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Early American Spinning Wheels

Early American spinning wheels are derivatives of types brought by colonists from Europe, especially Great Britain. The type of wheel used depended on the material being spun, such as flax or wool and, later, cotton. In order to dominate the American market, Great Britain forbade the export of American cloth and levied high taxes on spinning wheels. The high cost of British cloth created a culture of domestic spinning and cloth manufacture for household use.

Definition
- A spinning wheel is simply a tool used to twist (spin) fibers into thread. The most common fibers are flax and wool. Spinning wheels use a pulley system to twist the fibers and wind them onto a bobbin or spindle. In early American spinning wheels, the system is driven by either the hand or the foot (with a treadle). Hand-driven wheels usually use a spindle to wind the thread, while a bobbin is used for treadle-driven wheels.
Saxony Wheel
- American colonists grew flax to be processed into linen and colonial families prized their linen textiles. Once the flax fibers have been processed, they can be spun into linen thread. A Saxony, or flax, wheel is used to spin linen fibers into thread. This treadle-driven wheel has three legs and a flyer-and-bobbin mechanism is used to wind the thread onto the bobbin. Saxony wheels can have a single-drive or a double-drive set-up, which is the number of times the drive band goes around the wheel.
Walking Wheel
- The large wheel distinguishes the walking wheels.
  
  After wool has been cleaned and carded, it is ready for spinning. A walking, or great, wheel is often used to spin wool, and it is distinguished by its large wheel (typically over five feet high). Using a walking wheel is an art form that requires deftness and skill. The spinner turns the great wheel with one hand and walks forwards and backwards to control the carded wool with the other hand. Also, the spinner has to control the wool thread winding onto the spindle.
Castle Wheel
- Castle wheels have an upright design.
  
  The castle spinning wheel is a modified version of a Saxony wheel. The bobbin-and-flyer assembly is located on top of the wheel instead of behind it (as in a Saxony wheel). The primary advantage of the castle wheel is that is occupies less space for use, storage and transport. Castle wheels, like Saxony wheels, can have a single- or double-drive system.
Norwegian Wheel
- The Norwegian wheel is also a modified Saxony wheel. Although Norway also produced Saxony wheels, and Norwegian immigrants brought both types to America, the Norwegian wheel is usually distinguished from the Saxony wheel in that it has four legs instead of three and a larger wheel. Norwegian wheels can also have a single- or double-drive set up.

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