Here's a photo of an old-fashioned drop spindle used for spinning wool fiber into yarn. This tool is the precursor to the spinning wheel.
We've had this spindle in our collection of old-fashioned activities for years, although I don't know how to use it. With the advent in the 1800s of inexpensive machine-made yarn and cloth, hand spinning is a dying art, so I'm just happy to have the chance to learn about the old ways.
The Ingalls family didn't spin by hand, but Mother Wilder spun the wool from the Wilder sheep and dyed the wool and wove it into cloth and sewed clothes for her family. You can read about various aspects of the process in these chapters from Farmer Boy: "Birthday" (toward the end of the chapter), "Sheep-Shearing", and "Cold Snap" (the beginning of the chapter)
Did you know that the Sacramento County Fair has a Sheep to Shawl competition in which teams of six competitors work together to make a heap of wool into a spiffy shawl in just five hours?
Here's an introduction to spinning with a drop spindle if you're interested.
Check back often for more Little House-inspired fun!
Elizabeth
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