If you have been in one of my workshops, you will know that I don’t hand out handouts. I find the task of writing one overwhelming plus any handout I write would quickly become a booklet, and then a magazine or even a novel.
I have often promised workshop groups a digital hand-out and then I try to write it and it becomes hairy mess. Therefore, my goal for the next few weeks is to see if I can distill my workshop topic(s) into a series of posts with links to better information about specific aspects of specific textile arts.
The Fundamental Textile Process is Spinning
(Or is it Weaving? See, this is why I never can make a hand-out.)
In the Neolithic Era, humans were hunters and gatherers, working in small communities. Until recently, very little research was focus on the things our fore-mothers made.1 Archaeologists often tell us that females handled the gathering part until they were needed to process the animal carcasses brought in by the hunters. Not only would tools would need to be made and/or assembled for both tasks, tools would need to be developed for other tasks. Tools require materials that work together, for example something to tie together a knife blade and its handle. Plus, what are the chances that men and women worked together as hunters and gathers?
One day, a wise woman used a length of ivy to tie up a bundle of stick, or she twisted together some sawgrass stems into with a bit of string that extend the reach of her hand. Perhaps, she came upon the stringy remains of milkweed stems in the winter and gather them, twisting the fibers together into a strong cord. Over time, with a lot of experiments, she (and then her granddaughters) continued the experiment in spinning. This series of discoveries, led to other solutions and more useful tools.
STRING- the ubiquitous tool
Today, we use string less than our foremothers (we have tape, glue, velcro and elastic in our lives) but, even today, a good strong piece of string is still a useful tool. The long history of respect for string comes down to us, into the modern era, as a joke about huge balls of hoarded string in old farm houses. 2
In neolithic times, wool grew on sheep3 as it does now, but, the wild sheep that wandered the moors with our human ancestors did not require shearing. They shed thier wool in the Spring, just as other fiber critters still do. Buffalo and oxen are still not sheared for their wool (as a general rule). There are a few breeds of sheep that still shed their wool, these are classified as Hair Sheep, which is hilarious.
Imagine if you will, our plucky Neolithic gatherer, walking along. She finds a lock of wool clinging to a thorn bush, rinsed by recent rain and dried by the sun. She carries it with her, and as she walks she teases out a few fibers until there are overlapping threads then twisting those fibers into yarn. When the whole lock is attenuated and spun, she folds it back on itself and the twists settle into a two-ply bit of yarn, several inches long. When she finds another lock of wool, she repeats the process. After she has two locks spun, she employs a stick to wind up the longer bit of wool and carry it along. At some point, she uses a smooth stick not only to hold the spun wool but also to help with the twisting. The beauty of this process is that she can do it as she walks, or while sitting with her family around a fire.
Modern humans still find it satisfying to spin a lock wool into yarn. Modern hobbyists (and artists) find it meditative to work in this repetitive process. Spinning can be relaxing, especially with a spindle (in contrast to a spinning wheel). As I frequently point out, spinning is in your DNA, if you don’t think about it too hard your fingers will know what to do.
Here are the steps to start spinning from the lock
You will need a nice clean lock of wool. Any breed will do, but the Longwools4 are nicest for this kind of spinning. Use one hand to grasp the growth tips and then use the finger of the other hand to fan open the cut ends. You can tell these apart because the cut end will be blank and fuzzy while the growth tips are pointy.
Tug lightly on the lock, sliding some of the wool out of the lock and twisting it clock-wise. As you twist the yarn (always in the same direction) you will need to keep it from untwisting. You can do this by using both hands, passing the end back and forth, or by rolling it up your fore finger with your thumb and grasping it between your thumb and second finger, then pacing it back to the forefinger. if you let go of the twisted yarn, it will attempt to untwist but not completely, grasp it firmly and add more twist. slide the finished yarn away from the lock so the twist can run up into the drafted (attenuated) fibers that you have pulled from the lock. Repeat as needed, adding locks to the yarn as you go.
Easier shown than described. Which is a reminder of how important it is to learn in person and (even better) to spin with friends. There is so much to learn from other spinners!!
Next issue, down in the weeds with Medieval Spindles!
Upcoming events
Community Craft Circle
Friday December 1st 6pm - 8pm
Community Craft Circle Celebrating Roc Day
January 5, 2024 6-8pm
Studio Visit with the Dallas Hand Weavers and Spinners Guild
January 28, 2024 3-5pm
2024 Dye Pot Days exploring traditional & foraged Natural Dyes begin in January
Elizabeth Wayland Barber wrote two magnificent scholarly books: Prehistoric Textiles and Women’s Work the First 20,000 Years.
World’s largest Ball of String, not twine, mind you!
I should point out that most humans (neanderthals, too) spun plant material long before they began spinning animal hair. But, for today, wool is our subject. I will write about linen, cotton and other bast fibers another time.
A good description of long wools