New-York tribune., 1921-10-30
SPINNING WHEELS CONE BACK
By ARTHUR CHAPMAN

was organized, with representative list Of
officers. The society has unearthed some in
teresting things since its organization. Among
other things it has ascertained is the fact that
there is 40 famine in spinning wheels, despite
the long somnolence of the individual spinning
industry
"One man brought me in a truckIoad Of
spinning wheels from up state said Miss
Jane Teller, antiquarian, secretary and treas
u~er of the society, who recently occupied
the historic William Stevens Smith mansion
at 4l9 East Sixty-hrst Street. "Whecls seem
to be hidden away everywhere And the
beauty Of it is that they are all usable. They
are mostly the small wheels, which were used
for spinning fax, but they can be used just as
we'll for spinning wool. Almost any kind Of
spinning wheel can be fixed up SO ii will be
usabc. They are not expensive. as many
people seem to think. Spinning wheels that
are capable of tuning out good work can be
bought for from -. TO So. They take up little
room in home, and they are always dccora
tive. a threcfoot loom can be bought at
small expense. and can be put on a table in
ones apartment Many women in New York
City who live in apartments are finding il
possible to make cloth at home
"Of course continued Miss Teller. ''if the
old wool wheels we're used, it would rot be
so easy to do spinning. The wool wheels
stood as hig! ones head. and women stood
up when spinning and were required to keep
walking back and forth as the work pro
gressed. 1t is estimated that woman during
a days work of eight hours at the large spin
ning wheel walked twenty miles"
Miss Teller says that in two weeks
woman can complete enough cloth for dress.
It is figured, of course that such work will
be done at odd hours, just as knitting and
fancy work - other description are done
Miss Teller recently completed dress which
she spun, wove and dyed 1t is tailored
costume Of brown and white.
Homcspun cloth" said Miss Teller. "is dur
able almost beyond belief There is simply no
wear out to it. Not only is it possible for q
woman TO make her own clothes, but she car
make clothes for the men folks as well-and
hats also. That is. she can make the material,
and under such circumstances, whether the
cloth IS to be for man or woman, the wearer
ieeis that It viii not be extravagant to spend
more money in the tailoring. This insures the
very highest class work at the lowest possible
cost"
earded wool ready for spinning. is now pro-
cufable at about $l.50 pound It IS estimated
lhac II takes thpee-quarters of pound OF WOO
to yard Of clota and four and one-haiI yards
for the average suit.
When the movement for the revival Of hand
spinning was started ii was figured that rheEs
were only two places in this country where
such work was being done-one place beng IN
New England and the other in the South Bur
no" instruction is being gilcn to as many as
nifty students in class Nor does it appeal
to be any passing fad. as the interest is gsow-
ing at such rate that apparently it viii not
stop even when the last one OF those Thousands
u spinning wheels has been drawn cut Of ihe
mar a'lic and sold-not for purposes of house
aoio adornment, but for actual use.