The cotton is draped on a wooden stand called the “rueca” fro spinning. The “rueca” has a notch cut into its top which grabs the cotton and allows the spinner to draw out the fibers under tension. A small basket is woven from plantain fiber underneath on which the spindle sits when not in use. This is a miniature versio of the “rue’ which I made with my teachers’ help so that I ould take an example back with me to Bolivia. The typical spindle can be seen at right with its wooden whorl. More ofetn now you will see people using yo-yo halve and metal wheels as whorls.
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