Friday, December 26, 2008

A Bag Full of Cotton


This was a long process separating the cotton from the seed but the results have been rewarding...Here is a full bag that will keep until the next step...Carding it and making rolags of it to Spin..I'm so glad that inventions have taken place since the old days Like Eli Whitney inventing the "Cotton Gin"< instead of me being a constant "Cotton Ginny"! :o( I just had to try this process at least just once! I thought of how hard it must have been for people doing this chore by hand, and worst picking the cotton by hand and getting their hands ripped open by the sharp boll ends, worst than the Rose thorns...I'm sure it was a job nobody wanted,and not all shared the profits of it...I feel myself getting into another story, so I will end this one here!!!

6 comments:

Connie said...

Wow, Ginny, that must have been quite a time-consuming task, but that bag full of clean, fluffy white cotton is a lovely reward for your efforts. A pat on the back to you for a job well done. :D

Unknown said...

Hi Ginny,
That cotton looks great. I hope you will share pictures of the spinning process as it proceeds from here. To see that bag full of yummy clean cotton is very inspiring.

Gingerbreadshouse7 said...

Thank you (as I slightly bend and nod my head to the side taking a well deserved bow :o)..It looks better now that I got through that process...I first have to make the rolags before spinning, and that is also a new job for me..but I sure have enough cotton to practice on......Ginny

ladydi said...

Okay, I guess I have to ask. :>} What is a rolag? I looked it up in our regular dictionary and also the enormous unabridged; it's not there. I am very impressed, Ginny, you have done an amazing job.

Gingerbreadshouse7 said...

Thanks Ladydi, a rolag is whatever fiber you use the carders to soften and join together in a roll,
(wool, mohair, cotton, etc.) and I guess the "log" comes from rolling the roll into a long little fat
"log" hence "Rolag" that you draft (pull softly) as you spin it into the size (lace, finger wt etc.) that you want to knit, weave, etc. with....How's that for explaining?
Understand it better? Ginny

ladydi said...

Thank you, Ginny, I am learning so much from you! (If I ate fish brains I still wouldn't be as smart as you. :>})