WARM AS WOOL, COOL AS COTTON: Natural Fibers and Fabrics and How to Work with Them

Houck mixes brief histories of man's utilization of wool, cotton, linen and silk and his development of spinning, weaving, knitting, dyeing and decorating cloth with similarly brief directions for growing cotton or linen or trying out the arts of weaving, knitting, batik, etc. Houck's instructions are barely enough to get you started and her historical observations are not particularly sharp, but it's all attractively got up and the combination of information and activity has springboard potential for a classroom unit.