Making Wool and Cider

Yesterday I visited a gentleman's house in Berwick, Me, with my family. His name is Peter Cook, and he's a former colleague of my brother-in-the-law. Currently he's a professor at Lesley University, among other duties and activities. Peter's an expert in Early American History, particularly on the subject of textiles. In 1996 he was the historical consultant for the movie "The Crucible."

Peter lives in an early 18th century farmhouse, with all the fixings. He gave us a tour of the house and barn, and also treated us to 'real' apple cider. We made the cider using a grinder and presser from the 1700's. On the farm there are also "Lincoln Longhair" sheep, which were the sheep raised during Colonial days. Peter uses their wool to demonstrate the carding and spinning techniques of the olden days. It was quite an arduous process, spinning wool.

Idealistic Dolly............................................................Real Dolly
My Nephew Grinding the Apples

The finished product