Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Sifting Through the Piles

We arrived about 1 pm and the guys went off to buy boxes to load the yarn up into.  So far I've sorted through one room.  Essentially separating the sheep from the goats, so to speak.

Yarn stored for a very long time can go 'bad'.  Especially fine yarns dyed a very dark colour.  So the first thing I am doing is testing each cone of yarn for structural integrity.  There is no point keeping anything that won't serve, even for weft.

It is a good lesson in 'use it up before it goes 'bad'.

Once the guys are back with the boxes I will then sort through the piles of 'good' yarn, deciding which I will keep and which I won't likely ever use.

There are 3 more rooms and the basement to go through.  The basement being the biggest challenge.

There is also a Cranbrook loom down there and a small 8 shaft Mountain Loom (it looks like) upstairs.  Just in case anyone in the area is interested....

5 comments:

isabel said...

Laura, can you say more about how you're testing the yarns to make sure they're still good and/or how you can tell when something's gone bad? I have a large inherited stash and would love to know how to evaluate it... thank you!

Laura Fry said...

Yarns for warp should be able to withstand several gentle tugs without breaking. Some of this yarn won't even take one tug before breaking. Some of the yarn is dyed very dark, which can weaken the yarn, some of it has been stored where the sun could reach it which also weakens it.

A good lesson to use it up (and then you can buy more?)

isabel said...

So if it falls apart easily, you're not keeping it for weft, even?

Laura Fry said...

Yes, if it won't even withstand a single gentle tug it probably won't withstand being beaten in. And it won't wear well as a finished textile, either.
Laura

isabel said...

Makes sense - thank you!