From Sheep to Shawl

The current trend to trace food from source to final destination (eg farm-to-fork; field-to-table) is equally fascinating in the world of apparel.  In my post, Watching Cotton Grow, I touched on Alabama Chanin’s field-to-fashion journey with organic cotton.  A recent class at the John C Campbell Folk School, called From Sheep to Shawl, and taught by Martha Owen (Resident Artist for Spinning, Knitting & Crochet, Feltmaking, Dyeing and Surface Design) took a similar approach.

We started by learning about the various breeds of sheep along with their characteristics and qualities.  Martha is a charming storyteller and she peppered the information with delightful anecdotes and stories.  An interesting factoid: did you know that sheep often wear “coats” for a few weeks prior to shearing to keep their wool cleaner?
We capped off the week with a visit to Martha’s sheep farm.  There we saw two different herds of sheep, the Corriedales and Romneys; and the Shetland sheep.  Seeing the sheep “up close and personal” definitely brought the information to life.


Having learned a few basics about sheep, we moved on to the next step in the journey… preparing the fleece.  Sheep are typically sheared once a year when their coats are full.  Martha brought a fleece from one of her own sheep, with the unique name of Henty Leggets, for the class to examine and prepare.
We washed the fleece and hung it to dry overnight.
The next day, we skirted the fleece meaning we removed all the nasty bits and vegetable contamination.  Then it was time to start discussing natural dyeing… one of my favorite subjects!  First we mordanted the wool with alum and cream of tartar to ensure the dyes would fix in the wool.
We started experimenting with various dyestuffs.  We filled separate dye pots with marigolds, onion skins and cochineal.  Then we doubled our options by adding iron or overdyeing.  We were pleasantly surprised every time wool was pulled out of a dye pot.  The below dye is cochineal‒a natural red dye prepared from the dried bodies of the cochineal insect.We also made a “rainbow pot” by layering the various dyestuffs, cheesecloth, and wool.  Here’s how that wool turned out.  Isn’t it pretty?

We had fun reviewing some vintage dyeing recipes although we weren’t able to actually use them.
As our dyed wool dried, we shifted back to preparing the wool.  We learned to card wool, first with hand carders then with a drum carder.
As you might expect, the drum carder was much faster and easier.
We did a bit of combing.  But the bulk of our time was spent learning to spin.  Here’s the spinning wheel I attempted to use.

I say “attempted” because I never did quite get the hang of it as evidenced by my knobby yarn.
I should add the rest of the class did catch on and lots of beautiful yarn was spun.  Here’s the class display for the Student Exhibit at the end of the week.
I learned a variety of new skills and have a new appreciation for the journey wool makes from sheep to shawl.  Special thanks to Martha Owen and my fellow students for a great week!

More Info

You can learn more about Martha Owen at Martha Owen Woolens on Facebook.

I’ve had an interest in natural dyeing for some time.  Check out my previous post, called Natural Dye Making , about a Natural Dyes workshop I attended at the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking in Atlanta.

To learn more about the journey cotton takes from field-to-fashion, check out my post Watching Cotton Grow.

I’m currently participating in the Work Study Program at the John C Campbell Folk School.  You can learn more about the program in my post First Impressions as a Work Study Student.  Or check out the following posts to learn about the Folk School experience.
. Weave a Market Basket
. Artistic Details Around Campus
. Carving in Brasstown
. Getting Started with Woodcarving
. Work Study Program FAQ.
You can learn more on the John C Campbell Folk School website, their Facebook page or Instagram account.  Information about the Work Study program is found here.

Today’s Takeaways

1. Consider the supply chain, from source to destination, for your favorite materials.
2. Explore the various steps required to process a raw material, such as wool, into a final product.
3. Not all crafts will be a good fit for you.  Explore and experiment to find those you wish to pursue.