Spindle whorl facts for kids

A spindle whorl is a small, heavy disk that helps you spin yarn! It's like a weight that you put on a spinning stick called a spindle. This weight helps the spindle spin really fast and smoothly. When you spin the spindle, the whorl keeps it going. This lets you slowly pull fibers, like wool or cotton, and twist them into strong yarn. Whorls are usually round or ball-shaped. They are often placed at the bottom of the spindle.

Spinning with a whorl (c) on a spindle (b) and distaff (a) (above)

What Are Spindle Whorls Made Of?

Throughout history, people have made spindle whorls from many different materials. Some common materials include:

• Natural materials: Things like amber, antler, bone, coral, and wood (like oak).
• Rocks and minerals: Such as stone, chalk, limestone, mudstone, sandstone, slate, lydite, and soapstone.
• Man-made materials: Like ceramic (clay that has been baked), glass, and different types of metal (iron, lead, or lead mixes).

People often used materials that were easy to find in their local area.

Images for kids

• 

  Spindle Whorl (Sulsultin), from the Coast Salish people (Native American), 19th century.

• 

  Whorl found in Poland, from the 12th or 13th century.

• 

  Ancient Greek spindle whorls, from about 10th century BC.

• 

  Muisca spindle whorl from Colombia, made between 500 AD and 1500 AD.

• 

  Whorl made of antler from the Viking Age (793–1066 AD) in Sweden.