Spade cultivation; carding as a social event; the processing...
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1970.235
Original Tape ID
Summary
Spade cultivation; carding as a social event; the processing of wool.
When the contributor was young, crofters dug their land by hand. A back harrow was used to cover up the seed. The land was rig-run and broken up into small pieces. People took turns to use the rigs.
Carding and spinning wool was done by the women and girls of the district. On carding nights around midnight the boys would come with fiddles and the young people would go to the barn to dance until the morning. Much of the carded wool went for local weaving on small looms. Usually the wool was natural in colour but it could be died with natural substances, which was time consuming. Until the First World War people made their own clothes and shoes and there were tailors in every district.
Item Location
County - Shetland
Island - Shetland Mainland
Parish - Dunrossness
Language
English, Scots
Genre
Collection
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Good