08/11/2021
A fairly long read, but very interesting! Does anyone know more about these traditions? Has anyone seen a yarn hook?
Woollen stocking knitting in Wales. (information from the National Museum Wales)
Wales has a long tradition of stocking knitting, in the 18th and 19th centuries, stocking knitting contributed to the domestic economy in rural Wales. The knitting of stockings would be done around the hearth in the winter months with the whole family involved. In fact, Noson Weu (Knitting Evening) was a tradition in rural Wales, when neighbors would gather together to knit as a social gathering listening to an old tale some ancient songs or the harp.
Bala and Tregaron became the main areas for stocking knitting and held large markets 3 times a month. In 1851 there were 176 hosiers in the district around Tregaron
Gwlana Wool Gathering is another old Welsh Custom. Groups of women would follow drovers or walk along routes known as llwybrau gwlana, woollen paths. They gathered the scraps of fleece from the fields and hedge groves, constantly bending, reaching and plucking every piece of precious wool. The women would stop at farms along the way exchanging shelter, food and local news for odd jobs. If they were lucky, the farmer would have saved a fleece
for the women. The right to gather the wool was valuable and young women who were employed as servants would make sure that they were given the two weeks off for wool gathering each year. The women would return home with their heavy sacks of wool, they washed and spun the yarn to use for knitting stockings and other garments.
Due to lack of transport in rural wales if people had to travel, they would walk and while walking women would knit using a yarn hook. A yarn hook is in S shaped with one end attached to the waist band and a ball of yarn attached to the other allowing for both hands to be free to knit while walking. In 19th century Cardiganshire women would carry peat from the mountains to use for fuel, they carried up to 27kg of peat in baskets on their backs leaving their hands free to knit as they walked. Women were also known to knit on the way to chapel but would stop before they entered sacred ground.
Knitting Needle Sheaths were worn on the right side of the body at an angle to hold the bottom of the knitting needle, leaving the left hand free to work the yarn on the other needle. The sheath would hold the weight of the wool and prevent the hooks falling off the knitting needles.
A Welsh custom is to give knitting sheaths as love tokens. These were skilfully and elaborately carved by a suitor to give to their sweetheart. They are generally carved from wood but there are examples made of ivory and metal.
If you want to knit your own Christmas stocking follow this link to the National Museum Wales https://museum.wales/blog/2287/A-Christmas-Stocking-Full-of-Welsh-History-about-Socks/https://museum.wales/media/50954/NWM-EASY-KNIT-Christmas-Stocking-pattern-.pdfhttps://museum.wales/media/50954/NWM-EASY-KNIT-Christmas-Stocking-pattern-.pdf
