Grades of wool

Well I finally did it!  I've finally got the "studio" up and going - sort of.  OK so it is somewhat organized.  And the small loom doesn't have stuff draping all over it.  And most of the weaving / spinning / basket / paper / rubberstamp stuff is in one area (mostly).  GriffinCliffe Designs is now open!!!! Maybe.

So a few months ago a friend handed me a bag of wool yarn (colored) and said "make somethingout of this".  OK - When do you want it by?   Mid Sept was the answer - which is sort of this weekend!!  So last night, while watching "Stardust" for the umpteenth time, I broke out the warping board, the yarn and commeced warping off my threads.  All the yarn is this HUGE rough wool rug yarn, just like the stuff I began weaving with.  It was cheap, 100% wool and long lasting (I still have some pillows I made 20+ years ago).  The only bad part was, one color had bugs (you know - the "sand") and another color, someone had used to much alum as a mordent and the wool was rotten.

After I got over my panic of the "sand" I came up with enough stuff to weave another one of the bags.  I figured I'd use the small floor loom to welcome it back home after being foster out for the last 10 years or so.  Like I said - the yarn is THICK!  I used a 6 dent reed and everything is nice and close. 

So Sunday evening I was able to warp the threads (only 90 so it wasn't that difficult) and I threaded the reed.  This morning I got up and took everything out the the garage - I mean the studio and dressed the loom.  Now this loom was my first. I got it from a Braille school in Oragne County for a small donation some 20+ years ago.  It's been a great loom - only 20 inches wide, simple 4 harness, and no brake.  I've tied a rope around the cloth beam to act as a brake.  It servces the purpose.

I got the loomed dressed and had my foundation woven in by lunch.  The the problem.  I really should have gone with a black of even a grey as the weft, But I know I don't have much of either, so I went with white.  I think a darker weft would have enhanced the natural dyed yarns, but what can you do.  And as I still need to weave the strap for it, I wasn't going to have time to spin up a balck weft.

I finshed weaving about 4PM and finsihed my day watching a movie with the husband.  You've got to relax nd snuggle occasionally.

More pictures later in the week

OH!!! About the grade of wool!!!  I have been weaving with a variety of wools for the past 10 years and had forgotten how rough rug wool is.  In fact, I think its rougher then the black welsh mountain fleece I have to spin up.  And what yarns are left over are currently sitting in teh freezer.  I better tell the hubby about them.