Wool weaving with raw materials
Traditional crafts included wool weaving in which a family group would be the ones to weave and make beautiful capes, blankets and outer wear for all in the family house. The family learnt how to make mini blankets, scarves head bands to wrist band to wear.
The students are introduced to barks, roots and plants in which is used for natural dyes. The process takes time and patience and goes according to mother natures timeline. From early spring to berry season is when you would go out and walk the land to look for materials to dye wool. Dress according to the weather wear a hat and comfortable foot wear to walk about to collect materials like alder bark in which use the cambium to dye the wool a mauve/purple color. This would be picked in early spring to peel a portion of the outer bark off the tree. You would only take enough off each tree to ensure the trees stay healthy and vibrant. During the season you can pick dandelions, from the roots to the flower to dye raw wool to make a beautiful yellow/orange color. Flowering red currant petals dye wool to a light pink/rose color. Red clover flower dyes a nice light red color. The bark off a cedar tree make a reddish/brown color.
Students would walk about and pick plants to roots and barks to make beautiful dyes for raw wool. Once there is enough gathered to dye wool is when the process will start by preparing the raw wool to dye.
Materials /supplies needed to pick barks, roots, and plants
- pot
- drying rack
- knife
- scissors
- twine
- digging tool
- snipper
- gloves
- buckets/baskets
Preparation of raw wool:
- wash wool
- hang dry
Dye the washed wool in water with your picked materials like barks off the tree. Use a large pot add water and wool with your chosen picked item to dye your wool. Boil in pot then let sit over night to dye naturally. Once you take your wool out of the pot hang on drying racks to dry.
To make your wool into yarn to weave on the Salish loom materials you need:
– Salish loom
-carders
– whorl
-twine
Firstly you will need to use the carders to soften the dyed wool and pull apart the fibers. Then you would use your whorl to start at the base and make your yarn by turning your raw wool on the whorl while adding on when run out of wool. Lastly you would use your spun wool to weave on a loom to start a project and make blanket or beautiful scarf to headbands and cuff bands. Enjoy your completed project that was made from natural materials and raw wool.
