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The hard work done by Orkney women; knitting for money in Au...

Fieldworkers
Date 16 November 1976
Track ID 40244
Part 1

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1976.248.B5

Original Tape ID

SA1976.248

Summary

The hard work done by Orkney women; knitting for money in Australia.

The contributor's great-grandmother and grandmother did most of the manual work. In Australia, they passed on the traditional Orkney and Shetland method of digging, with three people working together. They also told about rooing [plucking] wool, spinning, and knitting while carrying a creel on the back. The island women were strong and hardy. The contributor's great-grandmother rowed out to meet the mail boat in very high seas.

His grandmother's father was too proud to let her do domestic work for the squatters, but she dyed her own wool with plant dyes and earned money by knitting. She knitted feather-and-fan patterned curtains from Indian silk.

Item Notes

Transcribed in the School of Scottish Studies.

Item Location

County - Orkney

Non Scottish Item Location

Australia, Victoria, Port Campbell

Non Scottish Item Location

Astràilia, Bhictòria, Port Campbell

Language

English

Genre

Information

Collection

SoSS

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Fair