Humboldt
County
Historical Association
PO Box 162
Humboldt, Iowa
50548
Spinning and Weaving
There are some aspects of Pioneer life that you can learn about by
looking at exhibits at the Humboldt County Museum. Spinning and weaving
fall into that group. Equipment used in these crafts is on display in
several locations at the Museum.
A good
place to start is in the Log Cabin where a large spinning wheel
dominates one wall. The cabin is so small and yet room had to be made
for the spinning wheel if wool was to be twisted into usable yarn.
Before the yarn could be spun, it had to be carded. A pair of yarn carders is on display in the Log Cabin. They look like square ping-pong paddles, with backward-facing teeth. By dragging the wool between the paddles, the wool fibers could be fluffed and evened out for spinning. The fleece from the yarn carders was called a "sliver" and was ready for the spinning wheel.
After
spinning on the wheel, the yarn spindle was wound off to a "niddy noddy"
to be made into a skein. Two of these are on display with the wheel. The
yarn skeins would be dyed and the yarn would then be wound into a ball
for knitting or woven into fabric on a loom.
Cotton and
linen were both spun and woven by pioneer women. Wool from sheep was
more common, especially in the northern areas.
The iron
pot in the Kettle Shed is of the type used for dying yarns. (It was also
used to boil clams from the river!) Dyes could be made by using a
variety of natural mineral and plant materials either dissolved in hot
water or steeped in it. A large quantity of water made an even dye job
more likely.
To see a loom, you
climb the stairs in the Red Barn to the loft. A partially completed rug
is on the loom. These rugs were made by weaving narrow strips of cloth
back and forth between the warp or yarn threads. The result was a
practical and attractive rug.
To see one of these
rugs, visit the southwest bedroom in the Mill Farm House. It is carpeted
with several long rug runners sewn together to make a room-sized floor
covering.
While you are there on
the second floor of the Mill Farm House, note the woven coverlets on
some of the beds. The weaver's name and the date are sometimes part of
the woven border. These coverlets are often red or blue combined with
natural colors and are reversible. We don’t have to weave cloth for our
clothes any more nor do we have to make our own rugs. But spinning and
weaving are still crafts practiced by many people for pleasure and for
profit.