Dora writes: > What would John Smith have woven?   Did people grow flax in southeastern > Chester County/ White Clay Creek area?   Or would John Smith have mostly > woven wool?    > > Was it possible to weave linen and wool with the same loom?   John Smith > did not own two looms.  > Dora, It's possible to weave linen and wool with the same loom -- "linsey woolsey" was a popular blend of linen and wool in the Colonies. A coarse fabric combination of the two threads that were woven with a linen warp and a woolen weft. It was used to stretch wool on hand, which was relatively scarce in early America and to create a fabric warmer than just linen. Used mainly for clothing (pants, shirts and dresses) and for lightweight coverlets or blankets, it was probably a bit scratchy against the skin and was replaced later with the soon to be more popular cotton grown in the South. The linsey-woolsey available today has no linen in it but uses a cotton and wool blend. Eleanor Rayl