One of the craftspeople at Sturbridge Village was demonstrating how to use ryegrass to make woven straw hats. Rye grass stalks are split using a special tool then they are woven in a five or seven strand weave into a narrow band. These bands are then sewn together in a circular pattern to create a hat. This industry was a good income source for women and children in the 1830’s.
Weaving the straw.
This tool splits the stalk into long narrow pieces ready for soaking.
Soaking straw
Weaving the wet pliable straw.
The finished product.
Looking for a source of ryegrass!
Is rye grown in your area? You can usually talk with farmers and harvest some in the fall. You can also try wild grasses!