#WOOL

[dhampyrdreams]

It's also fire resistant! So really good if you are working in a lab or anything along those lines. And it makes for good active wear as it's moisture wicking and it will help keep you from getting sweaty and gross.

I'm seriously thinking about getting into making my own clothes so I can have more wool clothing.

[bembely]

So, I just finished this Ghost Horses top and I am thrilled with it. Going to give it to my mom because she is a Horse Person™ and loves pink.

In all the hours I spent knitting it I couldn't escape having Pink Pony Club stuck in my head so unfortunately that song is all I hear in my brain now

[ourdramaqueen]

Addendum regarding the bees: Honey bees are not in danger of extinction. Native bees are! (The article is about the US, but I'm sure it applies to many other countries too. Even if the honeybee is native somewhere, there are guaranteed to be other bees and insect pollinators which are struggling.)

If you really want to help bees, plant flowers native to your region and/or encourage your town/city to plant them in public areas.

Vegans of tumblr, listen up. Harvesting agave in the quantities required so you dont have to eat honey is killing mexican long-nosed bats. They feed off the nectar and pollinate the plants. They need the agave. You want to help the environment? Go back to honey. Your liver and thyroid will thank you, as well. Agave is 90% fructose, which can cause a host of issues. Bye.

[thypandatetor]

TO HELL WITH ALL CURRENT PROJECTS, I GOT SOFT MAIL:

Time to spin and knit me a peach!

My dearest @fossilfibers made the discord our own existential peach colorway since we try to see how many screaming peach stickers we can find when we get new friends lol

[ezekiellsplayground]

Wow, didn’t realise I hadn’t posted an update on this in a while. Anyway, the colourwork is completed & I’ve put a lifeline in before I start the ribbing. I am sooo close…..

[huariqueje]

Hungry Faint - Natalia Leonova

Russian , b. 1983 -

Pastel on paper , 70 x 50 cm.

[white-throated-packrat]

Yep, wool is amazing and warm. If you aren't actually allergic to it, it's the best thing for winter clothes.

If you are allergic, see if you can tolerate llama or alpaca or cashmere (100% on all those, no blends). They are also animal fibers that are very warm, they're just not quite as versatile as wool and also more expensive.

dude wool is magic it's like I can actually thermoregulate in the cold now what the hell

[fashionsfromhistory]

Riding Jacket

c.1835

Europe

LACMA

[lionfloss]

The Swiss Valais Blacknose have been rubbing themselves against the red feeder while eating and it managed to dye their wool pink.

[kreechur-croft]

Made some little freaks

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

Child's Sock from Egypt, c.250-350 CE: this colorful sock is nearly 1,700 years old

This sock was discovered during excavations in the ancient city of Oxyrhynchus. It was likely created for a child during the late Roman period, c.250-350 CE.

Similar-looking socks from late antiquity and the early Byzantine period have also been found at several other sites throughout Egypt; these socks often have colorful, striped patterns with divided toes, and they were crafted out of wool using a technique known as nålbinding.

Above: a similar child's sock from Antinoöpolis, c.250-350 CE

The sock depicted above was created during the same period, and it was found in a midden heap (an ancient rubbish pit) in the city of Antinoöpolis. A multispectral imaging analysis of this sock yielded some interesting results back in 2018, as this article explains:

... analysis revealed that the sock contained seven hues of wool yarn woven together in a meticulous, stripy pattern. Just three natural, plant-based dyes—madder roots for red, woad leaves for blue and weld flowers for yellow—were used to create the different color combinations featured on the sock, according to Joanne Dyer, lead author of the study.

In the paper, she and her co-authors explain that the imaging technique also revealed how the colors were mixed to create hues of green, purple and orange: In some cases, fibers of different colors were spun together; in others, individual yarns went through multiple dye baths.

Such intricacy is pretty impressive, considering that the ancient sock is both “tiny” and “fragile."

Given its size and orientation, the researchers believe it may have been worn on a child’s left foot.

Above: another child's sock from Al Fayyum, c.300-500 CE

The ancient Egyptians employed a single-needle looping technique, often referred to as nålbindning, to create their socks. Notably, the approach could be used to separate the big toe and four other toes in the sock—which just may have given life to the ever-controversial socks-and-sandals trend.

Sources & More Info:

Manchester Museum: Child's Sock from Oxyrhynchus

British Museum: Sock from Antinoupolis

Royal Ontario Museum: Sock from Al Fayyum

Smithsonian Magazine: 1,700-Year-Old Sock Spins Yarn About Ancient Egyptian Fashion

The Guardian: Imaging Tool Unravels Secrets of Child's Sock from Ancient Egypt

PLOS ONE Journal: A Multispectral Imaging Approach Integrated into the Study of Late Antique Textiles from Egypt

National Museums Scotland: The Lost Sock

[probablyasocialecologist]

Maintaining the biodiversity of sheep is not just important for knitters and spinners, but for the health of the environment. Essentially, a sheep functions like a carbon sequestration system. Atmospheric carbon makes up 50 percent of wool's weight, and, unlike synthetic fabrics, wool is naturally biodegradable. When disposed of, wool acts like a fertilizer, slowly releasing valuable nutrients and carbon back into the soil. Wool fixed carbon in the topsoil rather than releasing it into the atmosphere. This process can help regenerate pastures, which sheep will graze. And sheep can help answer the problem of how to avoid far-flung fiber supply chains. Because sheep do well in such an extraordinary range of terrains, wool is a natural choice for people interested in rebuilding local systems of cloth manufacture. Certain breeds are more suited to certain atmospheric and geologic conditions than others, so preserving diversity also means preserving the geographic range in which sheep can flourish.

Sofi Thanhauser, Worn: A People’s History of Clothing

[ancient-art-of-craft]

Yarn for Christmas?

An open PSA to anyone with crafting friends (and isn't really sure what they like):

DON'T BUY THEM YARN

Part of the hobby is the purchasing yarn, which some might argue buying yarn and using yarn are two different hobbies. "But OP," you might argue, "I just know they'll love the Red Heart Super Saver I got on sale at Joann's! One skein should be plenty, and they can make me a sweater!"

This is one of those rare cases where a gift card to their favorite yarn store is more personal. First off, nothing against Red Heart, but if they're a yarn snob, it's going to collect dust. If they're a project-oriented purchaser, it's going to collect dust. If they like to buy yarn, then it's just mean.

Also, NEVER imply that your crafting friend should make something for you. If they love you, they will. If they don't, then you're not close enough to be making expensive demands.

[theancientwayoflife]

~ Ariadne and Dionysus.

Period: Late Roman/Late Antiquity

Date: A.D. 3rd-5th century

Place of origin: Achmim, Egypt

Medium: Wool on linen, colored knitting

[gippyworm]

My mum made and gifted me this incredible hand-knitted poncho with FISH ON IT!!!!!! The little waves and the bubbles I can’t handle it… She spent easily 100+ hours on it and before this had only made a few scarves, absolutely incredible and I’m excited to wear it everywhere I go now 💚🐠💛