In Ukraine, spinning and weaving using the simplest tools were widely common until the mid-20th century. Even today, there are many craftswomen and craft shops that continue to weave the fabric on simple 4-post wooden weaving looms. You can buy hand-spun yarn and hand-woven cloth at folk festivals and through the internet. But it’s more of a hobby or a rare profession than an everyday lifestyle, while in the past, practically every woman could spin and weave and produced clothes for the family herself. And here are the tools she used daily. Each one is unique, handmade, and has its character.
The photos are from Cherkasy Regional Local History Museum, Cherkasy, central Ukraine
Household and craft tools, yarn, and plants that are the source of this yarn
Very specific loom to make the harness for a weaving loom. It’s a rare exhibit from the early 20th century
Wooden weaving loom from the early 20th century. Almost every part of it is created by hand
Charming handmade weaving shuttles with bobbins of yarn inside. Note how smooth the surface is, polished by the weaver’s hands
Spiked combs for yarn in different size and length of needles. They look like some instruments of torture!
Another vintage weaving loom, the beginning of the 20th century. Wooden wheels and gears always look so charming
Spinning tools and prepared processed yarn, the late 19th – early 20th century
Above, you can see lovely coils of processed yarn, spun and ready for the next step of prepping it for weaving. They are called “kukla” in Ukrainian (lit. a “doll”), and they really look like some strange dolls a bit. Below, there are brushes used to comb the yarn. They were used after large wooden or spiked combs to finish brushing the fleece
Old spindles, the late 19th – early 20th century. Their shape is pretty much the same, but the size and decorations can differ
Vintage spinning wheel with beautifully carved wooden details
Vintage vertical loom for making narrow carpets, belts, and other narrow woolen household pieces, the late 19th – early 20th century
