Spinning wheel facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

A spinning wheel is a clever machine used to turn loose fibres (like cotton or wool) into strong yarn or thread. Before big factories and machines took over, the spinning wheel was super important for making clothes and fabrics. It helped set the stage for later inventions like the spinning jenny, which eventually replaced it during the Industrial Revolution.

How Does a Spinning Wheel Work?

Making yarn starts with taking a small bunch of fibres and gently pulling them out. Then, you twist them into a basic string shape. Spinners keep pulling and twisting to make the yarn longer and control how thick it is. For thousands of years, people did this by hand using a stick called a spindle, which took a very long time.

The wheel part of a spinning wheel doesn't replace the spindle. Instead, it makes the twisting process automatic. This means you can twist the thread without constantly doing it by hand. The size of the wheel also helps you control the amount of twist more precisely. The finished thread still ends up on a spindle, just like before the wheel was invented.

At first, people spun the wheel by hand or foot. Later, simple parts were added so a person could push a pedal. This kept the wheel turning at a steady speed. This pedal system was the biggest improvement to the spinning wheel before the 1700s.

When Was the Spinning Wheel Invented?

Scene from Al-Maqamat (The Assemblies), painted in Baghdad in 1237.

A spinning wheel shown in a European book from the 1300s.

A close-up of The Spinning Wheel by Chinese artist Wang Juzheng (around 1270).

The exact origin of the spinning wheel is a bit of a mystery, with different ideas about where it first appeared:

Some experts think it might have been used in the ancient Indus Valley Civilization (around 2500 BCE) because of how uniform their threads were.
Others suggest it started in China over 2,000 years ago. Clear pictures of spinning wheels in China date back to around 1270 CE.
Some believe it was invented in India as early as 500-1000 CE.
Many historians think the spinning wheel most likely came from the Middle-East by the early 1000s. The clearest early picture of a spinning wheel is from Baghdad in 1237.

The spinning wheel then traveled from the Middle East to Europe by the 1200s. The first European picture of one is from around 1280. Even so, in places like France, people still used the older hand-spinning methods until the mid-1700s.

The spinning wheel made spinning much faster than using just a spindle. The first step to making it more mechanical was to lay the spindle flat. A large, hand-turned wheel then spun the spindle with a cord. This was how the great wheel worked. You held the fibre with one hand and slowly turned the wheel with the other. By holding the fibre at a slight angle, you added the necessary twist. The spun yarn was then wound onto the spindle.

A woman spinning with a flyer, around 1531. She turns the wheel by hand.

Spinning technology improved slowly over time. In 1533, someone in Germany supposedly added a treadle. This allowed the spinner to use one foot to turn the spindle, leaving both hands free to work with the fibres. Leonardo da Vinci also drew a picture of the flyer, a part that twists the yarn before winding it onto the spindle. By the 1500s, a treadle wheel with a flyer was common. It was called the Saxony wheel or flax wheel. This invention sped up production because you didn't have to stop spinning to wind up the yarn.

In the 1700s, before the Industrial Revolution really took off, it took at least five spinners to make enough thread for just one weaver. Inventors like Lewis Paul and John Wyatt tried to solve this problem in 1738. They patented a machine that used rollers to draw wool to an even thickness. This allowed yarn to be twisted and spun quickly. Later, in 1771, Richard Arkwright used water power to run machines for making cotton cloth. His invention became known as the water frame.

Today, modern spinning machines use motors to spin the spindle. They also have automatic ways to pull out fibres and can work many spindles at once, much faster than ever before. Even newer technologies like friction spinning and air jets make yarn even quicker.

Different Kinds of Spinning Wheels

There are many types of spinning wheels, each good for different kinds of yarn:

The great wheel, also called the walking wheel or wool wheel, is used for quickly spinning soft, fuzzy wool yarns.
The flax wheel is a special wheel used with a distaff (a stick to hold fibres) for spinning flax fibres to make linen.
Saxony and upright wheels are all-purpose wheels driven by a foot pedal. They can spin both wool and worsted yarns (which are smoother).
The charkha is a smaller, portable wheel from Asia.

Before you spin yarn on any wheel, the fibres need to be prepared. Except for silk, which can be spun directly from cocoons, most fibres need to be cleaned and straightened, usually by combing or carding. Spinners often work with a fluffy mass of aligned fibres to make consistent yarn.

The Charkha

The tabletop or floor charkha is one of the oldest types of spinning wheels. It works like the great wheel: you turn a drive wheel with one hand while spinning the yarn off the spindle tip with the other. The floor charkha looks very similar to the great wheel. With both, you have to stop spinning to wind the yarn onto the spindle.

The word charkha comes from a Persian word for "wheel" and is related to the Sanskrit word for "circle." The charkha became both a tool and a powerful symbol for the Indian independence movement. This small, portable, hand-cranked wheel is perfect for spinning cotton and other fine, short fibres. Its size can vary from a small book to a briefcase, or even a floor model.

Leaders of India's Freedom Struggle encouraged people to use the charkha. They hoped it would help Indians become self-sufficient and independent. Because of this, the charkha was used as a symbol of the Indian independence movement and even appeared on earlier versions of the Flag of India.

The Great Wheel

Spinning wool on a great wheel at a demonstration.

The great wheel was one of the first types of spinning wheels. To use it, you hold the fibre in your left hand and slowly turn the large wheel with your right. Yarn is spun on a great wheel using a technique called "long-draw spinning." This method mostly uses one hand, leaving the other free to turn the wheel. The great wheel is usually used for short fibres like cotton and wool.

Great wheels are often very tall, over 5 feet (1.5 meters) high. The big drive wheel turns a much smaller spindle, making the spindle spin many times for each turn of the drive wheel. The yarn is spun off the tip of the spindle and then stored on it. To start, you tie a piece of waste yarn (a "leader") to the spindle and spiral it up to the tip. Then, you overlap some fibre with the leader, holding both gently with your left hand. You slowly turn the drive wheel clockwise with your right hand, walking backward as you pull the fibre away from the spindle at an angle. Your left hand controls the tension to make even yarn. Once you have enough yarn, you turn the wheel backward a bit to unwind the spiral, then clockwise again to wind the new yarn onto the spindle.

The Treadle Wheel

Parts of a treadle wheel: A - Wheel, B - Drive band, C - Flyer assembly, D - Maiden, E - Bearings, F - Tension Screw, G - Treadle, H - Footman, I - Treadle connection, J - Treadle bar, K - Table, L - Distaff

This type of wheel is powered by your foot instead of your hand or a motor. The spinner sits and pumps a foot pedal (the treadle) that turns the drive wheel. This leaves both hands free to prepare the fibres, which is important for the "short draw" spinning technique often used on these wheels. Most modern treadle wheels use a flyer-and-bobbin system. This system twists the yarn and winds it onto a spool at the same time. These wheels can have one or two foot pedals; it's a matter of comfort and doesn't change how the wheel works.

Double Drive Wheels

A double drive wheel.

A double drive wheel gets its name because its drive band goes around the spinning wheel twice. This band turns both the flyer (the horseshoe-shaped part around the bobbin) and the bobbin itself. Because the bobbin's whorl (the pulley where the band runs) is slightly smaller than the flyer's, the bobbin turns a little faster. Both the flyer and bobbin twist the yarn. The difference in their speeds winds the yarn onto the bobbin when you relax your grip on the yarn. When you keep the yarn tight, the bobbin and flyer spin together to add twist to the yarn. The drive band for a double drive wheel is usually made of non-stretchy cotton or hemp yarn.

Single Drive Wheels

A single-drive wheel with the drive band around the flyer and a brake on the bobbin.

In a single drive wheel set up with "Scotch tension," one drive band connects the drive wheel to the flyer. The spinning drive wheel turns the flyer and, through friction, the bobbin. A short tension band, or brake band, adds drag to the bobbin. So, when you loosen your grip on the newly spun yarn, the bobbin and flyer spin at different speeds, and the yarn winds onto the bobbin. A tighter tension band pulls the yarn onto the bobbin more strongly. A looser band pulls it more gently. Generally, you use a tighter band for thicker yarn or yarn with less twist, and a looser band for thinner yarn or yarn with more twist.

Another single drive setup is "Irish tension," where the drive band drives the bobbin, and the tension band brakes the flyer. Some wheels can be set up in either single drive way, or even as both double and single drive.

Upright Style Wheels

An upright wheel, also known as a castle wheel.

When the spindle or flyer is located above the wheel, rather than to one side, it's called an upright wheel or castle wheel. These wheels are often more compact, making them easier to store and carry. Some upright wheels can even fold up small enough to fit in airplane carry-on luggage. An Irish castle wheel is a type of upright wheel where the flyer is located below the drive wheel.

Electric Spinning Wheels

A purple and black tabletop electric spinning wheel, or e-spinner.

An electric spinning wheel, or e-spinner, uses an electric motor instead of a foot pedal. Some need to be plugged into an outlet, while others can run on a rechargeable battery. Most e-spinners are smaller, easier to carry, and quieter than treadle wheels. One great thing about e-spinners is that you don't have to coordinate pedaling with handling the fibre. This can make it easier to learn to spin than on a traditional treadle wheel. E-spinners are also good for spinners who have trouble pedaling or keeping a steady speed.

Friction Drive Wheels

A side view of a compact friction drive wheel.

This type of treadle-driven wheel doesn't use a drive band. Instead, the flyer is directly driven by friction from a rubber ring that touches the flat surface of a solid drive wheel. These wheels are very compact and less likely to get dirty outdoors than wheels with drive bands. However, they are quite rare.

Why Was the Spinning Wheel So Important?

"The last spinner in my village," 1881. Hand spinning became less common with new machines.

The spinning wheel made making thread more than 10 times faster! Some historians believe the spinning wheel helped increase the supply of rags, which led to cheaper paper. Cheaper paper, in turn, helped the development of printing.

The spinning wheel was essential for the cotton textile industry before the Industrial Revolution. It laid the groundwork for later machines like the spinning jenny and the spinning frame, which eventually took its place. The spinning jenny, widely used during the Industrial Revolution, was basically an improved version of the spinning wheel.

Spinning Wheels in Culture

The spinning wheel shown in the coat of arms of Kiikka, Finland.

Because spinning wheels were so common, they appear in art, literature, and other cultural expressions around the world. In South Asia, the spinning wheel became a powerful political symbol.

Political Symbolism

Mahatma Gandhi spinning yarn on a charkha.

Starting in 1931, the traditional spinning wheel became the main symbol on the flag of the Provisional Government of Free India.

Mahatma Gandhi's simple clothing and his dedication to hand spinning were key parts of his beliefs and politics. He chose traditional clothing to reject Western culture and show he identified with India's poor. His personal choice became a strong political statement. He urged his wealthier followers to copy him and get rid of their European-style clothes. He wanted them to proudly return to their ancient, pre-colonial culture.

Gandhi believed that spinning thread in the traditional way also had practical benefits. It would help India's poor rural areas become economically independent and survive. This commitment to traditional cloth making was part of a larger movement called swadeshi, which aimed to boycott all British goods. Gandhi explained that returning to spinning didn't mean rejecting all modern technology. Instead, it meant rejecting the unfair economic and political system that controlled textile making. He said, "Machinery in the past has made us dependent on England, and the only way we can rid ourselves of the dependence is to boycott all goods made by machinery. This is why we have made it the patriotic duty of every Indian to spin his own cotton and weave his own cloth."

Literature and Folk Tales

St Elizabeth of Hungary Spinning for the Poor. This painting shows a castle-style spinning wheel and a distaff.

The Golden Spinning Wheel is a Czech poem by Karel Jaromír Erben.
Rumpelstiltskin, a tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, is about a woman who must spin straw into gold or face execution. Rumpelstiltskin helps her.
The classic fairy tale Sleeping Beauty features a princess who pricks her finger on a poisoned spindle of a spinning wheel and falls into a deep sleep due to a curse. Many versions of the tale exist. In some, the spindle is part of a spinning wheel.
Interestingly, a traditional spindle doesn't have a sharp end that could prick a finger. Despite this, the story of Sleeping Beauty pricking her finger on a spindle (which she has never seen before because they were banned) remains popular.
Walt Disney's animated film version of Sleeping Beauty shows a Saxony or flax wheel. Princess Aurora pricks her finger on the distaff, which holds the plant fibre. In Tchaikovsky's ballet The Sleeping Beauty, only a spindle is used.
Spinning wheels are also important in the Scottish folk tale Habitrot and the German tales The Three Spinners and The Twelve Huntsmen.
Louisa May Alcott, famous for Little Women, wrote a collection of short stories called Spinning-Wheel Stories. These stories weren't about spinning wheels themselves, but were meant to be read while someone was doing the somewhat repetitive task of using a spinning wheel.

Music

Classical and Symphonic Music

In 1814, Franz Schubert wrote "Gretchen am Spinnrade" (Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel). This song for piano and voice is based on a poem from Goethe's Faust. The piano music sounds like Gretchen's spinning wheel as she waits for her love.
Antonín Dvořák composed The Golden Spinning Wheel, a symphonic poem based on the folk ballad by Karel Jaromír Erben.
Camille Saint-Saëns wrote Le Rouet d'Omphale (Omphale's Spinning Wheel), a symphonic poem about the classical story of Omphale and Heracles.
A popular piano piece for students is Albert Ellmenreich's Spinnleidchen (Spinning Song) from 1863. A repeating musical pattern represents the spinning wheel.

Folk and Ballad Music

The Spinning Wheel is also the title of a classic Irish folk song by John Francis Waller.
A traditional Irish folk song, Túirne Mháire, praises the spinning wheel.
Sun Charkhe Di Mithi Mithi Kook is a Sufi song in the Punjabi language inspired by the traditional spinning wheel. It's a song from a lover who remembers their beloved with the sound of each spin of their Charkha.

Opera

Spinning wheels are important in the Wagner opera The Flying Dutchman. The second act starts with local girls sitting at their wheels and singing about spinning.
Gilbert and Sullivan's The Yeomen of the Guard begins with a single character singing while spinning at her wheel.

Art

Spinning wheels appear in art all over the world. They can be shown as everyday household items or have a deeper symbolic meaning, like their political importance in India.