Interesting Summer Program Conducted Today: The Science of Spinning Wool

Instructor Nan Remus led a workshop today how wool spinning was done thousands of years ago, before the invention of the spinning wheel. Spinning on a simple spindle was commonly done, preparing flax and wool to be woven into clothing, tents and sails. 


Although the end result was the same, the type of spindle used in different areas was quite different. Nan will exhibit samples of Russian, Tibetan, Turkish, Indian, and many European spindle types as well as samples of different fiber types for comparison.


Today’s participants worked “hands-on” with the fibers and spindles and enjoyed a unique and quality cultural experience.

Nan Remus has a degree in art, but spent her working life in the engineering world at Lockheed Martin. She learned to knit at a very young age and has always been interested in the history of the craft. 

Most of her spinning is done on hand spindles in the ancient technique, but she will confess to owning five spinning wheels in addition to her ‘healthy’ spindle collection.

Thank you Ms. Remus for a great workshop today!