Yesterday I roared through the warp, wove scarf #48 with the 2/16 bamboo, fringe twisted it and got it (along with a batch of other scarves in approximately the same colours) run through the washer and dryer.
Today while I was up at the guild room hoping to sell some yarn Doug pressed all the scarves and the two shawls I'd wet finished so I could compare the latest 'sample' to the rest of the scarves woven with different yarn for weft.
The scarf with the 2/16 yarn is very slightly lighter (thinner) than the 2/10 Tencel (no surprise there). But, and it's a big but, the drape is so close in quality to the Tencel that I have no qualms about going ahead with this alternate yarn for weft.
This is a huge relief because I truly did not want the added expense (labour and outright cost) of having to get some fine rayon custom dyed. That would have pushed the 'profit' margin to such a thin slice that it would truly not have been worth my while to even make them. As it is I'm having to increase the price of my scarves. Truth to tell, my prices have been static for the past several years as I have battled with health issues - issues that have taken the focus off my business. Frankly, I have just been coasting, in more ways than one.
It is well past time that I look closely at all the facets of my life/business and some changes were long overdue. My prices are one large one. Costs of everything else have continued to climb while I have been dealing with Life.
To partly compensate for the higher price, these scarves are longer than the ones I had previously been making. The longer length will help to justify the higher price, necessary because of higher material costs, marketing costs, etc., etc.
Sometimes you just have to have faith in your product and yourself. If you don't value yourself, why should anyone else?
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