Spinning consists of unraveling the cocoon to draw out the silk thread. The cocoons are softened in hot water, and then stirred with a small broom to untangle the threads, that are then fixed to the spinning wheel.

Spinning as a handcraft was practiced since the 17 th century on wooden spinning wheels; one of the oldest is the Piemont wheel. With the invention of the steam engine (1769) spinning wheels were modernized and spinning became an industrial activity.