"All the (spinning) wheels, the loom warping bans, shuttles, reeds, reels, and swifts had to be trucked about the country whenever we moved . . . for they were the indispensable articles of furniture helping us out of the wilderness of want many times . . ."

Sewing was a creative art and a sociable pastime. Women helped each other in all forms of work, but sewing with other women -- from darning socks during a casual visit to quilting bees -- was the most common form of group labor.

A sewing machine could be found in most Adirondack homes in this time period. A practical machine for home sewers was widely available in America by the end of the Civil War. In an age when not only clothing, but all textiles in the house were assembled by the women in it, the sewing machine was widely embraced. In the early years of this technological advance when machines were relatively expensive, women formed "clubs" to buy a community sewing machine rather than do without.

The "60 pair of socks" sold by Julia Kellogg in Olmsteadville, New York, in November represented her output for that fall. She had about thirty head of sheep and was responsible for their wool after shearing. She picked the fleece, washed them, and took them to a carding mill in Chester (now Chestertown), New York, spun the rolls, twisted the yarn, and knit it into mittens and socks to sell. She may have received credit at the store instead of cash to buy her "lots of things." Stores in other Adirondack villages took maple syrup and even trout in trade.