# Wool question!



## Osiris (Jun 9, 2010)

Okay fiber people, I'm just learning to weave here. 
I want to make some things out of wool (primarily because I have so darned much of it now); scarves, blankets and such. I know a lot of people say wool is scratchy - I know it _can_ be, but I've seen recommendations to soften it up using hair conditioner or a vinegar solution. 

Personally I love wool but I don't want to make something that you can't put next to your neck. What is the best way to soften up wool that you guys know of? The stuff I have is 3 and 4 ply. Of courst the softening will happening after the project is finished. I just want to know my options. 

Wow, I was just thinking, with all the experience on this forum in so many topics, HT could put together a BOOK! :thumb: Something like Foxfire!

Anyway, any info you folks got on softening up wool for wearing is greatly appreciated!

Tom


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## Pearl B (Sep 27, 2008)

I've heard that too. For the longest time I avoided wool because of it. 
Almost all of the wool I've bought to spin, or even, that I bought online to use, hasn't been itchy or scratchy in the least.
I don't know if it's a process or what. I think that mostly applies to things like army blankets. Which makes me think its something in the processing.
I've gotten more itchy from synthetic yarns than actual wool.


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## Osiris (Jun 9, 2010)

Thanks Pearl! I'm glad to hear that. It's lookin' better for Wool! I've got wool slacks & they're not scratchy, but it's a fine yarn. Just not sure about 8/3 or 8/4. I saw a neat double weave blanket I'd like to try in wool.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Blankets and such have been commonly made from &#8216;dead wool&#8217;. That is, from dead sheep. The sheep are bred for meat, not wool quality. If you get wool from a wool breed, the quality will be much higher. If you are allergic to wool, it&#8217;s going to be itchy. Otherwise, just use wool from sheep bred to produce fine wool.


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

to my knowledge, there is no way to "soften" wool with conditioner or vinegar. ???

Wool is what it is. It is either coarse, wirey, and prickley or soft and fine and everything in between. 

Commercial wool used for durable goods (like Army blankets) is made by dumping tons of various sheep clips into the mix and blending, picking, scouring, and chemically processing it to remove all VM in it, resulting with what people know as "wool". This wool is purchased from sheep owners and breeders "by the pound" -regardless of its health, strenth, staple length, or micron count- the only requirement for most mills is that it be white. 

If you want wool that isn't scratchy, you will be delighted to find that you will be able to obtain affordable quality fleeces with relative ease. Like Maura said, just select a fleece from a "fleece" breed and not a "meat" breed although there are exceptions to that rule and wonderful cross-bred fleeces, too.


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## Rosepath (Feb 18, 2011)

And among the "wool" breeds there is a vast difference in the way their fleece feels and acts.
Lincoln Longwool: good for rugs, not soft, but durable
Merino: the finest, softest, great on your neck or elsewhere
And several breeds in between. The fineness has to do with micron count of individual fibers, for those who are left-brained (I'm not). These would be the people who can tell you how many twists per inch + angle of twist + Zspun or Sspun on every yarn they make. I just make yarn. But I digress.

 You want to feel the fleece before and after washing, ask about the health and management of the flock, find out the age of the individual sheep who contributed the fleece in question. Soft wool comes not only from Merinos, there are Rambouillet, Shetland (my personal favorites because I raise them), Romneys, Corredales, Coopworths, etc etc.
Don't give up on making soft blankets, but if the weaving wool you have now is a bit more sturdy than soft, it'll still make great blankets for carrying in the car, lap robes for the football games, and to pile on top of the quilts on a cold night. And of course wash and full the blanket after it's off the loom, it will make a world of difference in the "hand" of the fabric.


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## lambs.are.cute (Aug 15, 2010)

I've helped shear a commercial meat flock and stuff the wool into the burlap sacks it's sold in and the sacks were softer! Any commercial yarn that doesn't say merino (and a few of the cheaper yearns that they are but are only a percentage and the rest is meat breed) is that stuff. There are thousands more meat sheep than wool sheep and most of the wool sheep wool gets custom milled at small mills or by hand spinners. the exception being merino which mostly comes out of Australia. 

I have heard of "softening" wool with an acid bath which partially denatures the wool. It's nasty stuff that only someone in a large industrial factory would think was a good idea and it only sort of works. It also makes it harder to spin because it eats the scales away.


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## Osiris (Jun 9, 2010)

Hmmmm.... interesting thing about the meat bred. I didn't know that. Thanks. 

I understand what you're saying about the fleeces. But I don't want to 'spin' the wool, just weave with it. I'm not a spinner (yet)  I've got a bunch of wool yarn cones from a woman who did a lot of knitting with it. It feels _okay_ to the touch, but I thought maybe after it was woven I could soften it up more. Perhaps not. Perhaps soften is the wrong word. Just give it more 'skin appeal' :huh: if that makes sense. I read that conditioner works the same way on animal hair as human. Not sure. I've been looking at merino and backing off because of the price. I just don't want to waste what I've got. 

Good to know that info about the army blankets too. Only been at this fiber stuff for 6 mo. A real newbie here. But I've learned an awful lot right here! 

lambs.r.cute : love your tag line! 

Thanks! You folks are a wealth of information! And I'd really like to try spinning sometime. Just not right now! hehe


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## hotzcatz (Oct 16, 2007)

Saying it is made of wool is about as specific as saying something is made of cloth. Is it silk or burlap? There's dozens or more breeds of sheep and each breed will have a different quality fleece. There's variations between the individual sheep in each breed, too.

Wool is an amazing fiber and depending on which wool it is, it can be used for a lot of different things. One of my favorite sheep is a black/gray colored Clun Forest wether and his fleece is perfect for soft squishy crochet rugs. Spin it up really chunky and a single crochet around and around in a circle or an oval and then it's lovely for your feet. Very durable, too, much more so than those pathetic store bought rugs. I'll do a few rows of his dark gray wool and then a few rows of his mom's creamy white wool and have a mother-son striped rug.

There's also the merino sheep's fleeces. Those don't want to spin fat and chunky, they resist that ferociously. However, the do want to spin up fine and soft to make sweaters, socks, scarves, etc. 

There's a few books out which will tell you what you can expect from each breed's typical fleece. "A Field Guide To Fleece" is one as well as the "Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook" is another. I think those are the correct names. but I didn't look them up. But they are very informative books.


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## Miz Mary (Feb 15, 2003)

Just a thought ...... what if you use the wool for a warp, then say, alpaca or something similar thats soft for weft ?? I have this same thought in my head ..... I have some not so soft wool that I was thinking to try this with .... 

maybe do a sample to test ??


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## naura (Mar 21, 2012)

Does washing with lanolin soften it up? I heard of people washing their gloves and diaper covers in a lanolin wool wash bath and they say it gets softer and waterproofy


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## SvenskaFlicka (Nov 2, 2011)

I have softened wool a little bit with conditioner. It makes a difference, but not much. 

Also, some of the wool I have has a lot of sizing on it to keep it smooth when weaving. It also makes it very scratchy. Once washed, the wool is a completely different animal!


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## Osiris (Jun 9, 2010)

Cool. Lots of input on this. I didn't mean to open up a debate about different types of sheep or fleeces cuz.... I don't know about sheep or fleeces. But I'm certainly learning from you folks! Thank you SOOO much! 
Lesson #1: Never use a dead sheep for clothing  j/k

Miz mary - I had thought about that too! Using the wool as warp and find something very soft for the weft. I've been watching alpaca and lambs wool and merino, but so far i can't find any great 'deals'. 

For me, personally, I don't care. I have a Hudson Bay blanket on my bed and I love it. A blanket or throw would be fine just for warmth. But for wearable items and gifts I'd rather it have some appeal. 

I keep thinking about a line from Dylan Thomas' "A Child's Christmas in Wales", where he's describing Christmas gifts: 
"......and from the aunts who always wore wool next to the skin, there were mustached and rasping vests that made you wonder why the aunts had any skin left at all. ........"


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## lambs.are.cute (Aug 15, 2010)

I have two words to your lesson #1- sheepskin jacket. Lol

(Btw one of my grandmother's girlhood job WAS to pick the wool off a dead ewe. They were so close to going under that every bit helped. )

And I think that by dead sheep Maura meant shorn then butchered. It would be very hard to shear a dead sheep. Pelts of course are another matter.


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## Osiris (Jun 9, 2010)

Correction noted... You know what I meant. ;-) Those sheepskins they sell for weaving benches are top notch!

I just got some lambs wool/angora/silk. Gonna try that. I can use the stuff I have for warp like Miz Mary said. It's fairly strong too. 

HT should start assembling a book! SOO much information from SOOO many people on SOOO many topics. Everyone has something to contribute. It's like the wikipedia of real life! Big ^5 to you folks. Thanks


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

The book idea has been tossed around. Unfortunately, there would be issues with "copyright" or just people wanting to get paid and deletion of things. It is best to keep it free to all via the Internet.


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## reneedarley (Jun 11, 2014)

SvenskaFlicka said:


> I have softened wool a little bit with conditioner. It makes a difference, but not much.
> 
> Also, some of the wool I have has a lot of sizing on it to keep it smooth when weaving. It also makes it very scratchy. Once washed, the wool is a completely different animal!


Even longwools feel softer when woven. Because of the length of the single fibre there are not so many sctratchy ends sticking out. Will you be spinning your warp and weft? another trick is to use Z spun for the awarp and S for the weft making a "flatter " fabric, or singles for the weft.
As to Sheepskins, I love the fÃ¤lltÃ¤cke used here. Sheepskin and a woven back for beauty and an even warmer skin.


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## DragonFlyFarm (Oct 12, 2012)

Osiris - why don't you wash a bit up and once it's dry tuck it under your bra or underwear waist band, or inside your sock and go about your day...That will give you a good idea how scratchy the coned yarn is. Rosepath I love those little shetland faces! Post some pics of your sheep!


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## Miz Mary (Feb 15, 2003)

YES, Oriris , tuck it under your bra !!!!!!:hysterical:


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## DragonFlyFarm (Oct 12, 2012)

Lord have mercy....how the heck did I miss "Tom" at the bottom of the post?! Not that there's anything wrong with a Tom wearing a bra...... just saying


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## SvenskaFlicka (Nov 2, 2011)

I'm laughing so hard right here... :rofl:


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

When I first started with working on fleece, I was gifted Suffolk wool from a 3 year ewe (that is how long it had been since the sheep were sheared). The fiber was sooo long and what I made was not at all like the wool yarn I have seen and felt sold at the stores. I have gotten some thrift store wool yarns that were very scratchy and then some that were soft. The Suffolk wool was soft enough to be comfy against the skin. I have gotten some commercial mohair that is itchy while others are soft, same % of mohair without silk. When I worked up some Alpaca Roving, that was absolutely silky soft. I agree on those wool blankets sold commercially, wow are those itchy to use. I think with all the hand crafting done on here, we are all getting a free education on what options to choose from! I love the pictures above with that rustic sled and furs!'

I just put scarves on my son to test them out. He loves wearing any scarf around the his neck and with his sensitive skin, I get the feedback from him.  Ok that comment about Tom had me laughing too!


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## Osiris (Jun 9, 2010)

DFF .....ROFL! Tuck it in my bra!! I'd have to get one first! Yeah I know what you're sayin'. Maybe I'll try it out on me! Plenty of places to stick it! I'll try out a plain weave and see. Looking forward to weaving with wool. 

Reneedarley! *BEAUTIFUL* photos! I've seen a lot of pics of beautiful Scandi weaving being backed with sheep skins. It adds a level of survival seriousness to an otherwise luxury item. I like it a lot. 

You guys are the best! Thanks for all the support and ideas. Gonna weave some up and try it out !!!

Marchwind: didn't know anyone had suggested the book.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Lol, DragonFlyFarm until now I didn't notice that either :ashamed: Sorry Orisis, I assumed you were female :hammer: Live and learn. Now I'm even more thrilled that you are part of our group. More men involved in the fiber arts is FANTASTIC!!!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Orisis, it's been years since it has been talked about, at least to my knowledge. I agree it's a great idea but I think logistically and legally it would be a total nightmare but I really don't know.


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## Osiris (Jun 9, 2010)

Yeah I think me and Forerunner are the only 2 males on this forum!  

Traditionally many of the weavers were men. They made the cloth and the women spun, carded and dyed. They say it took 5 women to keep one weaver busy. That's because it's *5 times the work to spin, card and dye*!!! It's a very cool craft this weavin'. 

I used to play piano and haven't for 6 or 7 years. As a former organ/piano player, turned to weaving, I recently read a line on a blog from another weaver in a similar situation. Her quote: 
"I sat down at this huge stringed instrument (loom) and knew I had arrived home. Now I make music with fiber, texture and color." Rings true for me too. 

Marchwind, I can see the legal ramifications and arguments and such. I work in an attorney's office so I know. Best to avoid all that. Sure a lot of good input on this site tho.


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## SvenskaFlicka (Nov 2, 2011)

There's also Dixie Bee Acres. Don't forget about him!


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## kkbinco (Jun 11, 2010)

Osiris said:


> Yeah I think me and Forerunner are the only 2 males on this forum!


Raises hand.


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## SvenskaFlicka (Nov 2, 2011)

There are at least 5!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Kkbinco you too? Also my friend Rich aka Uglydogsfarm. I love having all these men here, it's great! I know locally here in our guild we have a few men but I know a few from other areas who are spinners and sock knitters (Weever's DH) and others.


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## kkbinco (Jun 11, 2010)

Yup. My emigrant humpteenth great-granddad was a weaver too, so in a sense I'm rediscovering the family trade.


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## SvenskaFlicka (Nov 2, 2011)

Now if I can just get Philip to join.


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## hotzcatz (Oct 16, 2007)

Do you know the percentages of the lamb's wool, angora and silk in your yarn? The lamb's wool should be soft and provide sproing. The angora should be insanely soft although with no sproing and the silk will be soft (although not as soft as the angora) and will provide strength and shine but no sproing.

I use a lot of "Hula Bunny" yarn which is 40% English angora, 40% Merino and 20% Tussah silk. Spun to a 3 ply fingering weight. We got this little loom at a yard sale several weeks ago and it's been loads of fun.










I added more heddles (is that what the little metal loops that hold the yarn and go up and down are called?) and put two strands of yarn through each slot on the beater(?). This is my first weavings so the terminology is new to me. It now has sixty four strands for warp when it started out with about a third of that.

Just a plain weave with the angora/wool/silk yarn and it doesn't look like much when it comes off the loom but a bit of washing improves it to no end.










It's almost gauze, the weave is very open at this point.










It becomes fabric like with washing.










Hula Bunny yarn has three colors so far, so this scarf is made with Hula Bunny's silvery "Moonlit Dance, the beige "Beach Bunny" and the new "Lava Rocks" dark gray.

Also, depending on if the wool is "superwash" or not, it will felt. Hula Bunny yarn felts, so the ends get woven in because they don't make decent tassels. If I had any silk yarn, I'd be tempted to warp the loom with silk and weft it with the angora/wool/silk yarn. But, warp and weft with the angora/wool/silk and weave in the ends works, too.

Little looms are fun, I may have to make a few at some point, but there's way too much chaos at the moment to take up making looms.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Very cool about the family history and rediscovering your roots kkbinco. Do you have any pictures if the man and or any of his work?

Very nice job on the weaving HotzCatz.


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

*reneedarley,* in case I missed I missed saying this, WELCOME!!!! Velkommen! No wait, vÃ¤lkommen!

LOVE the pictures of the sleigh and the fleece sided blankets! Falltacke? I would love to know more about how the fleece/sheepskin is attached to the woven blanket. 

I did some skinnfeller earlier this year and loved playing with the sheepskins. 

http://www.skinnfell.no/

(this is not my picture nor my skinnfeller but borrowed from the website)


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## kkbinco (Jun 11, 2010)

HotKatz, Very nice cloth. Good selveges and wonderful matching ends per inch vs. beating picks per inch.


> I added more heddles (is that what the little metal loops that hold the yarn and go up and down are called?)


 Yep, they're called heddles.



> and put two strands of yarn through each slot on the beater(?).


If you want to be picky you'd say "and put two ends through each dent in the reed." Beater refers to the whole reed and reed frame assembly.




Marchwind said:


> Very cool about the family history and rediscovering your roots kkbinco. Do you have any pictures if the man and or any of his work?


LOL. I'm afraid not. He came over in the 1600's


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## Osiris (Jun 9, 2010)

Wow Cool! I didn't know! Sorry guys!:ashamed:
I guess I just assumed and we know what happens when you assume. 
Hotzcatz LOVE that weaving. Look so soft.... 
You're right about the small looms. The table loom I had (with 4 levers) could produce a bigger variety of combinations than the 6 pedals on my Artisat.
I just wanna go home!!!! And wind a warp! :hair

I'm looking forward to the next project. Just got some angora silk lambs wool blend and some recycled merino....:sing: Gonna do a couple of scarves in waffle weave. Boring white and beige.... but I like neutral colors. 

My brother saw the krokbragd I did. I think he was impressed. He's usually unmoved by anything remotely 'artsy-craftsy'. But he actually wanted to take a picture....and his phone died! Darn the luck! LOL 

Still pluggin along on those little knots. I'm gettin' better at it tho!
I was practicing a weavers knot yesterday. Really simple! Don't bother watching all the videos on it. Jenny Bellairs has a simple explanation. It's essentially a slip knot - simple as that. 
http://jennybellairs.blogspot.com/2010/01/fast-pictorial-guide-to-weavers-knot.html

Of course I was trying it with clothesline! 

WIHH - LOVE those skinnfellers!


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## hotzcatz (Oct 16, 2007)

"dent in the reed". Wonder how those terms came about? Was there once dented reeds used in weaving? Were reeds actually once made from reeds? 

I'm thinking of making a loom, but not sure how to make the reed for the beater. (I hope those terms are used correctly) A yarn store on the island has a 20" reed, and it's a nice stainless steel one, but it's $50 just for the reed which is a bit much when the rest of the loom has to be made as well. There's probably a way to make one out of something laying about the place, but at the moment - no new projects.

Hmm, that "weaver's knot" is slightly reminiscent of a bowline. Which is a very useful knot. 100% strength (a square knot will decrease your line strength by 50%), you can put breaking strength of the line on it and still undo a bowline later, too. I'll try it next time there's a short warp.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Reeds are not cheap Hotzcatz. But here are places that will custom cut them for you if you have loom that is an odd size.


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## featherbottoms (May 28, 2005)

Hotzcatz, yes, reeds were once made of reeds. Here's a link to some listed for sale on eBay right now from Bulgaria

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Bul...ury-RARE-/190960598042?_trksid=p2054897.l4275

I don't know where the term "dent" comes from.

Personally, I like the stainless steel reeds. I have maybe 10 original metal reeds for my various looms and the older ones, the ones wrapped in paper, are all in need of some cleaning because of age related issues. The new stainless ones I have look like they will last forever. The old ones work fine but once they start to catch warp ends then I'll have to figure out how to spiffy them up, and that's not going to be easy if even possible. 

You are right, replacement reeds aren't cheap. However, if you build a loom that's a standard size then you can use the purchased reed if you ever come across another bargain in a standard size loom.



hotzcatz said:


> "dent in the reed". Wonder how those terms came about? Was there once dented reeds used in weaving? Were reeds actually once made from reeds?
> 
> I'm thinking of making a loom, but not sure how to make the reed for the beater. (I hope those terms are used correctly) A yarn store on the island has a 20" reed, and it's a nice stainless steel one, but it's $50 just for the reed which is a bit much when the rest of the loom has to be made as well. There's probably a way to make one out of something laying about the place, but at the moment - no new projects.
> 
> Hmm, that "weaver's knot" is slightly reminiscent of a bowline. Which is a very useful knot. 100% strength (a square knot will decrease your line strength by 50%), you can put breaking strength of the line on it and still undo a bowline later, too. I'll try it next time there's a short warp.


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## Osiris (Jun 9, 2010)

featherbottoms I'm JEALOUS! 10 reeds???? Well I've got 4. I really need a 12 dent tho. 
You can sort of 'fix' up the reeds by using a very fine wet sandpaper (black) Probably a 1200 or higher. I roll them up and slide them thru the dents back and forth and up and down. It's time consuming but it does. I'd recommend using a liquid with the paper tho, like mineral spirits or even alcohol. It will help the paper last longer. Some even use a Dremel with a little wire brush. Finer reeds are a pain tho. It's hard to get between all those teeth.

Hotzcatz, yea originally the 'ethnic' looms beaters were made of reeds. It's not as crude as it sounds. They're more like a bamboo stick. Actually lasts much longer than steel! 
Found a vid on making a reed for a loom. I doubt you'd require metal bars. You could use good dowel rod (oak or maple)
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_cGeh6tcYQ[/ame]

I've cut down an old reed with a hacksaw to fit my little table loom. No big deal. It just unravels a little. You can use an epoxy to seal the end again. It'll hold up. So if you found an old reed, as long as the height is good, you can recycle it. 

Also for removing rust from a metal reed - use METAL RESCUE! GREAT stuff! Looks and smells like water. Just soak it overnight and it gets rid of everything. If it's pitted, you may need to do some sanding, but the rust will be gone.


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## featherbottoms (May 28, 2005)

Osiris, I have two 45" Leclerc floor looms and between the two I just counted 12 reeds. I only have so many because when I bought the 8n4l loom it came with 8 so I am sure I have duplicates in those 12. Once I get the 8n4l set up to use I'll go through the heddles and decide what to do with the extras. I'm leaning towards offering my 4h for sale so would keep at least one complete set for the 8n4l and the others will probably go with the loom. For the 22" Leclerc floor loom I think I have 2 reeds and for the rigid heddle loom I have 3. The Glimakra Emilia only has 3 sizes available for that size rh loom.

I'm sorry, I just realized I completely hijacked the thread!


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## Osiris (Jun 9, 2010)

No hijack at all FB! I pretty much got my answers on the wool problem. Most people here have a lot more experience with fiber than me and have a lot of ideas on what works and what doesn't. That's why I posed the question. 

But now I'm even MORE jealous! 12 REEDS!!!! I've shyed away from buying more because I'm so new at it. And I just got the 36" loom so I'm still learning on that. I've used reed substitution wherever I can for the few things I've done. 

I used to work in tool and die so I'm used to dealing with metal. Otherwise I'd probably never dream of cutting down a reed! 

Love to see what Hotzcatz has in mind for building a loom! I've seen those PVC looms, but.....eh.... They don't impress me too much. They may work, but wood is so much more attractive and really quite easy to work with. A loom is just 5 or 6 major parts. If you've got good stability and decent wood it'll overcome any string tension. 

Here's a cool pdf I found early on. It's about building a loom!
https://www.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/webdocs/df1_loom.pdf
There are actually lots of site with ideas and plans for building a homemade loom. It depends on what kind you want to make. Navajo, Backstrap, Inkle, peg. 
The more I read about weaving, the deeper it gets!!!


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## SvenskaFlicka (Nov 2, 2011)

I think I have 4 reeds for my Macomber. Maybe 5. And I got some wool warp in yesterday to try some krogdbrad.


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## Osiris (Jun 9, 2010)

Woo-hoo!!! Svenska! It's a real joy to watch the patterns take shape. There's a 'double Krokbragd' too!! More ziggidy-zag appeal! 

Below are a couple of pdf's I pulled off the Net before I started. They're really helpful. 
Here's a link to another great book. Too big to upload, but it's still out there for the d'load. Called Scandinavian Art Weaving
http://www.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/monographs/hew_scnd_1.pdf

Also this one

https://www.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/books.html#C

(Scroll down to "Collingwood" and dload "rug weaving Techniques beyond the basics" - good book! P.68 and 69 has Krokbragd info. 

Enjoy! And thanks for all your help too!


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## SvenskaFlicka (Nov 2, 2011)

Thanks for all the links! I'm excited. :sing:


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## Rosepath (Feb 18, 2011)

Not to double-hijack the thread, but with all this weaving enthusiasm, I would be remiss not to let fellow/gal weavers know about a rare opportunity to purchase two, count 'em, two historic barn-frame looms.
Owned by Historic Madison, Indiana, offered to those who truly want atmosphere in their atelier and have room for the same. PM me for photos.
Nothing like sitting down to weave on a loom that if it could talk, would impart stories from the golden age of home-produced textiles. Just putting one's hand on the beater, worn smooth over decades of weaving, is quite an experience.
And no, I'm not buying them, already got one of the early 1800 vintage along with all my other looms. These things seem to multiply like kittens, or rabbits, or dust bunnies.

Re: Shetland wool. Here it is on the hoof.


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## Rosepath (Feb 18, 2011)

Oops, sorry, the last photo is of the Angoras, Maude and Petite. They are such camera hogs.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Rosepath can you please post about the barn loom in a separate thread also. I think there may be people interested but they might miss it buried here in this thread.

Thanks.


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## Rosepath (Feb 18, 2011)

Capital idea, I'll do just that, thanks!


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## Rosepath (Feb 18, 2011)

Just wanted to let everyone know about a rare opportunity to purchase two, count 'em, two historic barn-frame looms of late-1700 or early 1800' vintage.
Owned by Historic Madison, Indiana, offered to those who truly want atmosphere in their atelier and have room for the same. PM me for photos.
Nothing like sitting down to weave on a loom that if it could talk, would impart stories from the golden age of home-produced textiles. Just putting one's hand on the beater, worn smooth over decades of weaving, is quite an experience.
And no, I'm not buying them, already got one of the early 1800's looms along with all my other looms, I love my historic behemoth, it's unlike anything else to weave on. They are located in Madison on the southeast corner of Indiana, I am clear over on the west side of the state, but if someone is really interested in one or both of these looms (one is listed for $50, whatta deal!) I'll arrange to go over there with you and look them over. You'll need a pickup truck or a hefty SUV with luggage racks for transport, they do come apart and go back together pretty easily, it's how they were made.
Call me a shameless enabler. It's true.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Hmmmm! Okay I'll just copy and paste it into a new thread for you.

Thanks for trying


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## Rosepath (Feb 18, 2011)

LOL, this is why I stick to 1800's technology, can't use a computer for nothin' - sorry about the post above, it is for the main Fiber Arts section. (update, now posted)
My apologies for repeating myself, silly me.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Yup I want it on the main fiber arts page. If you can't do it don't worry, I can.


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## hotzcatz (Oct 16, 2007)

Are there pictures of the big barn looms yet? Or are they in pieces not looking like much at the moment? Unassembled looms look like a pile of sticks.

Building a loom of koa wood would be nice since it feels really lovely under your hands and looks incredible. Hard to work, though, since it has a crazy grain pattern and it's a heavy wood, too, so if the loom was of any size it would be heavy to move around. There aren't a lot of weavers on the island although there are a few and they could probably come up with a few reeds if I asked them, but that limits me to what's available. Kinda like going into a yarn store, all you can get is what they have and if you make your own there are ever so many more options. Plus making a reed might be more fun.

Some of the old reeds seem to be made with stiff wire held between two rails. Hmm, I could take a stick, run it through the drill press and put a hole everyplace a wire should go. What would be the best way to index that? Maybe a clamp with two spacers the distance I wanted the dents? Drill a hole, move the spacer over to relocate the work, then clamp and drill. Tedious, but should work. I suppose I could mark and eyeball the things, doesn't have to be super exact. A fence would keep them all in line so the only eyeball necessary would be for the distance apart. 

Ha! I could make a small lever with a point on it. Put the lever on a bit of rail so it can move towards and away from the work. Put the work up against the fence and have it clamped with enough tension to keep it in place yet still able to move a bit. Move the lever towards the work until the pin point grabs the stick, move the lever over a certain amount and move the lever back away from the work. Drill, repeat. I could even make a gauge for the lever so it moves a certain amount depending on how many dents per inch.

Then after the line of holes is drilled, cut the stick in half lengthwise and perpendicular to the line of holes. That would give me two sticks with matching holes. Either push the wire rod through the holes or separate the sticks down the line of holes and lay and glue the wires in place then glue the two sides of the stick back together. That would be the hard part for building a loom, once the reeds are made, the rest should be really basic.

But, at the moment, we're rehabbing a house so NO NEW PROJECTS (at least until we get moved over there, then there's time and new space for new projects). I think I need "no new projects" tattooed somewhere, though, there's always more projects than time.


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## reneedarley (Jun 11, 2014)

Wind in Her Hair said:


> *reneedarley,* in case I missed I missed saying this, WELCOME!!!! Velkommen! No wait, vÃ¤lkommen!
> 
> LOVE the pictures of the sleigh and the fleece sided blankets! Falltacke? I would love to know more about how the fleece/sheepskin is attached to the woven blanket.
> 
> ...


Oh I love all this highjacking. One learns so many new things.
Thankyou for the welcome.
Yes the Norwegians do beautiful designs with their templates.Ihave a friend here who works with both methods, woven and printed.









And here are some reeds I found in my barn made with wooden slats


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## Osiris (Jun 9, 2010)

Oh man SOOOOO cool!! What amazing handwork and craftsmanship! 
I would LOVE a barn loom. But I'd need a barn first :ashamed: I've seen one on CL ready to go to whoever wants it. But the SPACE!......
Those coverlets are gorgeous too Reneedarley! When it comes to weaving, the Scandi's really got it goin on!!


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## featherbottoms (May 28, 2005)

reneedarley, you are posting some really incredibly nice pics. I love those reeds. Are they still usable? Just looking at the photos they appear to be functional and in great shape.

Hotzcatz, I don't see why making reeds like you describe wouldn't work. My new ss reed is just metal inserted into two pieces of heavy duty plastic.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Marchwind said:


> The book idea has been tossed around. Unfortunately, there would be issues with "copyright" or just people wanting to get paid and deletion of things. It is best to keep it free to all via the Internet.


OT but Carla Emery did have her own forum on HT when compiling the 10th edition of The Encyclopedia of Country Living


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

hotzcatz said:


> Were reeds actually once made from reeds?


Yes! I actually have a reed made from reed & beeswax


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## Osiris (Jun 9, 2010)

The only difference between those reeds and a new one from Gowdey Reed is ....metal. Gowdey still makes them exactly as you see them above except they put steel bars in where the wood/dent is. The bars are still _hand-wrapped_ and still wood. The ends are capped with a brass cup. Gowdey has been making them for over 150 years. I bought a 45 inch reed for the Weaver's Delight from him. He's a wonderful friendly helpful guy. Well worth the patronage and his prices are only slightly higher than the mass produced reeds. I didn't ask, but I wouldn't doubt he could make wooden reeds. 
http://www.gowdeyreed.com/


Cyndi! That's awesome about the encyclopedia. Is it still available anywhere or was it taken off line?


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Osiris,
Carla started compiling 'stuff' for The Encyclopedia of Country Living in 1969, I think the first edition came out in 1974. The 9th edition was the last edition put out by Carla while she was alive. Some HT's were her 'field editors' for the 10th edition. She died of peri-cardio infection Oct 11, 2005 before it was published. 

Carla was at our homestead June 23, 2005. What a delight she was!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Very true Cyndi and many of us were helping to edit it. I guess all that info is in the hands of her family. I still have one of my packets of info. with all the notes, in a box someplace.


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## Osiris (Jun 9, 2010)

Wow! Well that's good to know someone actually compiled something. This place has a legacy! And a history!
I just renewed my subscription. Was thinking about a lifetime but it's not in the wallet just yet.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Marchwind said:


> I guess all that info is in the hands of her family. I still have one of my packets of info. with all the notes, in a box someplace.


At least in Don's hands. There was a bit of contention between Don & Carla's children about the royalties of the 10th edition. Dolly (Carla's daughter) contacted me about a year after Carla's death.

Yup, I still have my packets with notes, et al somewhere around here also!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Yea, I remember all that mess. She was such a wonderful and gracious woman. They came and stayed with me for a couple of nights when she did a talk in Bemidji.


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## Osiris (Jun 9, 2010)

>...."she did a talk in Bemidji"....<?? Is that a PLACE? Or a LANGUAGE? :huh:


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## SvenskaFlicka (Nov 2, 2011)

A place. It's a nice place. I get my Superwash Merino roving from their wool mill.


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

What wool mill is in Bemidji?


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

LOL Orisis! The answer is both. Bemidji is the first city on the Mississippi River, sister city to NOLA. The city was named after Chief Bemidji and Ojibwa Indian Chief from the area. It is also where Paul Bunyan is from . http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bemidji,_Minnesota

Kasota yes, Bemidji Woolen Mills, they have an online store. All their roving is Merino top and I think may also be superwash but don't quote me on that last bit. It is actually worth the trip when the weather is good. They have a factory outlet sale twice a year (usually).


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## SvenskaFlicka (Nov 2, 2011)

At least the white I get from them to dye is Superwash. I think the other stuff is too. I was told it is.


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## Osiris (Jun 9, 2010)

Ahh, yes. Looked it over. Nice stuff! Just never heard the name before. 
Now you ladies got me looking at rovings! STOP IT! 

I'll be getting a wheel soon!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Orisis, you can use roving as weft you know 


You are welcome :sing:


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Osiris said:


> I'll be getting a wheel soon!


bwuhahaha! another one has been turned!


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## Osiris (Jun 9, 2010)

>.....bwuhahaha! another one has been turned!.....<
LOL
Oh don't think I haven't looked! I really don't need another diversion. Right now I just want to learn the skills of weaving.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Well you need warp and weft to weave. You CAN spin your own you know . Are you familiar with Sara Lamb? She us amazing! I love her blog, so colorful and full of interesting stuff www.saralamb.blogspot.com


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## Osiris (Jun 9, 2010)

Yes, Marchwind, I know I could spin my own yarn. The thought has crossed my mind. 
I've already gone from a 'music room' to a 'loom room' in less than a year. My daughter thinks I'm nuts. Some of my friends do to (not that I really care :nana: cuz I'm having a BLAST! And at almost 60 I have nothing to prove to anyone) 
I just want to get more experienced at actually _using _the fiber before I consider trying to make it. It was 'twining' that led me to this weaving thing. 

I know myself well enough that when get interested in something, I'm like a dog with an old shoe. There simply isn't room in the 'room' for more stuff! And that's exactly what would happen if I decided to 'try' spinning! One wheel would lead to 3 and a house full of 'animal hair' (daughters has bad allergies) LOL Someone would call the guys in the white suits. I'll just stick with one 'hobby' right now. Perhaps in a few years. 

Just warped up for another couple scarves yesterday. Can't WAIT to start throwing the shuttle!:sing: LOL....and I don't even WEAR SCARVES!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Lol Orisis, you are definitely warped :facepalm: What does your wife think of all of this? Does she have any interest in the fiber arts at all? Sorry to hear your daughter has allergies . Does she react to wool? Are you worried she would be allergic to sheep fleeces?


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## Osiris (Jun 9, 2010)

Ohhhh, I'm divorced for a number of years now (still good friends tho). But my ex would actually like this quite a lot. She used to do NA bead work, tan hides, stained glass, wood burning, pottery wheel, painting, rosemaling, and the Rev War era re-enactments. We are very like minded. She actually brought home a buffalo hide once - intent in tanning it. Well, the intent was there anyway, the job was just bigger than she anticipated. But she was/is an artist at heart too. My one daughter lives with me, the other with her. The one living here is allergic to 'air' LOL. I don't know how or where she got those allergies but she's got 'em. I won't tell her the scarves I'm making have angora! Let's just see....


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Buffalo (bison) is a difficult hide to tan. I've brain tanned plenty of deer hides and even a cow hide. After that cow, a buffalo would intimidate me.

Careful with the Angora ... it's the one fiber I am allergic to. I even steer clear of booths at fiber fairs that bring bunnies to sell.


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## Osiris (Jun 9, 2010)

Cyndi, YES, buffalo hide is an intimidating fur. My father-in-law did one and made a beautiful skin out of it - for his 'teepee'. My ex did a deer hide and made a nice vest out of it. I began tanning a large skunk skin once. I wanted to make a hat! They make beautiful hats. But it magically turned into a little baby skunk overnight! (I didn't stretch it) The last of my tanning endeavors. :ashamed:


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