Before wool could be used to make clothes it had to be spun into yarn. This was originally done using a 'drop spindle', a weighted stick which stretched the wool and twisted it into yarn. This process was slow and done by hand but it was portable and could be done almost anywhere. Spinning wheels did not come into use in the Highlands until the early 19th century. The 'muckle wheel' was a large wheel turned by hand and requiring the spinner to walk back and forwards to tease the wool into yarn and wind the yarn on to a spindle.
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Questions
- What was the main advantage of the spinning wheel over the 'drop spindle' and 'distaff'?
- When did spinning wheels come into use in the Highlands?