic (or Upper Palaeolithic) is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe Africa [1] In the most primitive type of spinning, tufts of animal hair or plant fiber are rolled down the thigh with the hand, and additional tufts are added as needed until the desired length of spun fiber was achieved. Later, the fiber was fastened to a stone which was twirled round until the yarn was sufficiently twisted, whereupon it was wound upon the stone and the process repeated over and over.
The next method of twisting yarn was with the spindle, a straight stick eight to twelve inches long on which the thread was wound after twisting. At first it had a cleft or split in the top in which the thread was fixed; later a hook of bone was added to the upper end. The bunch of wool or plant fibers is held in the left hand; with the right hand the fibers are drawn out several inches and the end fastened securely in the slit or hook on the top of the spindle. A whirling motion is given to the spindle on the thigh or any convenient part of the body; the spindle is then dropped, twisting the yarn, which is wound on the upper part of the spindle. Another bunch of fibers is drawn out, the spindle is given another twirl, the yarn is wound on the spindle, and so on. [2]
The distaff was used for holding the bunch of wool, flax, or other fibers. It was a short stick on one end of which was loosely wound the raw material. The other end of the distaff was held in the hand, under the arm or thrust in the girdle of the spinner. When held thus, one hand was left free for drawing out the fibers. [2]
A spindle containing a quantity of yarn rotates more easily, steadily and continues longer than an empty one, hence the next improvement was the addition of a weight called a spindle whorl at the bottom of the spindle. A spindle (sometimes called a drop spindle) is a Wooden spike weighted at one end with a circular Whorl; it may have an optional hook at either end of the These whorls are discs of wood, stone, clay, or metal with a hole in the center for the spindle, which keep the spindle steady and promote its rotation. Wood is hard fibrous lignified structural tissue produced as secondary Xylem in the stems of Woody plants notably trees but also shrubs Clay is a naturally occurring material composed primarily of fine-grained Minerals which show plasticity through a variable range of Water content, and The M acro E xpansion T emplate A ttribute L anguage complements TAL, providing macros which allow the reuse of code across Spindle whorls appeared in the Neolithic era. The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos [2]. [3]
Spinning wheel
The spinning wheel may have evolved from devices used in China and India. A spinning wheel is a device for spinning thread or Yarn from natural or Synthetic Fibers History Technology in World Civilization China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country It reached Europe in the early Middle Ages and only slowly replaced hand spinning with spindle and distaff. The spinning wheel allowed continuous and faster yarn production. Early spinning wheels were foot or hand powered.
Industrial spinning
Modern powered spinning, originally done by water or steam power but now done by electricity, is vastly faster than hand-spinning. Hydropower, hydraulic power or water power is power that is derived from the Force or Energy of moving water which may A steam engine is a Heat engine that performs Mechanical work using Steam as its Working fluid.
The spinning jenny, a multi-spool spinning wheel invented circa 1764 by James Hargreaves, dramatically reduced the amount of work needed to produce yarn, with a single worker able to work eight or more spools at once. The spinning jenny is a multi- Spool Spinning wheel. It was invented circa 1764 by James Hargreaves in Stanhill, near Blackburn Year 1764 ( MDCCLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a James Hargreaves (also known as James Hargraves) (1720 – 22 April 1778) was a weaver, Carpenter and an Inventor in Lancashire At roughly the same time, Richard Arkwright and a team of craftsmen developed the spinning frame, which produced a stronger thread than the spinning jenny. Sir Richard Arkwright ( Old Style 23 December 1732 / New Style 3 January 1733 – 3 August The spinning frame was an Invention developed during the 18th century British Industrial Revolution. Too large to be operated by hand, a spinning frame powered by a waterwheel became the water frame. A water wheel is a means of extracting power from the flow (or fall of water otherwise known as Hydropower. The water frame is the name given to the Spinning frame, when water power was used to drive it
In 1779, Samuel Crompton combined elements of the spinning jenny and water frame to create the spinning mule. Samuel Crompton ( December 3, 1753 &ndash June 26, 1827) was an English Inventor and pioneer of the spinning industry spinning mule was created in 1779 by Samuel Crompton. It was a combination of the water frame (created by Thomas Highs, initially falsely attributed to This produced a stronger thread, and was suitable for mechanisation on a grand scale.
In the 20th century, new techniques including Open End spinning or rotor spinning were invented to produce yarns at rates in excess of 40 meters per second. Open end spinning is a technology for creating Yarn without using a Spindle. ROTOR was a huge and elaborate air defence Radar system built by the British Government in the early 1950s to counter possible attack by Soviet Bombers
Characteristics of spun yarns
Materials
Yarn can be, and is, spun from a wide variety of materials, including natural fibers such as animal, plant, and mineral fibers, and synthetic fibers. This article is about the fiber product For the type of joke see Shaggy dog story. Fibers or fibres (see spelling differences) is a class of hair-like Materials that are continuous filaments or are in discrete elongated pieces similar Animal fibers are Natural fibers that consist largely of particular proteins Fiber crops are field crops grown for their Fibers which are used to make Paper, Cloth, or Rope. A mineral is a naturally occurring substance formed through geological processes that has a characteristic chemical composition a highly ordered atomic structure and specific Synthetic fibers are the result of extensive research by Scientists to improve upon naturally occurring Animal and plant It was probably first made from plant fibers, but animal fibers soon followed.
Twist and ply
The direction in which the yarn is spun is called twist. Yarns are characterized as Z-twist or S-twist according to the direction of spinning (see diagram). Tightness of twist is measured in TPI (twists per inch or turns per inch)[4]
Two or more spun yarns may be twisted together or plied to form a thicker yarn. TPI ( twists per inch or turns per inch) is a term used in the Textile industry In the Textile arts, plying is a process used to create a strong balanced Yarn. Generally, handspun single plies are spun with a Z-twist, and plying is done with an S-twist. [5]
Plying methods
Yarns can be made of two, three, four, or more plies, or may be used as singles without plying. In the Textile arts, plying is a process used to create a strong balanced Yarn. Two-ply yarn can also be plied from both ends of one long strand of singles using Andean plying, in which the single is first wound around one hand in a specific manner that allows unwinding both ends at once without tangling. Navajo plying is another method of producing a three-ply yarn, in which one strand of singles is looped around itself in a manner similar to crochet and the resulting three parallel strands twisted together. This method is often used to keep colors together on singles dyed in sequential colors. Cabled yarns are usually four-ply yarns made by plying two strands of two-ply yarn together in the direction opposite to the plying direction for the two-ply yarns.
Contemporary hand spinning
Hand-spinning is still an important skill in many traditional societies. Hobby or small scale artisan spinners spin their own yarn to control specific yarn qualities and produce yarn that is not widely available commercially, but can be found online and in many local yarn stores. A hobby is a spare-time Recreational pursuit Etymology A Hobby horse is a wooden or Wickerwork toy made to be Handspinners also may spin for self-sufficiency, a sense of accomplishment, or a sense of connection to history and the land. In addition, they may take up spinning for its meditative qualities.
Within the recent past, many new spinners have joined into this ancient process, innovating the craft and creating new techniques. From using many new applications of dyeing before spinning, to mixing in random elements (Christmas Garland, eccentric beads, money, etc. ) that would not be in a traditional yarn, to creating new techniques like coiling[6], this craft is constantly evolving and shifting.
To make various yarns, besides adding random elements, spinners can vary all the same things as in a machined yarn, i. Flax (also known as common flax or linseed) (binomial name Linum usitatissimum) is a member of the genus Linum A spindle (sometimes called a drop spindle) is a Wooden spike weighted at one end with a circular Whorl; it may have an optional hook at either end of the e. the fiber, the preparation, the color, the spinning technique, the direction of the twist, etc. A common misconception is yarn spun from rolags may not be as strong, but the strength of a yarn is actually based on the length of hair fiber and the degree of twist. A rolag is a roll of fiber generally used to spin Woolen yarn When working with shorter hairs, such as llama or angora rabbit, the spinner may choose to integrate longer fibers, such as mohair, to prevent yarn breakage. Yarns made of shorter fibers are thus also given more twist than yarns of longer fibers, and are generally spun with the short draw technique.
The fiber can be dyed at any time, but is often dyed before carding or after the yarn has been spun. Dyeing is the process of imparting Colours to a textile material in loose fibre Yarn, Cloth or garment form by treatment with a Dye.
Wool may be spun before or after washing, although excessive amounts of lanolin may make spinning difficult, especially when using a drop-spindle. Lanolin, also called Adeps Lanae, wool wax, wool fat, anhydrous wool fat or wool grease, is a greasy yellow substance secreted by A spindle (sometimes called a drop spindle) is a Wooden spike weighted at one end with a circular Whorl; it may have an optional hook at either end of the Careless washing may cause felting; when done prior to spinning this often leads to unusable wool fiber. Felt is a non-woven cloth that is produced by matting condensing and pressing fibers In washing wool the key thing to avoid is too much agitation and fast temperature changes from hot to cold. Generally washing is done lock by lock in warm water with dish-soap.
Techniques
A tightly spun wool yarn with no air in it is called worsted; it is handspun from a roving or combed top, and the fibers all lie in the same direction as the yarn. Wool is the fiber derived from the specialized skin cells called follicles of animals in the Caprinae family principally sheep, but the hair of certain species Worsted (pronunciation) is the name of a Yarn, the Cloth made from this yarn and a yarn weight category A roving is a long and narrow bundle of fiber with a twist to hold the fiber together Combing is a method for preparing Fiber for spinning by use of combs A woolen yarn, in contrast, is handspun from a rolag, where the fibers are not as strictly aligned to the yarn created. Woollen ( American English: woolen) is the name of a Yarn and Cloth usually made from Wool. A rolag is a roll of fiber generally used to spin Woolen yarn The woolen yarn thus captures much more air, and makes for a softer and generally bulkier yarn. There are two main techniques to create these different yarns; short draw creates worsted yarns, and long draw creates woolen yarns. Short draw is the spinning technique used to create Worsted yarns Worsted (pronunciation) is the name of a Yarn, the Cloth made from this yarn and a yarn weight category Long draw is the spinning technique used to create Woolen Yarns It is spun from carded Rolags It is generally spun from shorter Woollen ( American English: woolen) is the name of a Yarn and Cloth usually made from Wool. Often a spinner will spin using a combination of both techniques, and thus make a semi-worsted yarn. [7]
Short draw spinning is used to create worsted yarns. Short draw is the spinning technique used to create Worsted yarns Worsted (pronunciation) is the name of a Yarn, the Cloth made from this yarn and a yarn weight category It is spun from combed roving, sliver or wool top. Combing is a method for preparing Fiber for spinning by use of combs A roving is a long and narrow bundle of fiber with a twist to hold the fiber together A sliver (rhymes with diver is a long bundle of fiber that is generally used to spin Worsted yarn Topmaking mills make wool top, a semi-processed product from raw Wool. The spinner keeps their hands very close to each other. The fibers are held, fanned out, in one hand, and the other hand pulls a small number from the mass. The twist is kept between the second hand and the wheel- there is never any twist between the two hands.
Long draw is spun from a carded rolag. Long draw is the spinning technique used to create Woolen Yarns It is spun from carded Rolags It is generally spun from shorter Carding is the processing of brushing raw or washed Fibers to prepare them as Textiles A large variety of fibers can be carded anything from Dog hair, to A rolag is a roll of fiber generally used to spin Woolen yarn The rolag is spun without much stretching of the fibers from the cylindrical configuration. This is done by allowing twist into a short section of the rolag, and then pulling back, without letting the rolag change position in your hands, until the yarn is the desired thickness. The twist will concentrate in the thinnest part of the roving, thus when the yarn is pulled, the thicker sections with less twist will tend to thin out. Once the yarn is the desired thickness, enough twist is added to make the yarn strong. Then the yarn is wound onto the bobbin, and the process starts again.
Spinning in the grease
Handspinners are split, when spinning wool, as to whether it is better to spin it 'in the grease' (with lanolin still in) or after it has been washed. Lanolin, also called Adeps Lanae, wool wax, wool fat, anhydrous wool fat or wool grease, is a greasy yellow substance secreted by More traditional spinners are more willing to spin in the grease, as it is less work to wash the wool after it is in yarn form. Spinners who spin very fine yarn may also prefer to spin in the grease as it can allow them to spin finer yarns with more ease. Spinning in the grease covers the spinner's hands in lanolin, and thus softens the spinner's hands. Lanolin, also called Adeps Lanae, wool wax, wool fat, anhydrous wool fat or wool grease, is a greasy yellow substance secreted by
Spinning in the grease only works really well if the fleece is newly sheared. After several months the lanolin becomes sticky, which makes it harder to spin using the short draw technique, and nigh impossible to spin using the long draw technique. In general, spinners using the long draw technique do not spin in the grease.
Spinners who don't spin in the grease generally buy their fibers pre-washed and carded, in the form of tow or roving. In the Composites Industry, a tow is an untwisted Bundle of continuous filaments and it refers to human-made Fibers particularly A roving is a long and narrow bundle of fiber with a twist to hold the fiber together This means less work for the spinner, as they do not have to wash the lanolin out. It also means that one can spin predyed fiber, or blends of fibers, which are very hard to create when the wool is still in the grease. As machine carders cannot card wool in the grease, pre-carded yarn is generally isn't spun in the grease. Carding is the processing of brushing raw or washed Fibers to prepare them as Textiles A large variety of fibers can be carded anything from Dog hair, to Some spinners, however, use spray on lanolin-like products to get the same feel of spinning in the grease with this carded fiber.
See also
Notes
- ^ Barber, Women's Work, 42-45. A cotton mill is a Factory housing spinning and Weaving Machinery Cotton was a leading sector in the Industrial Revolution, as cotton Crochet (kroʊˈʃeɪ is a process of creating fabric from Yarn or thread using a Crochet hook. As a Noun, a distaff (also called a rock) is a Tool used in spinning. "Knit" redirects here See also KNIT and Knitted fabric. A loom is a Machine or device for Weaving thread or Yarn into Textiles Looms can range from very small hand-held frames to large free-standing The spinning jenny is a multi- Spool Spinning wheel. It was invented circa 1764 by James Hargreaves in Stanhill, near Blackburn This article describes textile weaving For other senses of this word see Weaving (disambiguation. A spinning wheel is a device for spinning thread or Yarn from natural or Synthetic Fibers History Technology in World Civilization A spindle (sometimes called a drop spindle) is a Wooden spike weighted at one end with a circular Whorl; it may have an optional hook at either end of the
- ^ a b c Watson, Textiles and Clothing, p. 3-14
- ^ Barber, Women's Work, 37.
- ^ Kadolph, Sara J. , ed. : Textiles, 10th edition, Pearson/Prentice-Hall, 2007, ISBN 0-13-118769-4, p. 197
- ^ Plying Yarn with a Spinning Wheel, The Joy of Handspinning
- ^ Toil, Toil, Coils and Bubbles, Knitty Magazine
- ^ Woolen, Semi-Woolen, Semi-Worsted, Worsted Spinning
References
- This article contains text from the 1907 edition of Textiles and Clothing by Kate Heinz Watson, a document now in the public domain. The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone
- Amos, Alden (2001). The Alden Amos Big Book of Handspinning, Loveland, Colorado: Interweave Press. ISBN 1883010888
- Barber, Elizabeth Wayland (1995). Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years: Women, Cloth, and Society in Early Times, W. W. Norton & Company, new edition, 1995.
- Boeger, Alexis (2005). Handspun Revolution, Pluckyfluff. ISBN 0976725207
- Jenkins, David, editor (2003). The Cambridge History of Western Textiles, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0521341078
- Piponnier, Françoise, and Perrine Mane (1997). Dress in the Middle Ages; Yale UP; ISBN 0300069065
- Ross, Mabel (1987). Essentials of Handspinning, Robin and Russ Handweavers. ISBN 0950729205
- Simmons, Paula (1982). Spinning for Softness and Speed, Seattle: Madrona. ISBN 0914842870
- Watson, Kate Heinz (1907). Textiles and Clothing, Chicago: Amercian School of Home Economics (online at Textiles and Clothing by Kate Heintz Watson).
External links
General
- Spinning Guilds Directory - An international list of spinning guilds
- Yarn Museum - Online gallery promoting handspun yarn.
- NY State Sheep & Wool Festival - New York State Sheep & Wool Festival
- Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival - Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival; America's largest, with over 60,000 people in attendance each year.
Instructional Sites
- A complete spinning website - Learn about Blow room,carding,spinning, Fiber testing, Textile calculations etc
- Hampshire Spinning Guild - glossary of spinning terms, and pictures
- Joy of Hand Spinning - video instruction
- Spin-Off Magazine Spinning Basics - A list of PDF articles from the magazine on various spinning techniques.
- Navajo 3-ply Tutorial - plying video instruction
- Drop Spinning Instructions - step by step from carding to troubleshooting
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