Amish winter headwear, PA farm fire, and how to take a photo out the back of a buggy

Posted on March 11th, 2011 in Amish Culture

A few items of interest for your Friday:

Amish winter headwear

Reader Slightly-handled-Order-man recently asked: Could you write an article on Amish winter clothing?

Well, I don’t know about a whole article, but why don’t we start with the head? The Amish straw hat is an icon, and comes in a wide range of styles. But did you know that when it gets chilly many Amish wear one of these?We used to call them woolies, and I know some call them toboggans or stocking caps. Both Amish men and boys in some communities wear them. They make good work hats, but you’d never wear one to church.

This particular hat is sold by Weaver’s Apparel of Ohio, one of the largest Plain clothing dealers. If you go into Amish dry goods stores across the country, odds are you’ll find Weaver’s Apparel products. I picked up this hat at the Sunny View dry goods store in the Dover, Delaware Amish community.

Weaver’s has branded its products–as you can see this is from the “Levi Miller” line, you can find women’s socks under the “Lizzie Ann” label, etc. However the hat itself is not made by Amish, though it is made in the USA.

Amish, for that matter, do not make all their clothes. Dresses, trousers, and mutza suits (formal suits Amish wear to church) are still typically made by Amish hands. But store-bought apparel is common, including men’s shirts, socks, and underwear.

And just like the rest of us, some of the things Amish wear come from overseas. Once, Weaver’s owner gave me a traditional black brimmed Amish hat. Imagine my surprise when I flipped it over to find “Made in China”.

Pennsylvania farmhouse fire

Accidents happen every day. Some seem particularly tragic, like the recent drowning deaths of 4 Amish children in Kentucky. This past Tuesday, 7 children in central Pennsylvania died in a farmhouse fire.

The area is populated by Amish and Mennonites, though the family are not members of either group. The children were apparently alone in the home while the parents were busy with dairy duties. One child, a 3-year-old, escaped.

Reader Richard has gotten ahold of contact information if anyone would like to write or donate to this family:

Clouse Family Fund
c/o Church of the Living Christ
P.O. Box 180
Loysville, PA 17047

Win a quilt, help an adoption

Monica, aka Mennobrarian, is running a fund-raiser for a friend’s adoption. She’s come up with a creative contest. A $5 donation gets you a shot at winning a quilted wall hanging (a “traditional 8-point star”) she has made.

Monica writes that “even in if you are not in the market for a wall hanging, it would make a nice table topper or decorative accent piece, too.” More on the contest and quilt here.

How to take a photo out the back of a buggy

Start with a steady horse and a trustworthy driver. Make sure no semis are coming from the opposite direction. And hang on tight. The photo below was taken in Lancaster County by Bob Rosier. Bob says the horse’s name was Star, and the driver was Lydia.