From Sheep to Dye Pot

Wild tansy












Before the wool was placed in the drying basket, many hours of work had been performed. In spring, the sheep had to be sheared. The shearer, seated on a low stool, held the head of the sheep under the chin and tilted it backward so that it was sitting between the shearer's legs. Because it was positioned on its spine just above its tail, the animal was off balance and fairly comfortable. Thus the sheep did not struggle much as they lost their heavy winter coats to the shearer. When released many of the sheep staggered as they walked away. The loss of their heavy coats put them off balance and it took a few minutes for them to regain it.

To dye wool, the women had to search for wild plants or, at times, waste parts of the plants from the garden.

Black walnuts produced a brown dye if placed in an iron pot but a reddish color in a copper pot. Red onion skins gave wool either and orange or a green color, depending on how long it was kept in the pot. Summac yielded a gray color; yarrow, a beige. Queen Anne's lace produced a pale green; mullein, pale yellow. The tansy (shown above) gave wood a pale yellow color.

A cheese cloth bag held the herbs while the yarn was being dyed in the pot

Wisconsin pioneers thought of black wool as a bit of a curse. The women could not dye the wool of a black sheep. For that reason, there was disappointment when a black sheep was dropped by one of the ewes. Hence the expression "He was the black sheep of the family."