Russian Spindler

August 14, 2009

(click for big)

This postcard of a young Russian girl spinning flax with a spindle and distaff dates to 1906.

Comments

Anyone known how a spindle can be so sharp that Sleeping Beauty could have pricked her finger on one? Any illustrations out there?

Posted by: sussi | October 25, 2009 at 11:45 AM

Yoooo Yoooooo Marcyyyyyyy! It's been two months - where are you?

Posted by: Judi (jgr) | October 13, 2009 at 05:54 PM

hmmm, Marcy? This poor girl has been spinning by herself for a very, very long time now.... Doesn't she deserve a sheep or something? HUG

Posted by: Aubrey | October 07, 2009 at 05:54 PM

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing this.

Posted by: Sandra D | August 18, 2009 at 05:58 PM

She makes flax look easy, as did the lady at FiberRevival. I'm sure it is not.

Posted by: Laurie | August 17, 2009 at 09:29 AM

Can't help, but comment.
First, the girl is Ukranian, not Russia, which is stated in the caption and absolutely clear from her dress. She wears actually what is the Ukranian traditional bridal headpiece. Note the embroidery on her blouse and on the towel above the girl's head - such embroidery is a real pride of traditional Ukranian houshold.

Here http://kloobok.blogspot.com/ you can see the post on my friend's blog, they had a traditional Ukranian wedding for their son, except the bride is in the white dress, not lavishly embroidered blouse and skirt as it would be in Ukrain, but her headpiece is exactly as I have seen it in my childhood in Ukrain.

Posted by: Faina | August 17, 2009 at 12:32 AM

Lovely!

Could it be a sitting distaff? I'm looking for the base of it in the photo, but from here it is hard to tell...

Posted by: cyndy | August 15, 2009 at 08:56 AM