A wool spinning-wheel. The spinner walked back and forth in using this
wheel, and her walk was often many miles in a day's spinning. A band of
stout cord goes around the big wheel and around the spindle. A strand of
wool, very light and loose, is gently drawn by hand from the distaff to
the end of the finished thread which is wound about the spindle. This
strand is held loosely in the left hand. The right hand on one of the
spokes of the large wheel gives it a smart turn. The spinner then walks
away from the machine and the spindle, swiftly turned by the momentum of
the large wheel, twists the loose strand of wool into a close thread.
This thread is of such length and of such size and hardness of twist as
the spinner decides upon, all being dependent on the force with which
the big wheel is pushed, on the thickness of the loose strand of wool,
and on the way in which the spinner holds it as she walks from the
wheel. The finished thread is then wound on the spindle by gently
reversing the large wheel, and holding the thread at the spindle. Then
the same process is repeated.