Smallholders Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Happy St Distaff's Day!  (Read 3708 times)

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Happy St Distaff's Day!
« on: January 07, 2014, 11:46:59 am »
Quote
In times past, January 7th, the first free day after the twelve of Christmas was known as St. Distaff's Day. It had no connection whatsoever with any saint but its place in the folk calendar gives an indicator of the importance of spinning at a time when this was the only means of turning the raw wool, cotton or flax into thread capable of being woven into cloth. The day, which was also know as Rock Day (referring to another name for either the distaff or the spindle) indicated that this was the end of the Christmas festivities and the return to the normality of spinning whenever there was a spare moment. As Anthony Fitzherbert, wrote in his 'Boke of Husbandrie' (1523) 'it stoppeth a gap…it saveth a woman from being idle, and the product was needful'.

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Happy St Distaff's Day to one and all, and especially all our spinners!   :spin: :spin:


x-posted in Coffee Lounge
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: Happy St Distaff's Day!
« Reply #1 on: January 07, 2014, 11:49:27 am »
Love it - I hope you are being saved from idleness  ;D

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Happy St Distaff's Day!
« Reply #2 on: January 07, 2014, 01:32:22 pm »
Love it - I hope you are being saved from idleness  ;D
Only idle when fingers ache too much to knit  :knit:, spin  :spin:... or type! lol
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

bigchicken

  • Joined Nov 2008
  • Fife Scotland
Re: Happy St Distaff's Day!
« Reply #3 on: January 07, 2014, 06:00:35 pm »
A new one on me, Aaah the good old days!. :spin: :sheep: :thumbsup: :unwell: .
Shetland sheep, Castlemilk Moorits sheep, Hebridean sheep, Scots Grey Bantams, Scots Dumpy Bantams. Shetland Ducks.

Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: Happy St Distaff's Day!
« Reply #4 on: January 08, 2014, 08:56:58 pm »
I'm a day late but Happy Distaff Day everyone.  :D :spin:

JulieWall

  • Joined Aug 2013
  • Cornhill, Banff
    • The Roundhouse
Re: Happy St Distaff's Day!
« Reply #5 on: January 21, 2014, 10:50:17 am »
Missed this.
Everyone knows how idle we women usually are, of course  :roflanim:
Permaculture and smallholding, perfect partners
http://theroundhouseforum.co.uk/

 

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