Ancient history
Ti any Francis on knitting’s origins
Before taking the plunge into a freelance career, I worked as creative developer at Butser Ancient Farm, an archaeological research site in Hampshire that specialises in ancient houses, rare breed animals and prehistoric crops. It was a wild and wonderful place, a forgotten world hidden away from the chaos of modern life. A new birth The buildings included several Iron Age roundhouses, their pointed roofs silhouetted against the skyline like witches’ hats, and I soon learnt that it was during the Bronze and Iron Ages the British textile industry first began to blossom. In the last century, archaeologists have unearthed sheep bones, spindles and weaving looms across Iron Age sites, all ancient clues that help us visualise the everyday lives of our ancestors. Learning how to spin When winter came to Butser, we would sit beside the crackling fire and teach visitors to spin wool by hand, woodsmoke unfurling into the darkness of the roundhouse roof. The wool we used was fresh with the aroma of a living, breathing sheep, the lanolin softening our hands as we worked. It had been shorn from our flock of Manx Loaghtans earlier in the summer, a rare breed of sheep with dainty bodies, mousey coats and up to six horns on their heads. These were one of the earliest breeds to develop in Britain, and by learning to harvest, clean, spin, dye and weave their wool, the Bronze and Iron Age people helped shape human history by changing the way we use organic fibres. Natural beauty While modern acrylic yarn has many uses and benefits, I find there is nothing like working with real wool to help me reconnect with the traditions of the past. I love the organic nature of handspun wool, finding tiny bumps along the yarn that would usually be flattened out by a factory machine, and feeling the natural woven textures of the final garment. In a world where we are so used to instant purchases and online ordering, it feels so satisfying to know my ball of yarn was worked by hand over several hours, carefully and lovingly formed into a material that could then be transformed into something else, in turn. Many handspun yarns are also dyed using natural pigments and plant-based colours, creating a beautiful, rustic palette of woad blue, madder red, walnut brown, sunflower green and weld yellow.There’s something about the natural beauty of plants that can never be recreated by a machine. Branches and bobbles I love the midwinter landscape, and knitting is one of my favourite ways to pass the time. On cold, dark days I sit by the window with hot tea and crumpets, watching birds hop through bare branches in search of lingering berries. I know that in just a few weeks the world will start to thaw and fresh buds will emerge on the trees – the first signs of spring, of warmer days and shorter nights. Until then, I’m more than happy to keep cosy by the window, looking out on the world, knitting a bobble hat with handspun wool and imagining an ancient way of life, thousands of winters ago.