Raasay Heritage Trust
This is a drop spindle used for spinning wool. It was owned by the great grandmother of the secretary of Raasay Heritage Trust and was used by her grandmother and mother, dating to the latter half of the 19th century. Notice it has a crochet hook like knob (which earlier drop spindles don’t tend to have).
The Gaelic word used on Raasay for this tool is ‘fearsaid’. There is another word – dealgan – which is also used for this tool (which appears to be linked to the word for a knitting needle/pin, dealg; that is used all over the Gàidhealtachd/Highlands).
Vote to find out more about the Spinning in the Gàidhealtachd and the very personal story of this particular object.
Further information here