Wool: Unraveling an American Story of Artisans and Innovation

by Peggy Hart

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 industrialization 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.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

176 pages, Paperback

Published November 28, 2017

Reviews

[Nostalgia Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

A fascinating look into the history of wool production in the United States, focusing mainly on the manufacture and production of wool fabrics. It starts off in colonial times (it reminded me of Laurel Thatcher Ulrich’s Homespun in some ways, but broader in scope) and continues through the 20th century, with an afterword discussing some of the more recent revivals and niche popularity of wool.

Wool was a staple resource when the country started out, providing a warm, fire- and water-proof fabric essential for life in the cold Northeastern climates. Tending to sheep, collecting the fleece and treating it, spinning it, and then weaving it into cloth was a major part of daily life for many people. Even when weaving mills became common, and ready made clothes first made their appearance on the market, many households were still producing their own fabrics and/or yarns. The mass produced goods were supplements to the handmade, rather than complete stand ins.

This all changed in the 1920s and 30s. A variety of new synthetic fibers were created (the first being rayon, derived from cellulose) and combined with the sudden influx of electric inventions, including household heat and electric washers, created a dramatic change in demand from wool garments (which were much warmer and couldn’t be machine washed) to lighter weight and easier care synthetics. The popularity of synthetics continued throughout the rest of the 20th century (and remains today), wool working its way down in the ranks, until it was mainly used for car upholstery; but even this only lasted through the 50s, when synthetics once again took over.

Within 40 years, wool went from a staple of every day wear to a niche market. The Handcraft Revival of the 60s and 70s did bring back the home production of yarns and fabrics through hand spinning and weaving, which also brought back the demand for wool. The popularity of wool yarn in a variety of fiber arts continues today, but still remains a niche market; wool fabric is not widely mass produced nor is it what makes up the majority of clothing items available.

While it can be dry and a bit repetitive in some sections, it was still a fascinating read and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who thinks they might be interested in the history of wool and how its manufacturing has changed and evolved in the U.S.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy to review!

(Cross posted on my blog.)

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a yarn crafter, I know yarn and wool are interesting...but I never thought of wool in this way! Peggy Hart delves into the topic of wool and the history of its production and distribution in the United States. From wool's origin point in the US to modern day, she gives us a thorough and fascinating history on how wool production has been a backbone point of American life for generations.

This is an easy read for yarn crafters looking to increase their knowledge on the history of wool and yarn crafts in America and how our balls of string still play a part in this country. Peggy's writing is fun and entertaining and I felt drawn through to the end of the book fairly quickly.

**I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Alyssa W · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I don’t typically read nonfiction (my goodreads shelf has only 25 nonfiction titles out of 290 books read) but I am a huge fan of knitting and wool. I thought this book would be a good fit. I did enjoy it, but reading the 196 pages of Wool: Unravelling an American Story of Artisans and Innovation by Peggy Hart was a challenge.

Hart has obviously done a vast amount of research, but it’s presented in a way that is simply someone plopping a pile of papers down and saying matter-of-factly: “Here’s a vast amount of research.” I would have liked to see some narratives, maybe describing the different tools used, what it was like for colonial people to spin and weave in their homes, etc. I found myself frustrated by the lack of engagement on anything but a purely intellectual level. There was a lot of sentences that were just lists of things, which made my eyelids flutter and gave the writing a very “junior year research paper” feel.

Thankfully, the history the Hart presents really speaks for itself. The ebb and flow of wool’s popularity in the U.S. is carefully chronicled, with lots of sources. If you can get past the lack of voice and the total information dump, there is just so much here. Hart has described the rise and flow of wool fiber from the colonial era to present, with the focus mostly on wool fabrics but a lot about yarns (which was what I was interested in) thrown in as well. So, I trudged on. I’m glad I did, because what I learned was interesting - I just wish I didn’t put the book down feeling like I had slogged through the piles of articles, journals, and correspondence myself.

Overall: if you’re curious about the role that wool has played in American history, this is a good book. If you don’t know much about fiber arts, make sure to have the glossary bookmarked so that you can look up all the things that aren’t explained in the text!

I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley.

[penny shima glanz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wool by Peggy Hart draws on the author's deep professional experience in the wool industry to explore its rise, fall, and resurgence in America. From the birth of this nation to present day, Hart traces the sheep, fabrics, and trends.

This is an approachable general history--you can learn about agriculture, social issues, economics, industry, and fashion. It explores the impact mechanization (and convenience) had on America’s Wool industry. While this is an introductory volume, an extensive reference and bibliography directs you to more information.

This is an enjoyable read and the archival photographs provide additional delight.

This review also appeared at Knitty.

I received an eARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for a review. The FTC wants you to know.

[Julie Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wool Unraveling an American Story of Artisans and Innovation by Peggy Hart
Love learning about the history in the US about wool and why it's no longer used as much as back in the 1600's.
I am a knitter and do use patterns from 1860's for Sturbridge Village using the wool from their animals to knit the items they want. Love that this village is mentioned in the book. So fascinating to learn so much!
Sketches along the way showing what is being talked about. It's much of how I picture the early 1900's with the local mills (I live in RI so am familiar).
Loved hearing of the resources that still produce wool yarn today.
@SchifferPublishing on Facebook
Received this review copy from the author via Netgalley and this is my honest opinion.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and it filled in quite a few gaps in my knowledge of handweaving and wool in the early days of the US. Now I want to go back and take notes and create some kind of a timeline. I teach and lecture about domestic handweaving in the 18th c and it will help me to line up some of the dates, especially the transitional time of women hand weavers working at home for mill owners. I love the way hand weaving has supported industrial weaving and vice versa - we have much to learn from one another!

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up at Vermont Sheep and Wool 2022 and it was right up my alley. This book is very interesting and the photos and captions make it feel like you are in a wool museum. The insights about the industry were both fascinating to learn but also enlightening about the current state of wool in America. The author's passion for wool and the future of the fiber shines through. I'd recommend any hand crafter or yarn lover check out this book.

[Lori Evesque]

Interesting, easily read story of wool in America. At times a jumble to read, though. Chapters relate to time periods and the author often inserted information and comments from other time periods. That said, I'm not sure what would have been a better organization of the topic.
Overall, the last chapter on the future of wool is hopeful. And as a fiber farmer, that makes me happy and hopeful as well!

[Laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Believe it or not, Hart makes the history of this fiber in America surprisingly compelling. It's a short book with lots of illustrations and an easy-to-read style. The sections were a little choppy for me to feel like I was truly reading a story but I learned a lot and will never look at a sheep or suit the same way again.

[Karen Hartley · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a living historian who spends lots of time demonstrating spinning and weaving, this book was perfect. Probably a little dry for most people but full of facts and documents that I can reference to make Colonial Textiles come alive.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read! I know so much about wool in America now. I thought the author did a really good job and it is clear that she loves weaving and cares very much about the future of war, as do most of us fiber artists!

[Jocelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A valuable book, but a dry read. Lots of statistics, quotes, and findings, but little narrative or synthesis.

I struggled through wanting to pick this up as a bedside read, so I'm marking it unfinished for now and may come back to it in the future. I'm about halfway through.

[Judith Greer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I love learning the history behind wool and wool production. This book taught me some interesting facts.

[Trish Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book on the history of wool. I learned so much about the wool and weaving industry all the way up to modern day. It’s a one if a kind book and a must read.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you knit or crochet or sew, and have ever wondered how people used to interact with fibers and how things have changed over the years, this will help answer some of those questions. It's pretty easy to follow, and explains things well for those not familiar with some of the history. It tells in plain language about the difference between sheep imported to North America and those indigenous with completely different coats, and how innovation has revolutionized the use of wool on top of many other things. It answered a lot of questions I had learning to knit and spin wool, and was pretty entertaining as well.

[Patricia Reyes · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a yarn crafter, I know yarn and wool are interesting...but I never thought of wool in this way! Peggy Hart delves into the topic of wool and the history of its production and distribution in the United States. From wool's origin point in the US to modern day, she gives us a thorough and fascinating history on how wool production has been a backbone point of American life for generations.

This is an easy read for yarn crafters looking to increase their knowledge on the history of wool and yarn crafts in America and how our balls of string still play a part in this country. Peggy's writing is fun and entertaining and I felt drawn through to the end of the book fairly quickly.

[Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great history of the use of wool. You learn so much about how the world has changed and how wool has helped changed it. Great information and a good read.

[Eileen Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Schiffer Publishing Ltd., and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book.
I am an avid knitter and while knowing the history of wool production in U K, American history was not known.
This is very informative, if a bit overloaded with facts.
The photos and illustrations are good and I can tell that the author researched the subject very well.

[RedRobinXXX · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am reviewing this book for Peggy Hart, Schiffer Publishing Ltd, and NetGalley who gave me a copy of their book for an honest review.
A book which looks at wool production in the US throughout the ages. Lots of information included although sometimes I did feel there was a lot of it. But it wasall interesting