Old Sturbridge Village Spinning Craft Kit

History of Spinning and the Drop Spindle: Spinning Yarn has come a long way since it's historical roots. For thousands of years, fibre was spun by hand using simple tools, from stones and sticks to spinning wheels. Before woven cloth, there was spun thread, making spinning almost as old as civilization itself.  Whilst the spinning wheel is the most commonly associated with the art of spinning, it wasn't introduced to Europe until in the late Middle Ages. Until its introduction, the drop spindle was the primary spinning tool used to spin all the threads for clothing and fabrics. The Drop spindle has been used to spin fibre throughout the ages from Egyptian mummy wrappings to tapestries, and even the ropes and sails for ships, for almost 9000 years.