CROCHETING

Crocheting was done for many generations in the Amana Colonies in the form of toys and functional items. Wool and Cotton yarns were used to make animals and figures. with their accessories such as rabbits with eggs, Santa's with bags of toys or hens with nests and many more. Handmade steel crochet hooks of many sizes were used for tiny stitches. Some hooks were made of wood or bone. Each was very unique and from one to six inches in size, a fun piece to collect ,decorate or play with.

TEXTILE TOOLS

These are some of the tools used for cross-stitch, rug hooking, weaving and other textile arts. Some were hand made by local blacksmiths or tin smiths in communal Amana. Stencils, hooks, shuttles, etc. They were very sturdy for very industrious crafts.

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CROCHETED RABBITS

The tradition in old Amana was to make something in your spare time for the children or home. In this case it is the lovely work of Mrs. L. Rettig who made small crocheted animals, including rabbits. They were anywhere from an inch to 8"tall and used to decorate mostly at Easter. When only religious decorations were allowed in the homes, these brought some brightness to the home and cheer to the children and families in the communal era before 1932. There were also baskets of eggs, dogs, lambs, chickens, turkeys and such, some mounted on cardboard bases  The needlework of the Amana women showed their creativity, skill, and originality as many animals were made without patterns and few materials. The art of these animals was as real as the simplicity and thriftiness of the people in communal Amana. A delight to collect and show today.