Adjusting The Spinning Wheel’s Tension

Setting the tension will be one of the first adjustments you will make on the spinning wheel. Too little tension allows the bobbin to turn at the same speed as the flyer, therefore, preventing the yarn from winding onto it, and causing the yarn to become overtwisted the more you treadle. Too much tension will stop the bobbin from turning, and the yarn will wind on too quickly before it gets enough twist into it. The correct amount of tension will slow down the bobbin to a different speed than the flyer, and allow the yarn to be held with ease until the desired amount of twist is achieved, and then wind onto the bobbin, smoothly, when it is released.