(10) Ein langsamer Pullover

The coexistence of sheep and humans dates back thousands of years.
The use of wool is inextricably linked to the raising of sheep and other wool-producing animals. In addition to feeding and watering, this includes shearing, health care, assisting with births, raising lambs, herd planning, and pasture management. These are ongoing activities; many tasks are repeated daily, monthly, or annually.

From the sun, earth, and water, plant matter grows—the basis of the sheep’s livelihood. The sheep itself grows for two years; a flock of sheep could perhaps grow indefinitely. At the end of each annual cycle, the sheep wears a coat of long wool. The growth of the wool is a miracle that is both invisible and visible. Wool sheep depend on humans; they must be sheared, otherwise their wool would become a burden.

In order for us to wear garments made of sheep’s wool, we must invest many hours in various textile processing techniques. We can trace this practice back through generations, drawing on a wealth of ancient experience. Many of the tools used are very old, while others are more recent.
The process of creating a wool sweater involves shearing, sorting, plucking, washing, combing, spinning, twisting, and winding. Raw wool is transformed into combed wool and finally into yarn. Further creative and planning work—such as weighing, counting, calculating, drawing, and finally knitting—follows.

The “slow sweater” by Astrid Queck and Friederike Lattorff takes time. In our world, time is capital.
The two artists spend many hours working on the “slow sweater.” As time passes, no other physical activity is possible, but the two can be present with themselves mentally and spiritually. The work on the sweater is slow—in the sense of being stress-free, free from control and oppression.

Pure textile craftsmanship has fallen by the wayside in our world of capitalist commodity production—it is neither efficient nor economically viable. Astrid Queck and Friederike Lattorff do it anyway, even though they realize that a slow-made sweater can be nothing more than a luxury item. The slow processing of wool is liberating; it is a pleasure or an art form, and yet it still represents a defiant creation of value.

Sheep farming and wool processing bring the two women a sense of calm, ground them in the present moment, and help them find balance. Even as the slow sweater takes shape, the fast pace of life cannot be kept at bay. One thinks, feels, and processes while spinning or knitting, and the world keeps turning.