Visitors to Pricketts Fort on Saturday, May 16th, were able to witness an archaic activity from the eighteenth century which, in its essentials, has changed little from Biblical times: the manufacture of a woolen garment from sheep to finished product
First, the shearing of the sheep with hand shears, resulting at the end of the process, in a pile of shorn wool known as the “fleece”.
Next, after the fleece is thorougly washed and dried, the wool is “picked” — that is, the “locks” of wool are separated into fluff, which prepares it for carding and permits any extraneous debris to fall from the wool.
Next, the wool is “carded”, which pulls the fibers straight and parallel.
The carded wool is then laid carefully into a basket, in readiness for spinning.
Here the carded wool is being spun (twisted) into one long continuous strand and wound onto a spindle.
Here the spun wool is transferred from spindle to shuttle, in readiness for weaving.
Finally, at the loom, the weaver adds “woof” to the “warp” by means of sliding the loaded shuttle (woof) back and forth through the lengthwise threads (warp), a basically simple process which is actually remarkably complex.
Meanwhile, the shorn sheep are led back to their pen with the promise of an early supper. For a while the lambs all bawl in distress, unable to find their mothers and alarmed at finding themselves in the company of unrecognisable strangers. Only gradually do they grow to realise that the strangers are, in fact, their own father and mothers.
At the same time the shorn adults are similarly confused, and not a little annoyed, at finding themselves among strangers, and irritatedly shove one another about without the least sense that they themselves are equally unrecognisable.
Finally, once the true identities of everyone are realized and peace returns to the pen, the three adults and three lambs settle down happily to the business of eating . . .
