Wool: Unraveling an American Story of Artisans and Innovation

Keeping people warm for four centuries, wool has been an essential commodity from colonial times to the present. This book tells wool’s colorful and surprisingly epic tale and how it has impacted millions of lives from immigrants, slaves, Native Americans, to farmers and advertisers. Author Hart reveals little-known but fascinating facts about US society - for example, how huge flocks of sheep were driven to the California gold fields to feed hungry miners, and why sheep grazed on the White House lawn during World War I. Moving from the realms of handcrafted artisanry to industrialisation and back, Wool is a story of technological and social change, marketing forces, and above all, consumer choices. A must-read for anyone who has knitted socks, woven a tapestry, or curled up with a warm wool blanket. AUTHOR: Peggy Hart is a teacher and production weaver. She designs, produces, and markets hundreds of blankets each year, including custom blankets for sheep and alpaca farmers using their own yarn. She weaves on totally obsolete Crompton and Knowles W-3 industrial looms. SELLING POINTS: . Learn how wool consumption and manufacturing have intersected with America’s peoples and their history . 100 plus photos enhance the story of US wool’s far-reaching influence over the past 400 years . With industry in decline, new generations are discovering the joys of raising sheep and handcrafting garments