Making & mending clothing, fashioning tools, etc... that was part of barely scraping by a living. In many climates clothing was necessary to survive.
This is also part of why people worked 16+ hours per day. Washing clothes, mending tools, caring for animals, washing dishes, cleaning the house, ... washing machines, dishwashers, electric ovens, all these labor-saving devices are the big difference between subsistence families with no time, and you today with lots of time.
Originally you did it all yourself. You have a sheep; you shear it, your wife spins it to thread and knits, your children help along the way.
This, by the way, is really where the family unit comes from. Running a household plus making a living used to be a full-time job for several people.
Then, yes, the weaver appears. Maybe the weaver is a shepherd. I have wool; I'll make you a shirt if you give me enough potatoes and cabbage to eat for a week.
The freedom to not grow/gather your own food is how the trades came about.
This is also part of why people worked 16+ hours per day. Washing clothes, mending tools, caring for animals, washing dishes, cleaning the house, ... washing machines, dishwashers, electric ovens, all these labor-saving devices are the big difference between subsistence families with no time, and you today with lots of time.
Originally you did it all yourself. You have a sheep; you shear it, your wife spins it to thread and knits, your children help along the way.
This, by the way, is really where the family unit comes from. Running a household plus making a living used to be a full-time job for several people.
Then, yes, the weaver appears. Maybe the weaver is a shepherd. I have wool; I'll make you a shirt if you give me enough potatoes and cabbage to eat for a week.
The freedom to not grow/gather your own food is how the trades came about.
To my understanding, at least.