Textiles: sheep’s wool

Spain was famous for the quality of its merino sheep, whose wool was used for many of the large tapestries and carpets in Europe of the period, usually made in Flanders.

Rural families with subsistence economies also kept sheep, and used the wool for themselves. In some parts of León, like Maragatería or Cabrera, women have kept up the habit of spinning and knitting in the street. Before, they even made men’s underwear and women’s petticoats with wool, and they still knit socks, which are bought by hunters who go to these areas.