Bobbin Winder © Marilyn Anderson. Woodcut, 9 1/16″x 11 7/8″
Bobbins (spools wound with thread) are needed for warping floor looms as well as for the weaving itself. Young boys in family weaving workshops often do the work of winding bobbins from skeins. (In an industrial setting, this work can be done with machines.) This seemingly simple task still requires precise skills. Skeins must be carefully unwound and placed correctly on the revolving swifts. If carelessly done, the threads become tangled and ruined, making them impossible to be wound onto the bobbins.