Preparing the Dyed Thread for Weaving, Echigo Jōfu

In order to remove the various snags and bumps in the dyed thread, the newly dyed skein is placed on a revolving swift and the single strand of delicate thread is wound slowly and carefully onto a cylindrical spool. The artisan carrying out this task holds the strand lightly between her fingers as it passes from her left to her right. Any time she feels any irregularities or snags, she stops winding and repairs the thread. This is the first in a number of such steps in which the thread is checked, smoothed, and repaired one strand at a time.