A spinning wheel spins plant or animal fibers into yarn or thread. To produce the yarn, the fiber is attached to a bobbin, or spool, which is attached to a spinner. The fiber is fed through the spinning wheel and guided by hand as the wheel spins and the fiber twists. The thread and yarn are then woven into cloth.
Although the spinning wheel was largely replaced by the spinning jenny during the Industrial Revolution, they are still commonly used today by those who prefer the intimate, hands-on process of spinning their own fiber. Most spinning wheels are made of wood, but you’ll also find metal spinning wheels.