Spinning

The Art of Spinning

         Spinning is an anicent art that has long been connected to magick and witchcraft. It is also an art dominated by women. Plus, spinning has meditative qualities that can be very useful in today's busy world. In Greek tradition, it is said that Athena invented the spinning wheel. Spinning is a common activity in many faerie tales and the fae are connected with spinning. Also, the Greek Fates spin the thread of a mortal's life. In Egypt, the goddess Isis is thought to have brought the art of spinning to the people.

        Throughout the ages, spinning like everything else has changed. What we think of as the spinning wheel today didn't exist before the 1500's but the first spinning wheel was found in India around 500 AD. By 1200 AD the spinning wheel was found in Persia, Europe, and China. Before this time spinning was done by hand-spindles. A hand-spindle is a shaft instered through a whorl. Usually the shaft is made of wood and pointed at one end with a hook or cross-piece at the other. When the whorl is mounted low on the spindle the yarn is wound betweenthe cross-piece and the whorl and the spindle must be dismantled to remove the ball of yarn. If the whorl is placed high then the yarn is wound below the whorl and can slide off the bottom when the ball is formed.
        There are a few methods of spinning. Along with different methods of spinning there are different materials and tools. Spinning wheels are probably the most commonly thought of tool however they are expensive. There are also drop-spindles; which are the most primative spinning device. Drop spindles are popular because not only are they less expensive but they can be made by hand. Keep in mind, you can make a spinning wheel by hand, when we cleaned out my great grandparents garage we found one that had been hand made, however I doubt this is an easy task.
         There are two methods of spinning. There is an S-spin and a Z-spin. The Z-spin goes clockwise, or sunwise, and is used with many fibres. The S-spin goes coutnerclockwise, or moonwise. Some fibres, like flax, are usually spun with an S-twist. In some cultures the S-twist is regarded as magickal, powerful, or sacred. S-twist yarn is used by witches and shamans for magical, ritual, and medicinal purposes. It is good for easing difficult pregnancies and to guard against rheumatism. S-twist yarn dyed brown or red worn around the neck or wrist will ward off accidents while traveling. Another use for S-twist yarn is as a love charm; a girl will slip in a small length of moon-thread when weaving and then give the garment to the man she wishes to attract. After he has worn the clothing he will be in love with the girl forever. In some cutlures only shamans or wise-woman can spin moonwise and should you have need of S-twist yarn you must obtain it from them. In other societies you may only spin S-twist yarn when there is a specific magickal reason.
         There are also many different fibres. You can use animal fibres like wool or plant fibres. Wool has hooked ridges in it's natural structure and when spun into yarn the ridges interlock. Also when you spin wool there are two options for how; wool can be worsted or woolen. In woolen yarn the fleece is carded up and layed with the fibres oriented in alternate diffrection and then spun. In worsted yarn the fleece is layed up any way and the yarn is drawn from the middle during spinning. Also, when you are working with animal fibres you can give them more lustre and a clean feeling by washing them in water with a little white vinegar or lemon juice added. This rinse will also removed the alkaline residue of soaps used to clean these fibres. There are all sorts of plant fibres to use. Linen is derived from the stem of the flax plant. Flax can be grown in any temperate climate that has a three-month growing season and moderate rainfall. The basic structure of flax inclines to the left and therefore many spinners spin it moonwise in the S-twist. Nettles can also be spun to make cloth and inicidently isn't painful because once the harvested nettle goes limp in the sun the sting is lost. Hemp, Cannabis sativa, is also another fibre that may be possible to use however in most places unprocessed hemp is illegal. By far one of the most common options is cotton. Cotton may be spun straigh from the boll, the fibres can be peeled off the seed by rolling the seed between the fingers while the fibres are held during spinning. The seed should fall from your hand and you may continues spinning. There are advantages to useing plant fibres instead of animal. First, moths and other destructive insects are not interested in them. Plus because of the high cellulose content they are less likely to decay than animal products.

         There are many advantages to spinning your own yarn. Aside from the meditative effects of spinning it's econmically senseable. While spinning wheels are expensive, you will save money by buying fibres instead of yarn. Plus, you don't even have to buy a spinning wheel you can make a drop spindle. Of course, you can buy a drop spindle and they are still cheaper than spinning wheels. Another advantage of spinning is your yarn can be speically charged for magickal or ritual purposes. You can chose to spin moonwise or sunwise, what moon phase you spin during, what time of day, and what day of week and in magical working all these things come into play. Also, you can chose what materials are used on and in your yarn. If you are allergic to wool you can be sure that none of your yarn contains wool, if you have an allergy to certain soaps that are used on yarns and fabrics you can ensure that none of those soaps will be used. There are also astetic reasons. When you spin your own yarn it can be custom created. Along with artistic experssion your yarn will be something you can be proud of and express yourself though.