Cracker Country at the Florida State Fair Grounds in Tampa is an outdoor Florida living history museum. Early Florida cowboys urged cattle to move with cracking whips, thus the cowboys who used whips to drive cattle became known as “crackers”. Since then, native Floridians have been known as “crackers”.
Today was my first day as a “docent”/volunteer. I brought the mystery wheel as it likely dates from the 1850’s.
The leather part that connects to footman to the treadle snaped and I discovered that I’d left my “repair kit” , leather shoelaces and such, in the mountains. I switched over to the Norwegian Box Loom and worked on my red & white tape.
I was on the porch with Lacy and with my new friend, Penny a spinner and weaver. The sponge I used to moisten my fingers and to dampen the flax, is from Tarpon Springs, the Greek community which had a thriving sponge business at the turn of the century. (It’s on the ledge to my left.)
Penny was using a drop spindle to spin cotton. (The wheel she had planned to use was missing bobbins…boy were we a pair. LOL)
We also had a blacksmith, bee keeper, and rope maker.
It took five of us to make rope and a lot of twisting. 
Other craftswomen included a chair caner:
And Karol & Ruth of “Pine Needle Perfections”. Their pine needle creations are amazing. I’m already planning to take a class with them. The basket detail is sliced walnut shells (absolutely beautiful…looks like the finest of carving)
Tropical Twister
