Weaving cloth the Anglo-Saxon way

How did people make cloth in Anglo-Saxon times? This video demonstrates the methods and techniques involved in weaving cloth, from preparing the wool to using a loom.

This video has been made for illustration purposes and is not an instructional video.

Made in partnership with Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service and West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village and Museum, for the Rendlesham Revealed project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

[piezoman]

The amount of labor to create things that we take for granted today is almost incomprehensible

[josequins]

I can understand now why fabric was so expensive and treasured. The sheer time and labour involved to get a bolt of cloth was immense. That woolen cloth at the end looked gorgeous!!

[KarenSchuessler]

That was one of the most clear and comprehensive explanations of the complete process of making cloth that I’ve seen, and it took less than six minutes. Well done! Fascinating! Folks then certainly had no time for social media.

[BronzeTheSling]

I can hardly comprehend the genius our ancestors had to invent such a complicated system. It would take me years just to understand how it works.

[Rymontp]

Learning about the most important historical events of the Anglo-Saxon time is interesting but actually learning about the average Anglo-Saxon and their daily life is just as important. Really fascinating stuff. I'm glad youtube recommended this to me!

[brucestuff]

That spindle thing to make the thread is genius

[yungbearYouTube]

So much work! I can't believe our ancestors would spend days doing this just to ensure the family was well clothed for the harsh winters and rainy days. Just imagine how many days it would've taken to make a tunic, pants and possibly socks/boots for everyone... and to measure everything in different sizes too!

[CriaAndKiddFW]

Wow, that's really cool, as a weaver myself. I didn't realize they made selvage like that!

[claudialunden]

Man oh man, that’s a lot of work. But it beats the heck out of walking around in skins. Except, of course, the beautiful buckskins created by American natives.

[candycoatedcactus]

As a fiber crafter and history enthusiast, this was an EXCELLENT way to explain how this is done in simple terms. My explanations include a lot more jargon like the word "shed" instead of how you said "gap" in the threads. Wonderful video!

[toysoldier]

Tablet weaving is a whole craft in itself. I've made straps, belts and sashes. I traded one sash for a trapdoor Springfield rifle.

[Eternal_Hope_Q]

There a deep yearning in my soul to do this. I have fleeces from my own sheep, I spin my own wool and I weave...BUT...I am ashamed to admit that I find the weaving boring 🙊 I love the cloth that's made but sitting at a loom is not my thing.
THIS however floats my boat in a very satisfying way!
Absolutely brilliant demonstration, showing how a craft is done is hard to make it look good 👍

[gaius_enceladus]

Wow! For all the cleverness that was needed to invent this loom, it's just soooo *slow* when compared with the looms that came along hundreds of years later (in the 1700s and 1800s)!
The thing that *really* impressed me was the Jacquard loom which used punched cards to create patterns in the woven material.
That was a stroke of real genius!

[tinayang]

I am still amazed that many different folks around the world inverted woven cloth for themselves 😮

[mrtablesawful]

Thank you for the video. I don't think that I'll ever understand how a loom works. It seems very complicated. But, more than that - I am struck dumb by the ingenuity of such a device. If it were left up to me, we'd all be walking around with sheep strapped to our bodies!

[barbaralucero]

I am reading a book called the Circle of Ceridwen and the women weaved both wool and linen, this video was perfect!

[janewhite]

Watching this, you can understand how very highly valued cloth was

[asmith]

So ingenious, ALL materials being made by hand from whatever nature provided. Thanks for posting!

[rodneyferris]

even weaving by hand today with our modern rigid settles and the bigger multi-hettle looms which seem somewhat laborious are such a relief for the weaver! Yet the principles are all the same! it's amazing.

[PetroicaRodinogaster]

9 out of 10 people living today would have no idea how to do these things let alone invent any of the process. The people who did invent these things were in-fact smarter than most of us today.