Spindle whorl

A spindle whorl is a weighted object fitted to a spindle to help maintain the spindle's speed of rotation while spinning yarn. It typically takes the form of a disk or spherical object, sometimes whorled, normally positioned on the bottom of the spindle. The spinner spins the resulting weighted spindle up to speed, which the whorl maintains, and then slowly pulls the fabric off a mass of fibers which the spindle then twists into yarn.

Spinning with a whorl (c) on a spindle (b) and distaff (a) (above)

Historically, whorls have been made of materials like amber, antler, bone, ceramic, coral, glass, stone, metal (iron, lead, lead alloy), and wood (oak). Local sourced materials have been also used, such as chalk, limestone, mudstone, sandstone, slate, lydite and soapstone.

Remains of spindle whorls found in a Natufian village at Nahal Ein Gev II archeological site, Israel, from 12000 years ago, might be the oldest ones found to date.

Gallery

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  Spindle Whorl (Sulsultin), Chemainus, Coast Salish (Native American), 19th century, Brooklyn Museum
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  Whorl (12th or 13th century) found in Poland
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  Ancient Greek spindle whorls, 10th century BC, Kerameikos Archaeological Museum, Athens
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  Muisca spindle whorl (500AD – 1500AD). Archaeology Museum, Sogamoso, Colombia
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  Whorl made of antler, Viking Age (793–1066 AD), Björkö, Sweden
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  Saltfleetby spindle-whorl (10th-12th centuries), Lincolnshire, England