As a
noun, a
distaff (also called a
rock[1]) is a
tool used in
spinning. It is designed to hold the unspun
fibers, keeping them untangled and thus easing the spinning process. It is most commonly used to hold
flax, and sometimes
wool, but can be used for any type of fiber. Fiber is wrapped around the distaff, and tied in place with a piece of ribbon or string. The word comes from
dis in Low German, meaning a bunch of flax, connected with
staff. As an
adjective the term
distaff is used to describe the female side of a family.
There are two common forms, depending on the spinning method. The traditional form is a staff, held under one's arm while using a spindle. It is about 3&_160;feet (0.91&_160;m) long, held under the left arm, with the left hand drawing the fibers from it.[1] This version is the older of the two, as spindle spinning predates spinning on a wheel.
A distaff can also be mounted as an attachment to a spinning wheel. On a wheel it is placed next to the bobbin, where it will be in easy reach of the spinner. This version is shorter, but otherwise doesn't differ from the spindle version.
Recently handspinners have begun using wrist-distaffs to hold their fiber; these are made of flexible material such as braided yarn, and can swing freely from the wrist. They generally consist of a loop with a tail, at the end of which is a tassel, often with beads on each strand. The spinner wraps the roving or tow around the tail and through the loop to keep it out of the way, and to keep it from getting snarled.
