Chinese Spinning

手纺 is the hanzi for spinning, and the search parameters usually have to say “-baoding.”

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The silk reel was invented during the Tang Dynasty (618–907CE).

China had hand cranked spinning wheels in the Han Dynasty (206BCE–220CE), which sounds early to me, but whatever. They invented their treadle after the Han, but I’m uncertain as to when. Their treadle is sideways, but with it being sideways, a skilled spinner can spin 3-5 threads at a time. While the pedal is called a “treadle”, it is inaccurate for European Spinners. We think of pressing a peddle down and the wheel spinning. This is more an oar and a rowing like motion where the whole leg is used to spin the wheel. 

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Based on their technology and exports, silk was the primary driving fiber. It is likely that cotton was also grown and spun, though without more research it’s impossible to tell.

 

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A replica of a Chinese wheel, as used by its creator.

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​Diagram showing a period Chinese woman spinning 4 threads at once, with notations to guide the reader in the article On the mathematics of spinning, which I did not understand. Also shown more modern Chinese woman spinning 2 threads at once using the same type of wheel. It shows how the wheel is perpendicular to the user. 

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Chinese woman spining on small table wheel