About Vlkolínec

Traditional Spinning

During long winter evenings, except for Sundays, young women in Vlkolínec used to get together for spinning. It was the kind of work which required a lot of skill and concentration.

They used either a spindle or a spinning wheel. Work on the spinning wheel was a little bit faster and easier. Some people made their spinning wheels at home by themselves. Those were used mainly to spin wool and hemp. If someone saved enough money, they could buy a spinning wheel from a professional craftsman at the fair. Such spinning wheel could also be used for flax.

Women got together every evening around seven, always in a different house. The woman of the house prepared dried pears and plums for the girls. Women pulled out threads, stretched them with one hand and rolled and twisted them with the other hand.

Sometimes they were joined by young men who came to sing and play for them on the accordion, to entertain the women while working. Sometimes they only sang a tune under the window, other times they came inside the house.

The work used to end around ten o’clock every night, as they had to get up early the next day.