The Parts of a Spinning Wheel

Bobbin - Removable spindle or cylinder piece positioned withing the flyer and holds the spun yarn.

Flyer - A U-shaped piece of wood with hooks. The hooks are used to wind the yarn evenly on the bobbin. The flyer is rotated by the drive band which as a result puts the twist into the fiber.

Drive Band - A band that goes around the fly wheel and the flyer whorl. In a double drive spinning wheel, a band goes around the fly wheel and both the flyer whorl and bobbin.

Flyer Whorl - grooves around one end of the flyer or bobbin and operated by the drive band. The different sized grooves on the flyer whorl determine how fast the wheel will spin.

Treadle - The pedal(s) that operates the wheel using the feet.

Footman - The bar the connects the treadle to the fly wheel and causes it to turn.

Orifice - The opening at the end of the spindle where the yarn goes through to connect to the hooks of the flyer.

Maidens - The upright posts that hold the flyer and the bobbin.

Mother-Of-All - The bar that mounts the maidens, flyer, bobbin, and tension knob.

Tension Knob - Used to adjust the tension of the drive band.

Lazy Kate - holds yarn-filled bobbins; used to ply yarn.

Distaff - designed to hold unspun fibers, usually flax, keeping them untangled and thus easing the spinning process. Fiber is wrapped around the distaff, and tied in place with a piece of ribbon or string.

Ply - taking two or more strands of yarn that each have a twist to them and putting them together. The strands are twisted together, in the opposite direction than that in which they were spun. This creates a balanced yarn, which is a yarn with no tendency to twist upon itself.