The first written record of an Inkle loom in Britain dates back to 1541. It was found in the church records in Yatton, Somerset -
'a pece of brode yncull for gyrdylls - vd' (5d)
Inkles were originally made of natural linen threads and used to secure garments and shoes.
'a pece of brode yncull for gyrdylls - vd' (5d)
Inkles were originally made of natural linen threads and used to secure garments and shoes.
Did you know the Peruvian Backstrap loom is the oldest used loom in the world. It is completely non-mechanised made from wood, bone and strings. It is very portable and the women would to carry them every where. The colourful fabrics woven by the Peruvians were used over the centuries as a form of communication, telling stories etc.
In the modern era, what areas are most closely associated with sheep production?
Australia, New Zealand, the southern and central South American nations, and the British Isles.
Australia, New Zealand, the southern and central South American nations, and the British Isles.
The famous Lincoln Longwool is a breed of sheep reknowned for it long heavy lustrous fleece that has been bred since the Middle Ages. Used for wool and meat.
This fragment of net pouch was found by archaeologists in Danger Cave, Utah and it is believed to be 6,000 years old. It is spun from fibres of Milkweed.
The Greek Goddesses of Destiny (or The Three Fates)
Clotho drew the threads of life of Gods and mortals,
Lahkesis spun and wound the threads onto her spindle deciding the length of their life and
Artopos cut the threads when the life span had ended.
Clotho drew the threads of life of Gods and mortals,
Lahkesis spun and wound the threads onto her spindle deciding the length of their life and
Artopos cut the threads when the life span had ended.
Flax was cultivated on a large scale in Ancient Egypt. Much of our knowledge of early spinning and weaving comes from the beautiful wall paintings in discovered tombs that have clearly shown every step in the processing, spinning and weaving of flax. The finest examples of linen thread ever spun are from mummy wrappings.
The high cellulose content of vegetable fibres makes them more resistant to decay than animal fibres, which consist of protein and therefore disintegrate quicker.
During the Han Dynasty (206BC - 220 AD) Chinese silk spinning was so fine and elegant they were famous in Asia and Europe for being 'translucent as ice.'
The UK has more sheep breeds than any country in the world - over sixty different breeds cared for by more than forty thousand sheep farmers on hills and lowlands.
This picture is of a tapestry loom that was found on the walls of the tomb of the Egyptian Pharoah King Tutmoses IV 1419BC
An 8000 year old weaving loom was uncovered in Kuahuqiao, in Zhejiang province of China along with vessels used in cooking, a dug-out canoe and cultivated rice. Because the site was boggy it preserved many items of the local people's day to day living.
St Catherine of Alexandria is the patron saint of spinners.
Her Saint's day is November 25th.
Her Saint's day is November 25th.
Wool fibres can bend 20,000 times before they break, whereas cotton fibres can only bend 3,000.
Every year the Lincolnshire Guild has a special lunch - our'Stuff Lunch'.
This commemorates the old 'Stuff Ball' which was established in 1785 to encourage
the purchase of woollen cloth, known as stuff.
Tickets to the ball were free, but each woman had to have a woollen gown of a different colour each year.
Now we dress as we please, but show off items we have made from wool and enjoy a good meal together.
This commemorates the old 'Stuff Ball' which was established in 1785 to encourage
the purchase of woollen cloth, known as stuff.
Tickets to the ball were free, but each woman had to have a woollen gown of a different colour each year.
Now we dress as we please, but show off items we have made from wool and enjoy a good meal together.
Sheep are part of the carbon cyle - they eat organic carbon stored in plants and convert it into wool.
The Lincoln Longwool is one of the oldest Longwool breeds that produces the heaviest and longest fleece. The Lincoln was used to create the Leicester Longwool and used extensively to create new breeds ie Corriedale and Polwarth.
Arachne was an ancient Greek spinner who challenged to goddess of Athena to a spinning contest and beat her. Athena could not permit this from a mere mortal and turned her into a spider - condemned for eternity. Hence the name for spiders - arachnid.
An archaelogical team from Yale University found the earliest piece of knitted fabric that has yet been discovered. This piece of handspun wool was unearthed in Syria and dates back to 256AD.
An Egyptian mummy from 2500BC was found in a shroud of cloth which counted 540 warp threads to the inch. The best comparable industrially woven fabrics measure 350 threads per warp (Encylopedia of Textiles)