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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/ .

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/.

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/.

Brunei Spinning So a lot of cotton is spun and woven in Brunei. This is mostly due to the fact that religiously, men can only wear cotton. As a note, silk fabrics are produced for household goods and women’s clothing, just not for men’s clothing, and men are considered to be the largest consumers in Brunei.[1] Songket is popular in Brunei, where the fabric is intricately woven with patterns and then inlaid with silver and gold threads.[2] Brunei does not spin all the thread it uses for the weaving that it does, nor has it done so historically.[3] References [1] 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. [2] The Jakarta Post Dina Indrasafitri, “Glimmering ‘Songket’ Aims at Spotlight,” The Jakarta Post, accessed June 22, 2025, https://web.archive.org/web/20131217082836/http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/05/19/glimmering-%E2%80%98songket%E2%80%99-aims-spotlight.html. [3] Wafi Rahim, “The Production of Kain Tenunan Brunei,” The Symposium on Cultural Identity, June 2015, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325987048_The_Production_of_Kain_Tenunan_Brunei.

Wool Spinning – Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Cyprus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan Afghanistan Afghanistan was known for having a soft cashmere, even if it wasn't produced as much as it could have been (there was no infrastructure to process the fiber, so it was all done small scale by hand)[1] Azerbaijan Spun wool dates to the 4th millennium BCEin Azerbaijan, and while dyed spun flax date to 34,000 BCE.[2] Bhutan Wools in Bhutan are typically made from yak, sheep, and goat.[3] Cyprus Cyprus had large scale wool productions, more than just in the home, as early as the late Bronze Age[4] In the first millennium BCE, spinning and weaving was done both inside the house as well as in workshops.[5] Kazakhstan 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. Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan has raised cashmere goats for centuries, but only recently found an international market for the soft fiber[6] Mongolia Fibers in Mongolia were primarily goat (cashmere is and was huge) camel, and sheep, as raising plant fibers was (and is) not really a thing.[7] Nepal The primary fibers used in Nepal were yak, camel, hemp, and cotton.[8] Dating to the Sassanian Empire (224 to 651 CE), the fibers found and produced in Turkmenistan were wool, cotton, and silk.[9] Uzbekistan The nomads of Uzbekistan would use a lot of wool and cashmere, as that’s what was available and spin on spindles as they didn't have much space.[10] References [1] “Cashmere in Afghanistan,” From The Mountain, accessed June 16, 2025, https://www.fromthemountain.com/cashmere-in-afghanistan#:~:text=As%20a%20result%20of%20ASAP,of%20this%20globally%20beneficial%20enterprise. [2] Cosima Stewart, “The History of Weaving in the Caucasus,” Cabana Magazine, December 21, 2024, https://cabanamagazine.com/blogs/atlas-of-craftsmanship/the-history-of-weaving-in-the-caucasus . [3] “Thagzo: The Art of Weaving.” Ich Links. Accessed June 22, 2025. https://ichlinks.com/archive/elements/elementsV.do?elementsUid=13916806808844150811. [4] 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. [5] Ibid. [6] “Pamir Fiber- Manufacturing ,” Pamir Fine Fibers, accessed June 24, 2025, https://www.pamirfinefibers.ch/herstellung?lang=en. [7] Itsabeff, “Mongolian Industries: Textiles & Animal Products,” Judds in Mongolia, April 19, 2021, https://juddsinmongolia.com/2021/04/19/mongolian-industries-textiles-animal-products/. [8]Josefin Waltin, “Spinning in Nepal,” Josefin Waltin spinner, January 17, 2018, https://waltin.se/josefinwaltinspinner/spinning-in-nepal/. [9] 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. [10] 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

Malaysia Spinning Most of what I can find on Malaysian textiles are on Songket and batik. They are cotton and silk fabrics woven with silver and gold threads and dyed beautifully. But I have no idea where those threads come from. And I’m frankly getting a headache. Here’s a picture of a fairly modern woman spinning on a charka type wheel. I can make guesses based on that, but that’s all they would be. Malaysian “girl” spinning. I don’t know, spinning doesn’t seem to have an age limit.[1] References [1] Sarawak: A native girl weaving cotton on a loom. photograph., accessed June 24, 2025, https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.24882598.

I know that some of us Really like working with one fiber or another. And some of the others of us are looking for an excuse to buy all the new kinds of fluff that we find. Fear not! This section is here to help. No matter what fiber, if there was a culture in Asia that used it in period, I want todocument it here! The Fibers Silk Cotton Wool Bast Fiber

Bangladeshi Spinning The Banglideshi are known for making cotton, specifically Dhaka cotton. 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. The process was so specialized and so intense that it took the entire region to make the fabric.[1] 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.[2] Bangladesh made more than 50% of textiles of the Indian subcontinent and around 40% of silks imported by the Dutch from Asia .[3] Bengladeshi woman spinning. The caption says she’s spinning cotton, but that looks like silk on the reeling wheel…[4] A Bangladeshi woman spinning cotton[5] I love the way her spinning wheel looks. I think it looks like a flower. References [1] 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. [2] Gopika Nath, “Garland Magazine,” Garland Magazine Spinning a Yarn Unparalleled Comments, December 6, 2016, https://garlandmag.com/article/spinning-a-yarn-unparalleled/. [3] Om Prakash , "Empire, Mughal Archived 18 November 2022 at the Wayback Machine ", History of World Trade Since 1450, edited by John J. McCusker , vol. 1, Macmillan Reference USA, 2006, pp. 237-240, World History in Context. Retrieved 3 August 2017 [4] Neil Cooper, Woman from a Village Cooperative Hand-Spinning Fine Cotton. Bangladesh, 2004, photograph, Alamy, 2004, https://www.alamy.com/woman-from-a-village-cooperative-hand-spinning-fine-cotton-bangladesh-image3797294.html?imageid=32E73F8B-6F0A-4681-929D-3FFC55E0A5D7&p=15817&pn=1&searchId=ef3b690cb1375f88e6f0f894fda10372&searchtype=0. [5] Rudolph Ackermann, Bengali Woman Spinning Using a Simple Spinning Wheel, 1821, photograph, 1821.