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Tag: craft

Cultural history

Sheep to Shawl, Part 5: How to use a Drop Spindle

Candiss Cowan teaches us how to use a drop spindle, a tool mentioned in the Old Testament and dates back 5,000 years. Every girl in Colonial America had one, and since “idle hands did the devil’s work,” girls were constantly spinning.

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Cultural history

Sheep to Shawl, Part 4: Making Yarn

Candiss talks about how the wool was transformed into yarn on the spinning wheel and what tasks were given to different members of the family. She also comments on the tedious nature of this work and how it inspired fairy tales like Rumpelstiltskin and Sleeping Beauty.

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Video thumbnail - sheep to shawl episode 2
Cultural history

Sheep to Shawl, Part 2: Hand Carding Wool

In this multi-episode presentation, Candiss Cowan discusses the value of fabric in Colonial America. In the North, clothing was made out of “homespun” wool and the quality of the fabric was based on the breed of sheep.

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Video thumbnail - sheep to shawl episode 1
Cultural history

Sheep to Shawl, Part 1: Processing the Wool

In this multi-episode presentation, Candiss Cowan discusses the value of fabric in Colonial America. In the North, clothing was made out of “homespun” wool and the quality of the fabric was based on the breed of sheep.

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