The Web Site For Handspinners & Fiber Artists

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- How I Started Handspinning
Drop Spindle
- How To Make A Drop Spindle
- Types of Drop Spindles
- How to Use a Drop Spindle
Spinning Wheel
- Selecting the Right Spinning Wheel
- Styles of the Spinning Wheel
- How The Spinning Wheel Works
- Parts of the Spinning Wheel
- Adjusting The Spinning Wheel’s Tension
- Drive Ratios & Twist Per Inch
- Spinning Wheel Maintenance
Techniques
- Handspinning Woollen and Worsted Yarn
- Preparing to Handspin Yarn on the Spinning Wheel
- Basic Handpinning Techniques
- Adding More Fiber When Handspinning Yarn
- Plying Yarn with a Spinning Wheel
- Navajo Plying
- Making A Skein of Yarn With A Niddy Noddy
- “Setting In The Twist” Of Handspun Yarn
- What do I do if? …
Fiber Prep
- Selecting a Fleece for Handspinning
- How to Wash Your Fleece
- Types of Fiber Preparations for Spinning
- How to Prepare Fiber with Hand Carders
- How to Prepare Fiber With a Drum Carder
- How to Prepare Fiber With Dutch Combs
- How To Prepare Fiber With a Flicker Carder
- How to Use a Diz
Fiber
- Alpaca
- Angora
  - How to Care For Your Angora Rabbit
  - Angora Rabbit Breeds
- Flax
- Llama
- Mohair
- Silk
- Wool
Dyeing
Books
- Interweave Press
  - Spinning Books
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Styles of the Spinning Wheel

Great Wheel

A well known version of the spindle wheel, is the Great Wheel. The spindle wheel played an important role in the production of yarn and wool spinning for several years. The Great Wheel provided an efficient way to rotate a spindle by hand. The Spindle wheel was used to spin fine fibers, like cotton and silk, into fine thread.

The common spinning (flyer) wheel styles are classified as; saxony wheel, castle wheel, Norwegian wheel or the modern 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 has three legs. The Ashford Traditional and Elizabeth wheel are good examples of the Saxony wheel.

Castle Wheel

The component parts of a castle style wheel are stacked vertically with the flyer being positioned above the wheel. Good examples are the Ashford Traveller, and Majacraft wheel.

Norwegian Wheel

The Norwegian wheel looks similar to the Saxony wheel. It has a large wheel, four legs, and a horizontal bench. Kromski manufactures a Norwegian style wheel.

Modern Wheel

The modern wheels take advantage of technology for enhancing performance, increasing production, and has a more advant-garde appearance. Examples of modern wheels are Louet wheels and the Ashford Joy.

The Charkha wheel

The Charkha wheel gained popularity in India, by Mahatma Gandhi, because of its practical use for spinning cotton, and its portrayal of economic independence. It is still being used in parts of India today.

The box style is one variation of the Charkha wheel. It is small, very compact, and folds up into a box that can be transported. The method used for spinning on a Charkha wheel is similar to spinning on the Great Wheel. The spinner rotates the wheel with one hand while drafting the fiber with the other hand. The Charkha wheel is ideal for spinning very fine fibers like cotton, silk, angora, and cashmere.

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Styles of the Spinning Wheel

There are several brands of spinning wheel on the market today. Although they have different names, they basically follow the traditional styles of spinning wheel from the past. The Saxony wheel is the most popular style of wheel for beginners, while the Great Wheel is generating new interest from advanced handspinners. The upright wheel, known as the castle wheel is a popular choice for spinners who want to be able to transport their wheel. There are also models that fold up for traveling. Avoid choosing a spinning wheel just because of the way it looks, without first understanding its working capabilities. Many factors should be considered when selecting a spinning wheel. Here are a few of the traditional styles for spinning wheel.