Spinning, Twisting, Plying and it's Cultural Instruments

Spinning, Twisting, Plying and it's Cultural Instruments

Shiekh Bilal

A spindle (ĆHAKU چَْکُہ in Sheena) is a straight spike usually made from wood used for spinning, twisting fibers such as wool, flax, hemp, cotton into yarn. It is often weighted at either the bottom, middle, or top, commonly by a disc or spherical object called a whorl (HANDBATOO ہَنْبَٹوٗٗ) , but many spindles exist that are not weighted by a whorl, but by thickening their shape towards the bottom, such as Orenburg and French spindles. The spindle may also have a hook, groove, or notch at the top to guide the yarn( as in HANJİ ہَنجِہ) . Spindles come in many different sizes and weights depending on the thickness of the yarn one desires to spin.

History

The origin of the first wooden spindle is lost to history because the materials did not survive but in Gurez area it still exist. Whorl-weighted spindles ( HANJI) date back at least to Neolithictimes; spindle whorls (HANDBATOO) have been found in archaeological digs around the world.

A spindle is also part of traditional spinning wheelswhere it is horizontal, such as the Indian charkha and the great or walking wheel. In industrial yarn production, spindles are used as well.

The wood traditionally favoured for making spindles was that of Euonymus europaeus, from which derives the traditional English name spindle bush.

Hand spindles

Modern hand spindles fall into three basic categories: suspended spindles, supported spindles and grasped spindles.

Supported and suspended spindles are normally held vertically, grasped spindles may be held vertically, horizontally or at an angle depending on the tradition.

Suspended spindles (HANJI in Sheena) are so named because they are suspended to swing from the yarn after rotation has been started.

Supported spindles (ĆHAKU) continue to rest with the tip on one's thigh, on the ground, on a table, or in a small bowl ( THURKATTI تھُرکَٹِ ) while rotating. 

In spinning, a lazy kate (also simply known as a kate) ( in Sheena WACHIDAR وَچیٖدَر ) is a device used to hold one or more spools ( In Sheena GALU گَلُ ) or bobbins in place while the yarn on them is wound off from the side of the bobbin.

PLYING

In the textile arts, plying (in Sheena BATHYONU بَٹھیٛوونُہ ) is a process used to create a strong, balanced yarn. It is done by taking two or more strands of yarn that each have a twist to them and putting them together.The strands are twisted together, in the direction opposite that in which they were spun.