Optimistic Romanians

I have many thousands of images on my computer of all things fiberish, and from time to time as I'm browsing through them something will emerge as a common theme, feature, or phenomenon.  I present to you one such:

Romanian Spindle Spinners and Their Crazy Fat Distaves


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I mean, really! How fast is she planning on spinning all that up??

And here are some of her relatives:





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And the prize for the biggest damn distaff goes to this lady:



She must be some fast spindler.

Comments

[Vereteno]

OK. ow I see how it is possible to take their drop spindles for supported. Their drop spindles are worn out on the bottom end by costantly scratching the ground.

You have most incredible collection of old photos. Thank you so much for posting your collection, I am most appreciative viewer.

[Sandra D]

Amazing photos - thanks!

[Laurie]

Lotsa production in that. Bet they have strong forearm muscles from hefting that. Bottom whorls...I guess we are pansy-asses with our top whorls. Not really SERIOUS spinners.

[Kate]

Maybe wrapping the distaff is a pain and they don't want to do it very often?

[Rina]

Holly s***.
That's... damn big distaff. And she probably spins so fast and could beat a wheel productivity in spinning.

[Jennifer]

well, they can certainly spin continuously, just about for forever by the looks of it!

Crazy big.

Napolean complex of handspinning, perhaps?

[Charlene]

Here is an illustration of a spindle. Just some fun.

http://www.linesandcolors.com/2009/03/04/jean-baptiste-monge/

[Sharon]

It seems that spinning would so much more proficient without the weight of that distaff, because she can't get all that wool onto one spindle - scratching head...

[HistoricStitcher]

Thank you! I laughed to tears at these!! Always a joy to see what you've found!!

[Amy]

I think they're just low maintenance pets!

[elizabeth]

Wow! I never realized how much a distaff looks like a broom! And with it propped between their legs like that, and with the black capes and all, it looks rather witchy!

[dale-harriet in WI]

Looks like all (but maybe one) are *sitting down*; I'm with the idea that there're just sheep on sticks. What impressive pictures! (You always brighten my day and very often my desktop as well)

[janel]

They all look like wool on the distaves. I think it's a nice way to store your wool, ready to work with when you need it! Better than big ol' plastic hefty bags like I use! It's not nearly as civilized to be hauling a garbage bag of wool around as it would be to stroll along with a giant distaff in my pits. Advertises what an industrious spinner I am too!

I don't think you'd want to load a distaff like that when working with flax tho...

[Sylvia]

When Steph was here on Thursday I showed her your blog (she doesn't have enough bandwidth at home) and she got a good chuckle.

Just think how long it would take me to convert one of those monzo distaffs of fiber into froghair. Five or six lifetimes? Yikes.

[Janice in GA]

If big is good, then bigger is better, right??

:)

[cyndy]

And it wasn't uncommon to double load 'um either (flax and wool!)

Thanks Marcy, your posts always make me smile ;-)

[Judith]

Hmmm. I was going to say something interesting, but I forgot what it was and I want to go find some cotton candy to eat.

[Carole]

I'm pretty sure I saw them at SPA this weekend.

[Andrea (noricum)]

Perhaps they just tie the sheep to a stick, and when they're done, it's time to have roast mutton? Wow, those are hefty distaves!