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Have a look at the ITV News coverage of Gaby Logans Chancellor's gown by following this link! http://t.co/Q1PUrpfb40
@karencundy Thanks for your support, this really is a very exciting time for us 230 years this year!
HAINSWORTH FABRICS ON PARADE AT CORONATION FESTIVAL AS THEY WERE AT THE CORONATION 60 YEARS AGO - http://t.co/brZda45EyI
Behind the Seams Video at Armley Mills
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Some back ground information about the mule project
The museum had for a long time been the owner of a pair of mules – which are in fact a very old type of machinery used for spinning woollen yarn – The particular ones we are talking about are over 100 years old !
Back in 1990 when I started as a mule apprentice at Hainsworth – the majority of spinning was done by mule. Over the years as efficiencies were more important the transitional to increase production frames meant the slow removal of the traditional mule.
So.. the 2 mules at the museum one had been running until a few months previously – the other which in fact is the oldest exhibit of a mule in the country – is in such disrepair it may never run ( sad but true ) ?
The time came when it was ready to spin yarn – a billiard yarn type of which Hainsworth pride themselves on the quality – Albeit 100 year old machinery it spun yarn like a dream – very slow but almost expected from such old machinery.
So here we are in 2011 with a large part of history of woollen spinning in a runnable condition and it is our aim to work with the museum – utilise museum staff to learn about the mule and for future generations to learn about the history of woollen spinning in Leeds.
If you would like to see this fascinating piece of history running – please get in touch – We aim to run it at some point almost every day. We are training museum staff up to be able to demonstrate the process. If I am at the museum – I would be delighted to show you and answer any questions
Thank You
Paul
The latest news is that approx 800 + visitors have seen the mule running, which is spinning yarn for our high quality products.many schools are welcomed to the museum to see the way of life and also the machinery of the victorian age, in a safe environment.
Get in touch to learn more !
The latest on visitor numbers is that 2400 people have now seen the mule running spinning yarn for our high quality products.
Get in touch should you want to see it – I would be delighted to give you a personal guided tour of our exhibition which includes the mule.
Here you can plan your day- to allow plenty of time to see all the attractions at the museum including the mule.
We aim to provide a touch and feel experience where you can feel the scoured wool, the carded sliver and spun yarn
Together with the finished cloth which goes into our extensive products used the world over.
Follow in the footsteps of over 3000 visitors to see the mule and pop down to the next floor where you can see the Hainsworth exhibition.
Thank You – The team at Hainsworth !
A record beating 6000 visitors went past the mule and display during the museum’s birthday weekend !
Hello everyone
We have most recently changed the yarn we are spinning on the mule.
So if you want to see what scarf yarn looks like then pop along to see the yarn being spun before your very eyes.
Indulge in the history and the sounds and smells of an age where it was common for many mills to have 20 – 30 mules all spinning yarn.
We are looking at other exiting ideas at the museum so as they say watch this space
Rgds
Paul
Almost 20,000 people have seen the mule since we have re built it and brought it back to life
Not bad for a machine that is 115 years old !
The spinning mule is a machine used to spin cotton and other fibres in the mills of Lancashire and elsewhere. They were used extensively from the late eighteenth to the early twentieth century. Mules were worked in pairs by a minder, with the help of two boys: the little piecer and the big or side piecer. The carriage carried up to 1320 spindles and could be 150 feet (46 m) long, and would move forward and back a distance of 5 feet (1.5 m) four times a minute.[1] It was invented between 1775 and 1779 by Samuel Crompton. The self-acting (automatic) mule was patented by Richard Roberts in 1825. At its peak there were 50,000,000 mule spindles in Lancashire alone. Modern versions are still in niche production and are used to spin woollen yarns from noble fibers such as cashmere, ultra-fine merino and alpaca for the knitware market. [2][3]
The spinning mule spins textile fibres into yarn by an intermittent process.[4] In the draw stroke, the roving is pulled through rollers and twisted; on the return it is wrapped onto the spindle. Its rival, the throstle frame or ring frame uses a continuous process, where the roving is drawn, twisted and wrapped in one action. The mule was the most common spinning machine from 1790 until about 1900 and was still used for fine yarns until the early 1980s. In 1890, a typical cotton mill would have over 60 mules, each with 1,320 spindles,[5] which would operate four times a minute for 56 hours a week.