Spinning
The spinning and dyeing of wool in Ireland
has a history 6000 years old. Beautiful hand spindles have been
found in ancient sites in Mayo. The spindle was just a stick
with a weight on the end, but until 150 years ago ALL the cloth
woven was spun in this manner, a lot of spinning when you consider
that 1 lb of fleece spun over 14000 yards of wool! A wool folklorist
was visiting a spinster ( a single woman who spun wool!) and
when the woman began to spin she seemed to lose herself in the
spinning, quietly humming away and eventually "came out
of it" an hour later. Tradition has it that spinning took
place between 6 p.m. and midnight. It was believed that the sheep
were rested at that time and it's many the spinner that testified
to the wool spinning beautifully and not getting snagged. Another
tradition has it that the wheel was dismantled at midnight so
the fairy folk wouldn't get up to mischief!
Over a long period of time the knowledge
of plants as dyes became extensive. Goodness knows how someone
would think to scrape an insignificent lichen off a mountainside
and produce the most beautiful red and pink dyes. Not only the
plants to use were known, but also which part and at what time
of the year.
The list is endless.
Below is a short list of plant materials used in Ireland:
Colour Plants
Red -
Madder root, Early dockleaves, Certain lichens
Orange - Marigolds, Burdock
Yellow - Goldenrod, Heather, Blackberry leaves
Green - Nettles, Dock leaves, Willow herb, Elder leaves
Blue - Woad, Bogmud
Purple - Lichens, Parasite shells, Meadowsweet root and
flower
Black - Bogmod (Inky), Meadowsweet root
Cream - Oak bark
Brown - Lichens, Willow bark
At this time the old
ways are making a comeback and handspinning and dying are vital
to the healing of ourselves and the Earth as the processes involved
gets one in touch with ourselves and nature.
Eamonn
