re: Spin Flax and Cotton

Crystalheart — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 01:35:01 GMT

Hi there, Would love to see this video featuring this talented weaver of flax

and cotton.! The museum where I work is located near the lush Memramcook Valley, which used to be the largest producer of flax in mid 1800's Canada. The Bay of Fundy marshlands were dyked by the Acadians, to produce the fertile soils for farmlands, and the climate was just right for the planting and harvesting for flax to be made into linen, and other products which came from the flax such as linseed oil.

Just wanted to point out a typo in the article, where you mention an

accellerated minor's head. It's actually a Miner's head, it was invented by Amos

Miner, from Massachusetts, while he lay recuperating on the daybed in the family

kitchen watching the women work at their great wheels, he figured there had to

be a faster way to get those wheels to spin. He thought about it, and when he

felt better, he went to work building it.

He set up shop in New York State in the early 1800's.

There is information about this in the Spinning Wheel Sleuth magazines and also in Candace Crockett's Complete Spinning Book I believe. We have a copy at

the museum, so I can't double check right now as I am home and don't have a copy of the book here.

Thank you,

Denyse Milliken

Tour Guide, Spinner & Weaver

St. James Textile Museum

Dorchester, New Brunswick, Canada