Wool has woven itself into the history of the world. Australia leads in world production, Japan in imports. The breed merino supplies at least a third of the world’s wool. Spain so valued merinos that exporting the wooly animal was a capital offense.

The first great industry of England was wool and was largest source of income in the middle ages . Demand for English wool enriched great landowners throughout this island. Every European country relied on England for its wool.

The rhyme “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep,” the first bag, the “One for my master,” probably is explaining the export tax on wool. These taxes and fees boosted royal finances and kings got power by allowing and disallowing concessions to wool towns and the wool industry. More than 300 British laws touching every aspect of the trade were in effect by the end of the 18th century.

Of all the breeds of sheep and there are a thousand breeds, the prized merino has been the breed of choice throughout history. In Spain, the fine-wooled Merino was the basis of the wealth of the Spanish Iberian Peninsula..

There were more than convicts on the ships that left to Australia. The purebred merinos also made the voyage. Australia’s 160 million sheep produce a quarter of the world’s supply of wool and 70 percent of wool used in clothing..

The former Soviet Union, New Zealand, China and Argentina follow Australia as the countries that produce the most wool. The biggest consumer of wool is the Soviet Union because of their long cold winters.

Wool weaving has a long standing tradition in Turkey. The Turks used plant dies throughout history which are superior to synthetic since they do not run after washing. The techniques of using plant dies were lost over the years to these villagers. Now the yellow of the wild chamomile and other plant dies have been reintroduced as the dies of choice to the Turkish villagers.

The history of wool tells us that wool has been the fiber of civilization This resource has supported diverse cultures and has been the basis of national economies.

Old fashioned icicles on a string are beautiful on any tree. Here’s the supplies you’ll need to get started:

Clear beads:

25mm starburst beads

12mm round, faceted beads

18mm starburst beads

10mm round, faceted beads

12mm starburst beads

8mm round, faceted beads

8mm starburst beads

6mm round, faceted beads

4mm round, faceted beads

Additional supplies:

Dental Floss

Hot glue gun and hot glue sticks

You can choose your own shapes of beads for this project, these are suggested shapes. You can use oval, triangular, or other shaped beads if you prefer.

Tie the end of a piece of dental floss into a knot, then begin threading the beads in this order: 1 – 4 mm round, then 1 – 6mm round, then 1 – 8mm starburst, then 1 – 8mm round, then 1 – 12mm starburst, then 1 – 10mm round, then 1 – 18mm starburst, and finally, 1 – 12mm round and 1 – 25mm starburst. After they are all threaded, cut the excess floss, leaving a couple of inches remaining. Loop the remaining piece of floss over, threading it through the bead. You should now have a loop for a hanger. Squirt hot glue into the hole of the bead where the loop of thread is connected. Hold still until glue is dry.

For stick icicles instead of string, get tinsel pipe cleaner and follow the above pattern of threading the beads on. For a hanger, cut a 4″ piece of dental floss and hold the two ends together. Slide the ends into the final bead, squirt the bead hole full of hot glue, then place the bead onto the stick.

Options: Blue beads can be used instead of clear ones, or you can do a pattern of clear, blue, clear, blue.

Use a 1, 2, or 3 liter soda bottle to make a cute snowman. Put a few pebbles, beans or rice in the bottom of the bottle to weight it. Remove the label and slightly sand the bottle. Use white primer to paint the bottle. After drying, paint again with white sparkle paint. You may need to add a second coat when dry. Tie a piece of flannel around the middle of the bottle for the neckline, then place a ski cap on the snowman’s head, hot gluing it to stay. You can paint a face on the snowman, or you can buy eyes and a small carrot for the nose, at a craft store. Hide the bottom of the bottle by attaching pine branches around it.

Variations to the hat: use a plastic butter bowl and a butter bowl lid to make a hat. Make sure the lid is from a larger butter bowl than the one you will be using. Spray paint the lid black, then cut a hole in it, leaving only a few inches around for a brim. Now, paint the bowl black, and place it upside down, over the bottle top, until it rests on the lid. Glue the two pieces together for a cute derby. You can decorate the hat with a couple of holly leaves and berries.

Variations to the pine branches: disguise the bottom of the bottle by using a styrofoam ring, then gluing on tiny gifts, strings of beads, ivy, poinsettia leaves, etc.

If your baby has a sleeper or outfit which he or she has outgrown, or you can purchase one inexpensively, you can make a cute doll. Use a knee-hi or pantyhose leg to stuff and form a head for your doll. Tie it off and set aside. If you’re going to use a sleeper, glue the cuffs of the sleeves shut, then stuff it, shape it, and add a dowel rod down each leg of the sleeper, in to small booties or shoes, which have been hot glued on to the sleeper feet. Hot glue the head part to the neckline of the sleeper, and hot glue a hat which has a brim to hang down and hide the back neck area. An alternative to this is a ball cap which is worn backwards. Now glue the sleeve cuffs of the sleeper to the front of the face where the eyes should be. This doll doesn’t need a face – you glue the cuffs where the eyes belong, and stand the doll in a corner, hiding its face. If you must have a face, draw on or purchase “face pieces” at a craft store.

To use an outfit rather than a sleeper, glue cuffs of pants or overalls down into the top of the shoes, stuff pants and put in dowel rods. Hot glue the hem of the shirt to the waistband of the pants. Stuff the shirt, gluing cuffs shut. Glue the head of the doll on and again, glue the cuffs of the sleeves to the face area. Attach a hat and belt, or any other accessories you wish. You can also make the doll with a dress, but you’ll have to use colored tights and shape the legs just right. A variation of the pouting doll is to leave the dowel rods out and let the baby lie on a bed or on the floor