Day 130 of Banishment: Winter Clothes (4)
The spinning wheel, even though it wouldn’t be too complex, would still end up being a rather simple design, much like the loom she had just constructed.
With that in mind, Marylia began contemplating the scale of the spinning wheel she would create.
The simplest tool for spinning thread is a spindle. By attaching a disk-shaped weight to the end of the thread, you can spin it to help twist the fibers together.
This is undoubtedly a simple tool to make, as well as to use.
However, if she wanted something a bit more efficient, then… a spinning wheel would certainly be desirable!
The mechanism of a spinning wheel is straightforward.
A large rotating wheel is constructed, which is then connected by a belt to a smaller spindle. When the large wheel completes one rotation, the smaller spindle spins dozens of times, enabling the fibers to twist into thread efficiently.
In short, a spinning wheel is essentially two wheels of different sizes that are mounted on axles and connected by a belt to transmit motion.
That level of simplicity seemed feasible, so Marylia decided to start making a spinning wheel immediately!
“As for materials… in the past, I might have made the wheels by molding two plates from pottery and cementing them together. But now, I can just use wooden boards. Hehe.”
With that, Marylia set out to make the wooden boards.
She began by slicing a log into thick, circular discs. She then shaped them more precisely into proper circular disks and carved a hole in the center using a chisel.
“Umm, let’s carve a groove into the edge of the disk to prevent the thread from slipping. Let’s see…”
At this point, Marylia considered asking the Iron Golem for help, but it was currently busy supervising the Terracotta Golems, who were working hard to gather food supplies.
As food was just as important as textiles, Marylia decided to proceed on her own.
In less than an hour, she had managed to carve a groove all around the edge of the disk. This groove would hold the belt and allow the wheel to rotate smoothly.
“Now, pass an axle through the center hole… as for the bearings, let’s just use some branches to make a simple frame.”
Using three branches tied together like a tripod, she made two frames to support the axle. She placed the disk on the axle and then secured the setup with a small rod across the top of the tripods, tying it all in place.
“Alright… okay. Looks good!”
Marylia spun the wheel experimentally. It rotated smoothly, bringing a delighted smile to her face.
Resting for a moment, she then began constructing the smaller spindle and its bearings, which would spin rapidly thanks to the large wheel.
“For the spindle, it’d be best if it were detachable… I should use hollow plant stems. There’s probably some grass with suitable stems growing nearby…”
And so, Marylia ventured slightly away from her base, stepping into a patch of tall grass.
“Yes, this looks perfect~”
The plants were as tall as Marylia herself and had already withered at the end of autumn. She broke off one of the stalks, and its cross-section revealed a hollow interior—just what she needed.
Many plants have hollow stems, like wheat, though this was a species unfamiliar to her. The hydrangea she knew from her homeland also had hollow stems, but there was no chance of finding such cultivated plants on this deserted island.
Instead, she would use these nameless plants.
“Alright, let’s wrap some leather around the center and secure it with leather cords at both ends. That should stop the belt from slipping off.”
Marylia returned with the plant stalks and wrapped leather around their centers as a makeshift grip for the belt. This would ensure that the large wheel’s motion transferred smoothly to the spindle without slipping.
She thought to herself, “If it does slip, I can always coat it with glue later~”
“Now to secure it in place, insert a thin rod into the hollow stem… and done!”
Marylia attached the spindle to the bearing, fixed a thin rod to serve as a spool for the thread, and connected the large wheel and spindle with a leather belt. She gave the large wheel a spin, confirming that the motion transferred smoothly to the spindle.
“Great, just great. With one turn of the large wheel, the small spindle spins dozens of times… This should make spinning thread much easier~”
Smiling with satisfaction at her simple spinning wheel, Marylia suddenly paused.
"... By the way, how should I spin this spinning wheel?"
Though the wheel was made to spin when turned, it wouldn’t move unless someone physically turned it. That was the simplicity of Marylia's spinning wheel!
Thus, a Terracotta Golem was recruited as the power source for the spinning wheel. Marylia had informed the Iron Golem with a casual "I'm borrowing one~," so it should be fine. Or at least, she decided it would be.
"Alright, you’ll be in charge of spinning this wheel. Start when I give the signal, and stop when I signal again, okay?"
After giving instructions to the Terracotta Golem, Marylia began making thread using freshly gathered plant fibers.
The initial step involved spinning by hand. She twisted the fluffy clump of fibers into a form where a single thread emerged from the bundle. This thread was carefully wound around a stick meant for holding the thread.
"Alright, start spinning, please!"
With that, the large wheel began to turn. As it did, the connected axle spun at high speed, transmitting that rotation to the thread and the clump of fibers from which the thread was drawn.
Marylia skillfully adjusted the amount of fiber she pulled out, ensuring just the right amount was twisted into thread. Simply controlling the fiber's quantity allowed the spinning wheel to twist and produce thread almost effortlessly. What a magnificent invention!
"Ehehe, this is so fun~"
With a beaming smile, Marylia happily continued creating thread.
The fibers she extracted from the island's plants were similar to flax, somewhere between linen and ramie in texture. While slightly rough, they were serviceable for wiping things or absorbing moisture.
Marylia eagerly continued to spin thin and sturdy thread, thinking, "I can’t wait to turn this into fabric!"
By slightly past lunchtime, she had finished spinning thread. Despite seeming to have spun a large quantity, the fibers compacted into thread appeared much less voluminous. Still, it was enough to weave a small piece of cloth. After enjoying a meal of rehydrated salted meat, Marylia moved on to setting up the loom she had made the previous day.
Setting the warp threads on a loom is typically an incredibly tedious task. Creating large cloth requires even longer and more numerous warp threads. However, since she was making only a small piece of cloth, the task was relatively easy.
"This should do for now."
She used a single long thread, zigzagging it from nail to nail to create the warp threads, which was far simpler than tying each warp thread individually.
"Now then… hehe, it’s been a while since I’ve done this."
Marylia began weaving, passing the weft threads through the warp threads alternately. She had wound the weft threads around a thin, small board serving as a makeshift shuttle. Passing it through the warp threads in this way, she created a plain weave fabric.
"This kind of work is perfect for a rainy day, listening to the sound of raindrops…"
As she worked, Marylia reminisced about the times she spent in the attic of the Odeil family mansion, enjoying embroidery and reading. The sweetness of those quiet moments, focused on her hands while listening to the sounds outside, filled her with nostalgia. Marylia found unexpected joy in such activities, especially doing them alone, accompanied by the sounds of rain or wind.
"I wonder if it will rain… hehe."
Of course, rain now would inconvenience the golems gathering food and delay the drying of salted meat. Deciding not to seriously hope for rain, Marylia cheerfully hummed a tune as she wove her fabric.
By evening, a small piece of fabric was completed.
"It's softer than burlap… good!"
The fabric was still somewhat rough, not quite the quality of fine linen for a petticoat. However, thanks to her effort in spinning thin threads, it was the best fabric she could produce with her current resources. For now, it would suffice.
"Maybe I should research textiles during the winter… hehe."
Smiling, Marylia resolved to add textile-making to her winter preparations. Food was nearly taken care of, thanks to the abundance of meat that had "come to her" earlier. At the very least, there was enough meat to last through the winter.
So, it was time to shift focus to preparing for an enjoyable winter. With the season fast approaching, she decided to allocate her time to "extras." Alternatively, she could involve the golems in fiber production once she was confined to the house during the colder months.
"Winter’s starting to sound exciting!"
Marylia beamed as she pondered plans for the upcoming season.
Winter would be long and harsh, so making it enjoyable was essential. Creating practical items in the process would be an added bonus.
"I’ll probably spend most of winter cooking and doing crafts."
That evening, as she ate her dinner, Marylia began jotting notes on parchment about her plans for winter.
Cooking would undoubtedly take up much of her time. Preserved foods were often dried to a crisp or heavily salted, requiring rehydration, desalting, and lengthy cooking to make them palatable.
But of course, she didn’t intend to spend her entire day cooking.
"I’d like to work on leathercraft… bags and shoes, for instance! I need warm winter boots, and sandals made from plant vines won’t cut it forever."
There was no end to the things she wanted. Fortunately, she had plenty of leather, thanks to both earlier tanning efforts and the recent influx of materials. Winter would be the perfect time to craft leather goods.
"And… well, it doesn’t have to be during winter, but I’d really like some glass."
Marylia’s thoughts drifted to other creations.
"Windows, vases, little decorative items… oh, and porcelain would be lovely, though that might be trickier."
Contemplating various ideas, Marylia gazed at her parchment-covered window, muttering, "I want window glass~"
At that moment, something caught her eye on the window.
"Oh?"
Stepping outside, she saw tiny snowflakes gently fluttering down.
"Is this… the first snow?"
It seemed winter was closer than she had realized.
What do you think about this chapter?
