Forget the cow. Look at the rope walk in the background.
He looks warmer than the photographer.
Silk being drawn into yarn
Hand spinning
Drawing silk into skeins
Gathering something, but what?
Wool spinning by hand
The raw material
Hand spinning
A family business. Not many tools in evidence.
Balls of newly spun wool
Finished felt hats
Wool working or rope making?
Concentration!
Teasing thread
Unwinding the silk strands
Weaving in progress
Hat moulds
Unravelling the threads
Any ideas what he is doing here?
Spinning wool by hand
Not the neatest but definitely the warmest.
Weaver at work
The face of a man who knows how to keep warm.
Hand spinning
Rope making the hard way
Hat moulds
A silk moth.
There is a thread of some sort there.
Wool waiting spinning
Drawing silk threads
Rope making by hand
Silk larva and the cocoon
Spinning
Weaving or wool spinning, that is the question?
Teasing a thread of some sort
Knitting
Hand spinning
Wool half spun
Weaving in progress
A wool carder
Many threads being drawn into one
It looks a mess whatever it is.
Drawing the silk threads
Knitting?
Felt hat making
Hand spinning with a loom behind ready to use the yarn.
Intricate work
Wool awaiting spinning
Silk cocoons
There was a rope walk in the background here.
Not sure who has the warmer coat.
A lot of wool to be spun
Starting a thread
Spinning
Making a felt hat
Wool spinning
Wool spinning the traditional way.
A wintry scene
Spinning by hand
Weaving
Hand spinning
wool spinning
Spinning
A flock of sheep
Very intricate wheels. What are they for?
Rope making
spinning by hand
Yarns dyed ready for weaving
A wool winder
Spinning and winding wool
The sheep look neater!
Wool spinning by hand
Pressing the felt
Yarns ready for weaving
Felt working
Raw wool waiting to be spun.
Dressed for the weather.
The pattern is progressing
Wool spinning
The pile is going down
Silk cocoons
Inserting a coloured thread
A proper sheepskin coat!
There is someone inside that!
Spinning
A fiddly job
A happy weaver
Weaving
Soaking the silk cocoons
Inserting a thread
Close up of the spinning process
Intricate work here.
All keeping warm in the cold.
A sheepskin collar and coat
Weaving tools in use
Shaping the hat
Yarns ready for weaving
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Copyright of the photographs is held by Steve R. Salter and the Tools and Trades History Society and the photographs here are watermarked accordingly. Higher resolution unwatermarked images are available on application to TATHS at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. but any use of them must include a reference to Steve R. Salter as copyright holder and to TATHS.