The 1978 documentary ‘Hands’ is about wool spinning in Donegal. It was filmed in Kilcar and Carrick.
The documentary shows farmers haggling over sheep, how the wool is twisted into yarn, children collecting lichen to dye the clothes, and the quality of hand knitted goods such as geansaís.
Mrs. Morrison
‘Hands’ not only takes you through the history of wool spinning, but also the local history, “many’s a match was made at the factory!”
“It’s best to spin when the sheep are asleep” was a common phrase said by spinners, however night-spinning, and all the ceoil and craic that went with it, is now a thing of the past.
Mrs. Carr was able to raise thirteen children “in frugal comfort”, as they were self-supporting.
Mrs. Carr
The children collected lichen from the rocks in order to dye the wool. Mrs. Coyne made three different shades.
Lichen
Mrs. Coyne admiring her different shades of wool