Beginner’s Info: Part 5

So, you’ve decided to get a spinning wheel, you lucky you. Spinning wheels are the sports cars of the fiber world. There’s just this aura around them. A feeling of mystery which can be very thrilling, but when it comes to picking out a wheel it can get in the way.

I’m going to try to sweep away some of the fog and reveal the spinning wheel in all its grandeur.

Parts Of A Spinning Wheel

First off, what are the different parts of a spinning wheel? Here is an excellent picture with handy little arrows. (If you’re wondering, it’s on quite a nice website. Feel free to explore.) Now, the business end is the “head,” which refers to the bobbin, flyer, orifice, and bobbin whorl. That’s where the yarn is actually made. When I first started researching spinning I had a vague idea that the fiber had to go around the big wheel – wrong. The big wheel is the power engine for the head. And your foot is the power engine for the big wheel, which brings us to the first option to be considered.