Sheep to Shawl, Part 5: How to use a Drop Spindle

Candiss Cowan teaches us how to use a drop spindle, a tool mentioned in the Old Testament and dates back 5,000 years. Every girl in Colonial America had one, and since "idle hands did the devil's work," girls were constantly spinning.

In this episode, Candiss Cowan teaches us how to use a drop spindle, which is a tool mentioned in the Old Testament and dates back 5,000 years. Every girl in Colonial America had one, and since “idle hands did the devil’s work,” girls were constantly spinning. They even were using the spindle when they walked to fields to bring the cows back to the stable. Not a minute was wasted.

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