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Russian Spinning Russia was a main grower and producer of flax, not just for Asia, but for Europe.[1] Russia primarily used a supported spindle, which is really nice for short staple fibers.[2] A Russian supported spindle. It’s made of purple heartwood. I really want one (It’s purple and spinning!)[3] References [1] “Introduction: The Culture of Cloth,” The Museum of Russian Art, accessed June 14, 2025, https://tmora.org/online-exhibitions/a-homespun-life-textiles-of-old-russia/introduction-the-culture-of-cloth/. [2] Cecile, “The Spindle Tales: Russian Spindles,” The ways of the whorl, December 12, 2010, https://waysofthewhorl.wordpress.com/2010/12/12/the-spindle-tales-russian-spindles/. [3] Cecile. “The Spindle Tales: Russian Spindles.” The ways of the whorl, December 12, 2010. https://waysofthewhorl.wordpress.com/2010/12/12/the-spindle-tales-russian-spindles/.

Philippines Spinning Spindles were mostly in hand done on long thin sticks with little to no whorl.[1] As of yet, I could find no evidence of wheels being used in period in the Philippines. Fibers are mostly cotton blends with other plants, such as abaca, pineapple, and banana fibers.[2] Woman unwinding her spindle. Her niddy noddy is hecking cool and I want one. Spindle is either two parts and the whorl can be removed or has no whorl ever. [3] References [1] John Tewell, “Woman Spinning Thread, Vintar, Ilocos Norte, Northwest Luzon, Philippines, 1920-1925,” Flickr, 1920, https://www.flickr.com/photos/johntewell/49572157051/in/photolist-2iBUxef-2iwwgdX-2dYeSvi-QKRvWU-Q6xniD-cqH8cj-7M28W7-7LXapi-aKUKJZ-2prdpZ7. [2] Arel B Sia-Ed, “Inventory and Resource Mapping of Fiber Yielding Plants in Mountain Province ,” www.ijsmsjournal.org , 2019, https://www.ijsmsjournal.org/2019/volume-2%20issue-1/ijsms-v2i1p101.pdf. [3] John Tewell, “Woman Spinning Thread, Vintar, Ilocos Norte, Northwest Luzon, Philippines, 1920-1925,” Flickr, 1920, https://www.flickr.com/photos/johntewell/49572157051/in/photolist-2iBUxef-2iwwgdX-2dYeSvi-QKRvWU-Q6xniD-cqH8cj-7M28W7-7LXapi-aKUKJZ-2prdpZ7.

Georgian Spinning I feel the need to be very clear: this is about the country, not the US state. They use beautifully carved wooden one piece supported spindles as their main type of spindle.[1] A really pretty Georgian style spindle. These ones are sold on The Woolery, and I super want to try one![2] References [1] Elizabeth, “Artist Spotlight: Kravelli - A Small Business,” Our blog, July 21, 2023, https://woolery.com/our-blog?p=artist-spotlight-kravelli#:~:text=Or%20its%20importance%20to%20you,the%20majority%20of%20the%20population. [2] Katrina King, “Global Spindles You Should Know About,” Spin Off, August 30, 2024, https://spinoffmagazine.com/global-spindles-you-should-know-about/.

Armenian Spinning The fibers spun are cotton, silk, and linen for fabrics.[1] They started by importing silk from China, but eventually had their own sericulture.[2] They use wool for the rugs they are famous for, often from local villages.[3] Armenian lace is also sought after (Venetian lace is thought to have come from Armenian lace)[4] and required very finely spun thread. An Armenian woman spinning on a weird drum wheel.[5] I love the way this wheel looks. I wonder how heavy it is? Women and boys with cotton and wheels. The poster posits that they might be refugees and these might be supplies so that they can start a new life. It’s wonderful what spinning can do![6] References [1] “Arts of Armenia,” Textiles - Armenian Studies Program, accessed June 16, 2025, https://cah.fresnostate.edu/armenianstudies/resources/artsofarmenia/textiles.html. [2] Molly Hutto, “A Single Thread, Part One: Textiles in the Near East,” Near East Relief Historical Society, April 6, 2018, https://neareastmuseum.com/2018/02/16/single-thread-part-one-textiles-near-east/. [3] Kyle Khandikian, “Rugs of Resilience: Unraveling the Symbolism of Armenia’s Weaving Traditions,” Ajam Media Collective, August 5, 2024, https://ajammc.com/2024/08/04/armenian-rugs-of-resilience/. [4] “Arts of Armenia.” Textiles - Armenian Studies Program. Accessed June 16, 2025. https://cah.fresnostate.edu/armenianstudies/resources/artsofarmenia/textiles.html. [5] An Armenian Woman Spinning Thread, April 4, 2023, photograph, Instagram, April 4, 2023, https://www.instagram.com/p/CqnVshAgzj8/. [6] Armenian Women And Boys With Spinning Wheels And Cotton, 1915, photograph, Posterazzi, 1915, https://www.posterazzi.com/armenian-women-and-boys-with-spinning-wheels-and-cotton-ca-1915-21-this-is-possibly-a-refugee-family-receiving-tools-to-make-a-living-in-yerevan-history-item-varevchisl035ec277/.

Mongolia Spinning No evidence of wheels used in medieval times found, which makes a certain amount of sense given they were a nomadic culture and moving around with something as large as a wheel (even one that is typical of Asia at the time) could have been problematic From looking at pictures of historical reenactments, they appear to have used bottom whorl drop spindles. But these are reenactments. I’m not finding primary sources, or even secondary.[1] Hohhot reenactor spinning. I’m dubious, as that spindle looks more European than anything else I’ve seen doing this research, but I’m good at being wrong.[2] Fibers were primarily goat (cashmere is and was huge) camel, and sheep, as raising plant fibers was (and is) not really a thing.[3] References [1] Xinhua, “Hohhot, China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. 15th Aug, 2018. an Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritor Demonstrates the Spinning Skill of Mongolian Ethnic Group during an Exhibition in Hohhot, North China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Aug. 15, 2018. Credit: Liu Lei/Xinhua/Alamy Live News Stock Photo,” Alamy, August 14, 2018, https://www.alamy.com/hohhot-chinas-inner-mongolia-autonomous-region-15th-aug-2018-an-intangible-cultural-heritage-inheritor-demonstrates-the-spinning-skill-of-mongolian-ethnic-group-during-an-exhibition-in-hohhot-north-chinas-inner-mongolia-autonomous-region-aug-15-2018-credit-liu-leixinhuaalamy-live-news-image215507083.html. [2] Ibid. [3] Itsabeff, “Mongolian Industries: Textiles & Animal Products,” Judds in Mongolia, April 19, 2021, https://juddsinmongolia.com/2021/04/19/mongolian-industries-textiles-animal-products/.

Cyprus Spinning Cyprus had large scale wool productions, more than just in the home, as early as the late Bronze Age. In the first millennium BCE, spinning and weaving was done both inside the house as well as in workshops. Spindles were two-piece constructions, with stone or terracotta for the whorl and wood for the spindle.[1] I really wanted to find out more about the wheels in Cyprus, but research is being stubborn. I'll see if I can find more on it later. Clay spindle whorl from Cyprus.[4] A woodblock engraving of a Cyprus woman spinning. It’s interesting that she has the wheel tilted. I like it.[5] References [1] Joanna S. Smith, “Changes in Weaving on the Warp-Weighted Loom on Cyprus,” Cahiers Du Centre d’Etudes Chypriotes, no. 49 (December 1, 2019): 129–44, https://doi.org/10.4000/cchyp.461. [2] Terracotta Spindle Whorls, Met Museum, accessed June 22, 2025, https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/240498. [3] Tristam Ellis, Spinning Wheel in Cyprus, July 15, 2011, photograph, Getty Images, July 15, 2011, https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/illustration/spinning-wheel-in-cyprus-royalty-free-illustration/184314918?adppopup=true.

Kazakhstan Spinning The silk industry was thriving in the middle 500 CE. The silk industry was so important that when it was threatened by the Iranian silk, the king had all the Iranian silk burned. Kazakhstan does grow cotton, but has only done so recently. There is not much evidence of them importing unspun, unwoven cotton.[1] Most of Kazakhstan was a nomadic society. Thus they would have used spindles to do their work. Also, they probably worked mostly with animal fibers. A spindle typical of one found in Kazakstan[2] References [1] Zh. B. Kundakbayeva, “The History of Kazakhstan from the Earliest Period to the Present Time. Volume I. from the Earliest Period To,” dokumen.pub, 2016, https://dokumen.pub/the-history-of-kazakhstan-from-the-earliest-period-to-the-present-time-volume-i-from-the-earliest-period-to.html. [2] Linda LaBelle, “Kazakhstan,” Madderlane, August 29, 2019, https://madderlane.com/category/kazakhstan/.

Cambodian Spinning Fibers produced in Cambodia were silk, cotton, and hemp, [1] and banana fibers are used to make resists strings.[2] Silk fibers are especially common as they are used in the ikat weaving Cambodia is known for, and was made popular by the Angkor Dynasty.[3] The silk produced in Cambodia is a saffron-yellow color by nature (not the typical silk white) because of the breed of silkworm that grows best there.[4] A modern woman spinning on a wheel in Cambodia.[5] It’s *NOT* a period wheel, but it’s clearly modeled after on, probably a Japanese style one? Hard to tell. It’s a reeling wheel![5] Hard to say exactly how old this one is, but it looks like the ones from Chinese paintings from the 1300s! References [1] Albion Gould, “A Brief History of Weaving in Cambodia,” A Brief History of Weaving in Cambodia, July 3, 2023, https://albiongould.com/a-brief-history-of-weaving-in-cambodia/#:~:text=Weaving%20in%20Cambodia%20dates%20back,hemp%2C%20which%20were%20sourced%20locally. [2] Emily von Borsitel, Textile Arts Center, August 27, 2019, https://textileartscenter.com/feature/the-complex-art-of-cambodian-ikat/. [4] Morimoto Kikuo, “Traces of War: The Revival of Silk Weaving in Cambodia,” Textile Society of America Symposium Proceedings, 2002, 199–204. [5] Albion Gould, “A Brief History of Weaving in Cambodia,” A Brief History of Weaving in Cambodia, July 3, 2023, https://albiongould.com/a-brief-history-of-weaving-in-cambodia/#:~:text=Weaving%20in%20Cambodia%20dates%20back,hemp%2C%20which%20were%20sourced%20locally.

Cotton Spinning – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan Afghanistan Spinning cotton is done on a drop spindle in Afghanistan.[1] Cotton has been grown in Afghanistan since the 3rd millennium BCE.[2] Banglidesh The Banglideshi are known for making cotton, specifically Dhaka cotton.[3] Dhaka cotton was processed very uniquely. The cotton staple was so short and the fibers so fine that the fibers were spread out by boats at dawn and late afternoon and that when they were spun.[4] The process was so specialized and so intense that it took the entire region to make the fabric.[5] The spinners would use charkhas to spin the cotton while on the boat, then sell the teeny threads to the weavers in the next town.[6] Bhutan Cotton is common fiber found in Bhutan[7] Brunei A lot of cotton is spun and woven in Brunei.[8] This is mostly due to the fact that religiously, men can only wear cotton.[9] Cambodia Fibers produced in Cambodia were silk, cotton, and hemp. [10] China Cotton has been grown in China since 200 BCE.[11] However, it was a household crop, and was not processed in factories or warehouses until the Qing dynasty (1644-1800).[12] India Silks are super common to see spun in India. As are cottons. Those are probably the two most common fibers depending on exactly where you are in India (it’s a big place!) with the north seeing a little more silk than the south, though the south would see silk in the cities and wealthier areas. Indonesia In Indonesia, it was said that the first human couple, Miala Ratu Nggela and Mamu Ratu Ngguku, dropped from the sky in a basket of red cotton, and Miala Ratu Nggela made clothes for her husband with it, so red cotton was sacred.[13] Japan Japan started growing and producing cotton in the 6th century. While it started as a cottage industry, it quickly grew to be a very popular industry.[14] Kazakhstan Kazakhstan does grow cotton, but has only done so recently. There is not much evidence of them importing unspun, unwoven cotton.[15] Laos When the Tai Kadai arrived in Laos, the people there, the Mon- Khmer, had a tradition of weaving cotton and hemp.[16] While it’s possible they imported spun cotton and hemp, it’s more likely they spun it themselves. Nepal The primary fibers in Nepal were yak, camel, hemp, and cotton.[17] Philippines In the Philippines, fibers are mostly cotton blends with other plants, such as abaca, pineapple, and banana fibers.[18] Sri Lanka The spinning and weaving of cotton in Sri Lanka can be traced back to at least 543 BCE.[19] The story goes that Prince Vijaya saw Kuveni, Queen of the Yakshas, spinning cotton at a wheel, and they fell in love and started a dynasty of Sri Lankan royalty.[20] Thailand In Thailand, whorls for cotton thread have been found in excavation sites in Sukhothai.[21] Cotton was imported from India as early as 100 CE.[22] With the date of these imports, it's likely that cotton was also grown, just in small amounts. By the 12th century cotton was a cash crop. Dating to the Sassanian Empire (224 to 651 CE), the fibers found and produced in Turkmenistan were wool, cotton, and silk.[23] During this time period, cotton was spun on a drop spindle.[24] Uzbekistan The agricultural people of Uzbekistan would also grow cotton and silkworms (sericulture) and spin on hand cranked wheels.[25] References [1] “Spinning a Lucrative Yarn in Afghanistan,” ReliefWeb, October 3, 2012, https://reliefweb.int/report/afghanistan/spinning-lucrative-yarn-afghanistan. [2] Daniel Balland, “Cotton III. in Afghanistan,” Encyclopaedia Iranica, October 21, 2024, https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/cotton-iii/. [3] Zaria Gorvett, “The Ancient Fabric That No One Knows How to Make,” BBC News, February 24, 2022, https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210316-the-legendary-fabric-that-no-one-knows-how-to-make. [4] Ibid. [5] Ibid. [6] Gopika Nath, “Garland Magazine,” Garland Magazine Spinning a Yarn Unparalleled Comments, December 6, 2016, https://garlandmag.com/article/spinning-a-yarn-unparalleled/. [7] “Thagzo: The Art of Weaving.” Ich Links. Accessed June 22, 2025. https://ichlinks.com/archive/elements/elementsV.do?elementsUid=13916806808844150811. [8] Siti Norkhalbi Haji Wahsalfelah, “Brunei Culture through Its Textile Weaving Tradition,” SUVANNABHUMI 8, no. 2 (December 2016): 113–29, chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://koreascience.kr/article/JAKO201612359886243.pdf. [9] Ibid. [10] Albion Gould, “A Brief History of Weaving in Cambodia,” A Brief History of Weaving in Cambodia, July 3, 2023, https://albiongould.com/a-brief-history-of-weaving-in-cambodia/#:~:text=Weaving%20in%20Cambodia%20dates%20back,hemp%2C%20which%20were%20sourced%20locally. [11] Harriet Zurndorfer, “The Resistant Fibre: The Pre-Modern History of Cotton in China,” Academia.edu, June 8, 2016, https://www.academia.edu/25993017/The_Resistant_Fibre_The_Pre_modern_History_of_Cotton_in_China. [12] Ibid. [13] Georges Breguet, “A Sumba Spinning Wheel: An Instrument, a Work of Art and a Lesson in Philosophy,” Art of the Ancestors, February 15, 2015, https://www.artoftheancestors.com/blog/sumba-spinning-wheel-georges-breguet. [14] Rohan, “What Is Japanese Cotton Fabric,” Knowing Fabric, September 4, 2023, https://knowingfabric.com/what-is-japanese-cotton-fabric/. [15] Zh. B. Kundakbayeva, “The History of Kazakhstan from the Earliest Period to the Present Time. Volume I. from the Earliest Period To,” dokumen.pub, 2016, https://dokumen.pub/the-history-of-kazakhstan-from-the-earliest-period-to-the-present-time-volume-i-from-the-earliest-period-to.html . [16] “Textile Guide: Lao Weaves,” House of Wandering Silk, August 1, 2016, https://www.wanderingsilk.org/post/2016/08/01/textiles-360-lao-weaves. [17] Ibid [18] Arel B Sia-Ed, “Inventory and Resource Mapping of Fiber Yielding Plants in Mountain Province ,” www.ijsmsjournal.org , 2019, https://www.ijsmsjournal.org/2019/volume-2%20issue-1/ijsms-v2i1p101.pdf. [19] Thilina Premjayanth, “Fibershed Sri Lanka,” Fibershed, March 24, 2023, https://fibershed.org/affiliate/sri-lanka/#:~:text=Cotton%20spinning%20and%20weaving%20in,home%20or%20community%2Doriented%20industry. [20] “The History of Sri Lanka Handloom Culture,” Khiri Travel, January 1, 2022, https://khiri.com/the-history-of-sri-lanka-handloom-culture/. [21] Jackson, “Thai Traditional Fabrics: 3,000 Years in 15 Minutes,” My Thailand , May 20, 2019, https://www.mythailand.blog/2019/01/14/thai-traditional-fabrics/amp/ . [22] Ibid. [23] Dominika Maja Kossowska-Janik, “Cotton and Wool: Textile Economy in the SERAKHS Oasis during the Late Sasanian Period, the Case of Spindle Whorls from Gurukly Depe (Turkmenistan),” Ethnobiology Letters 7, no. 1 (December 31, 2016), https://doi.org/10.14237/ebl.7.1.2016.682. [24] Ibid. [25] Binafsha Nodir, “Historical Overview of Weaving in Uzbekistan ,” World Bulletin of Social Science 22 (May 24, 2023): 143–54. https://scholarexpress.net/index.php/wbss/article/view/2765/2373

Bhutan Spinning In Bhutanese culture, the art of weaving is strongly correlated with religion.[1] Drop spindles are called phang and spinning wheels are called haphang.[2] Nettle or stinging nettle, though now rarely used, is said to have been the original and chief fibre used by weavers in ancient Bhutan. Cotton is another common fiber found in Bhutan Bhutanese do not kill the silkworm before it escapes the cocoon, so it is not a single, smooth thread. This is why the silk from Bhutan is not as smooth as the silk from India or China. Wools are typically made from yak, sheep, and goat. They are spun on both drop spindles and on wheels.[2] Bhutanese woman spinning in a market[3] I love her spindle. I want to look at it closer![4] References [1] Izitndmy, “Textile in Bhutan - the Bhutanese Art of Weaving,” Bhutan Pelyab Tours And Treks, June 5, 2024, https://bhutanpelyabtours.com/textile-in-bhutan-the-bhutanese-art-of-weaving/. [2] Thagzo: The Art of Weaving.” Ich Links. Accessed June 22, 2025. https://ichlinks.com/archive/elements/elementsV.do?elementsUid=13916806808844150811. [3] Travelib Bhutan, Bhutan, Nobding Bazaar, Woman Spinning Cotton Thread by Hand on Wheel, July 22, 2012, photograph, July 22, 2012. [4] Dennis Kirkland, Asia, Bhutan, Bumthang. Woman Spinning Yarn, April 26, 2010, photograph, April 26, 2010.

Myanmar Spinning Pyu people were known to be peaceful to the extent of wearing cotton so as to not kill silkworms.[1] Spinning silk. I love her reeling wheel[2] References [1] Jeffrey Hays, “Pyu People and Civilization,” Facts and Details, 2008, https://factsanddetails.com/southeast-asia/Myanmar/sub5_5a/entry-2996.html. [2] Annie Owen, Woman Spinning Silk Thread on a Spinning Wheel with Bicycle Wheel, Ko Than Hlaing Weaving, Inpawkhan, Inle Lake, Shan State, Myanmar (Burma), Asia, January 2016, photograph, Robert Harding, January 2016, https://www.robertharding.com/preview/805-904/woman-spinning-silk-thread-spinning-wheel-bicycle-wheel/.

Book Charkha Spinning – India Modernly, the book or Peti Charkha is a novelty spinning wheel that is relatively cheap to purchase compared to most wheels and can be found on quite a few websites where spinning wheels are sold, though there are delicately few instructions for them. I have also found instructions for 3D printed book charkas which might be good for classes, but I’m not sure how good they would be for general wear and tear. This wheel is… not period. But it is delightfully portable and I’ve seen it at multiple SCA events. It was invented between 1920 and 1940.[1] So do with this information what you will. A picture of an open book charkhra. This will disassemble and fold down to be the size of a large book. I've had success spinning wool on it more than cotton or silk, but that might be because I'm more practiced in wool.[1] References [1] Nakonechny, Joanne. “First Steps in Charkha Spinning.” Spin Off, July 4, 2022. https://spinoffmagazine.com/first-steps-in-charkha-spinning/ .