A marvelous design

My sister and I went to the October Spin-in last weekend and Spinnity introduced us to her book charkha. She purchased it at Stitches West 2009 and it was very interesting to see this marvelously designed spinning wheel.


Getting a tour of the book charkha

A Charkha is a spinning wheel that has a high spinning ratio which makes it great for spinning short staple fibers like cotton.

From Wikipedia:

The charkha (etymologically related to Chakra) was both a tool and a symbol of the Indian independence movement.

Mahatma Gandhi brought the charkha into larger use with his teachings. He hoped the charkha would assist the peoples of India achieve self-sufficiency and independence, and so used the charkha as a symbol of the Indian independence movement and included it on earlier versions of the Flag of India.

We were amazed at how everything fit into such a small and elegant package.

If you're interested in a book or upright charkha, visit this site: Charkhas for spinning.