This is truly a special wheel, not only for the way it looks, its compact size and the fact it is from India, but because it has a history that helped force change in India during the rule of the British Crown.
First the history. Indians were working hard to produce cotton, only to see it shipped off to England to be spun and then made into cloth. To add to the insult, the British sent the cloth back to India to be sold at a price most Indians could not afford. In the drive to independence, Mahatma Ghandi was looking for a way to impress on the British that exploitation through cotton would not go unchallenged. So he suggested a competition for the Indian people - develop a spinning wheel that every Indian could afford, a wheel that would be compact enough to fit in every home and also portable so it could be taken everywhere a person might travel. Ghandi encouraged everyone to sit down and spin when they had a free moment and he would do so himself as often as he could.This spinning would be done in public and hopefully in the presence of the British. The Charkha spinning wheel (charkha means "wheel") shown above won this competition and helped in the fight for independence. It is still used in India today.
The Indian Charkha is made of teak, finished and ready to use. It includes 3 spindles, a skeinwinder and instructions. It is designed for spinning fine fibers such as cotton, silk, angora, cashmere, etc. into fine yarns. Ratio - 100:1
Note: This product is made in India and imported by New Voyager. As such, it is a true "charkha" and each wheel will have slight cosmetic differences but also you will find that these wheels do not have the fine finish of western wheels you are accustom to seeing. This "rough" finish is not a defect, just the nature of the product as made and used in India.
Indian Charkha - $140 - suggested retail
Extra spindles - $12.00 each
Poly Speed Kit - elastic drive band (main and spindle) to provide smooth, knot-free drive surfaces that never slip. - $12
Cotton Punis
Prepared in India specifically for use with the Indian Charkha, but they can be used with other spinning tools. Because the cotton fiber is so short considerable twist must be added during spinning. This is why spinning on a charkha wheel does the job so well. With punis you spin from the end of the package, as is; no further preparatin is needed.
New Voyager Trading
P.O. Box 468
Murfreesboro, NC 27855
