From Sheep to Shawl
13 Jun
A few weeks ago I took the kids to a program called “From Sheep to Shawl” which taught us {if you couldn’t guess} all the steps of how a shawl {and blankets etc} are made from a sheep.
I thought the information was really interesting.
My kids loved all the various steps and stations of the process.
FIRST STEP:
Very similar to a hair cut, this gentleman cut the wool off the sheep using large buzzers/clippers.
Check out this pile of wool {“fleece”}:
SECOND STEP:
The wool is picked cleaned of any dirt, grass, sticks, etc. and then is washed.
THIRD STEP:
Then, it is brushed over and over until it looks like thin puffy clouds.
The kids got a chance to practice brushing, and it was surprisingly hard in fact.
FOURTH STEP:
This woman showed us how to pull and twist the wool into a long strip and then spin it.
This spinning wheel winds the wool into balls.
FIFTH STEP:
The balls of wool are then used to weave blankets, sweaters, shawls, etc.
The site we visited had looms in use, which we all got to use.
Check out this short video of Silas weaving on the Loom:
Next time you are snuggling with your kiddos on the couch under a blanket,
or tucking them into bed,
you can explain to them where those blanket came from!
~Enjoy
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