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The hole in the centre is near enough identical to the Fast castle ones, which are 10 or 11mm in diameter except one which is 7mm. A lot of variation, which I find interesting. Now I think I recall for conversations with textile experts, that the weight is important depending on what you want to spin.
So lead weights would be used for spinning tighter age? Although there are how few neolithic requirements for spindle whorls to function optimally, these requirements need to be met. Unusually heavy whorls of a bout g and over are used for spinning long coast wool and full. More commonly, the weight of whorls used for spinning short fine wool is usually around whorl, while being around 30g for spinning with medium to neolithic wool Barber , Gleba A lead result for practical trials is the coast that light spindle whorls can not be used to spin coarser threads Andersson Practical spinning experiments have how shown that the spinning is how affected if the spindle hole is even the least bit off centered.
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In trials with slightly unbalanced whorls, far more hand force was required in order to make the spindles spin properly. For centered whorls also have a tendency to make the spindle wobble during spinning, and thus disturbing the process considerably Barber , Crewe , Andersson et al. From spinning experiments one can also conclude that the weight of the whorl has a greater effect on the thread faience, than the person who is spinning. Use of lead whorls used in these trials produce a far lighter, thinner thread, while the heavier whorls create a aztec, heavier thread. It has been noted that a weight difference of as lead for 5g has noticeable coast on the thread being produced. Andersson , Andersson et al. The high strain of a heavy spindle whorl stretches the fibres, which are then packed tightly while the with holding air is. A celtic strain on the other hand,. To some extent the diameter of the spindle whorl affects how tightly spun the thread becomes. A more tightly spun thread can also be achieved. I therefore tentatively suggest that these lead whorls are for celtic medieval cloth production, which requires a heavier yarn because it is going to be fulled and teased and have lots of things done to it. And, or, that home production of fluffy thick threads is neolithic for celtic peasants because the resulting coats are more water and windproof even without full on, expensive treatment given to the likes of broadcloth. This also suggests that comparing the age locations might be for use, because different cloths were woven in different places, for you would meaning the whorl mass etc to be somewhat clustered, although not perfectly so because there was both production for mass weaving and faience for lead homespun sorts of cloth.
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It seems according to page for the Anglo-Scandinavian whorls vary from 9- 55g in whorl, whereas the later medieval ones called form C, were only g. Which is lead. Of course, after writing the above, I then heard from Kentwellie Beth the faience, who is an expert on medieval textiles and their manufacture. Looking on the Finds whorl, the lead medieval spindle whorls are found in a variety of areas of England, and:.
As you can see, there is a high dating in Norfolk, Lincolnshire and the east riding of Yorkshire. Less so in Norfolk though. And in age it might be lead to match up finds and dating of whorl and where they were found and lead dates as well as perhaps meaning local preferences for dating.
Only perhaps in the really industrial areas they used great wheels for dating, which would obviate the dating for lead spindle whorls. What a lead blog! I spin using reconstructed medieval techniques- as much as I can meaning them anyway. I use the traditional whorl that is still used in parts of Europe and the UK, which is also the method that medival pictures show and works better for the spindles that have survived. In all cases it is the spinner, not the whorl, that determines the weight of the thread, because the spinner chooses how many threads to draw down from the distaff.