Sheep Shearing

Have a look at how sheep shearing is done in this clip from the BBC's Edwardian Farm:

 

Wool in the 19th Century - Part One

Spinning Wool at Black Creek Pioneer Village
in Toronto, Ontario

One of the most iconic images of the early settler period of Ontario is that of a pioneer woman sitting in her tiny log cabin spinning wool.

The process of turning fleece into wool is simple, yet takes a lot of practice to truly perfect.  The first step is to shear the sheep; normally done once, sometimes twice, a year in the early spring.  This allows the sheep to be comfortable during the summer weather, while growing back their wool to maintain warmth through cooler seasons.

The next step is to clean the fleece.  To make the cleaning process more efficient, some would pick it apart first, removing any overly matted bits or large clumps of dirt or excrement.  How do you clean fleece?  You can literally place it in a tub of cold water with minimal soap.  Hot water can threaten the fibres and too much soap can remove some of the natural oils (lanolin) that even to this day we can separate and harness for other purposes (hand lotions, soaps).  Having some of the natural oils on the wool also makes it easier to spin.  Some settlers may change the water once or twice to remove as much of the dirt as possible.  

Traditional Sheep Shears

Once the fleece is clean, and before spinning it, it is integral to card the wool.  This involves using two brushes (carders) and brushing the wool in opposite directions.  The fibres that create the wool become straight after they’re carded, and the wool becomes easier to control when spinning.

Spinning wool is essentially the twisting of the fibres at a rapid pace to connect them and link them into one whole string.  The thickness and consistency of that string is all dependent on the spinner.  An early settler spinning wool to make socks for their children may not care so much for the consistently and quality of the string as someone spinning for a business.  It is completely possible to spin several strings together to create a thicker yarn.

This three-part series "Wool in the 19th Century" was written by Caroline Bendiner, Culture Coordinator for the Township of King. She has a BA in history from Queen's University and a post graduate certificate in Cultural Site Management from Centennial College. Caroline has a strong passion for history and sharing history with the public.

Making Butter

Jean-Francois Millet's 1855
"Woman Churning Butter"
Metropolitan Museum of Art

And now the dairy claims her choicest care,

And half her household find employment there;

Slow rolls the Churn; its load of cloging cream

At once foregoes its quality and name,

From knotty particles first floating wide,

Congealing butter's dashed from side to side;

New milk around, through flowing coolers stray

And snow-white Curd abounds, and wholesome whey;

(excerpt from Robert Bloomfield's The Farmer's Boy, written in 1800)

Sources

Robert Bloomfield's 1800, The Farmer's Boy

Encyclopaedia Britannica, "Robert Bloomfield"
Henry Stephens quotes this passage in his chapter on the making of butter and cheese in The Book of the Farm, Volume III published in 1844

Further Reading

The Metropolitan Museum of Art 2014, "Woman Churning Butter"

Collections Canada 2006 "Women and Their Work in Upper Canada" by Jane Errington
Nick Mika et al, 2000 Black Creek Pioneer Village: Toronto's Living History Village, read page 25 on the process of making butter in the early 19th century