Times were hard when we were first married and I used a clothes line out of necessity rather than choice.  We had a dryer, but it would take hours to dry one load completely and I found using the line actually got the clothes dry faster.  I didn't like hanging clothes out so much back then, but now I look forward to clear, sunny laundry days.

One reason I was never fond of clothes hung out to dry was the stiff feeling left in jeans and towels.  Looking back, I'm sure a big part of this was my limited use of liquid fabric softener (and my even more limited basic laundry skills).  More often than not, I would completely miss the rinse cycle on the machine and not catch myself until the deep rumble of the spin cycle started and the machine sounded like it would fly right out the back door.  Luckily, our washer now has a neat little compartment for adding the fabric softener before the load starts washing.

Another probable reason for my lack of laundry enjoyment was the fact that I never (and I mean never!) sorted the laundry.  Instead, I employed what I have come to call the scoop and shove method.  I would gather up an armful and shove it in the washer, paying no mind to what I was scooping up.  This made for misery in many aspects, I never had a pair of socks in a single load, whites were never bleached, colors faded, and no care instructions were followed.

My first clothesline was a single line, maybe 10 feet long, tied between two trees in our side yard.  Today my clothesline consists of three lines on T posts that will hold three full loads (and with our HE washer, that's more like 6 regular loads!).

I've heard stories telling how a woman's skill as a homemaker was evident from the way she hung out her laundry.  I'm not sure how I would measure up compared to these ladies, but I am very happy to be carrying on an age old homemaking tradition.