After the sampling, a thousand very fine merino warp threads went on the loom and a day's weaving in linen/silk/lambswool slub single thread and the weave was over. Finishing required 55 degrees hot water to shrink the fabric to two thirds of its original width, then blocking.
The fabric has two separate almost gauze like layers joined at the squares of double density single cloth. The same single cloth at hem gives a gentle flare at the ends. It's very soft, light and drapey.
More experiments with doubleweave. This is a weave whereby two layers of cloth are woven simultaneously one above the other. I designed a fabric with two layers of plain weave sandwiching free floating red threads between them. At intervals the cloths are woven together as a single cloth in a series of squares. These also trap the red threads. Between the squares the red thread is either tightbpuffing the two layers apart when it shrinks on washing, or very loose allowing it to free form.
The first sample was at two close a sett, so the red threads were only visible with back light. I widened the sett for a second sample with almost a gauze like structure.
I also wove a sample as single cloth with a wool warp, but used the double layers as squares. In the single cloth the wool is tightly held by the warp, but in the more open sett of the double layer it can shrink and create a seersucker effect.
Planning to use this knowledge on a scarf project next.
Interested in doing something in deflected doubleweave and this scarf by Madelyn Van der Hoogt has the added attraction of having several different weft densities, so I can practice to improve my beating accuracy. The sea of green, is wool which is "fulled" (partially felted in the finishing process). The bumps I'm changing to 8/2 cotton (pink) so they keep their weave texture. I ve also modified slightly the balance of wool to cotton in the warp to suit sectional warping.
I ve been thinking about the possibilities with double weave of having separate cloths joined at intervals where the cloths are different weave structures, yarn weights or setts. So I'm doing some sampling starting with a fine open sett Swedish lace over a heavier plain cloth.
Niaux have no minimum for carding, so we decided to give it a go on the remaining white fleeces. First we needed to do a third triage to eliminate any remaining vegetable matter, coarse or felted fllece. The fleces are already triaged at shearing and before washing. Three enormous sacks of white fleece weigh just 7.5kg. The triage took us about 7 hours and eliminated about 1kg.
Now we have to wait for the results. Meantime there are the brown fleeces to do.
Susie is keen to try putting coats on the sheep to keep the fleeces clean and unfelted...we may try a couple.
The wet conditions have made sheep shearing less easy. The sheep have to be confined to the bergerie for 48 hours so their fleeces can dry out. Our first shearer cancelled at the very last moment so the sheep were released. Finally we found another shearer and today the 24 sheep were sheared. Our new shearer is Chrystelle from Erp who has done a fantastic job. In the afternooon she went to shear Jerome's 42 tarasconaise at La Coste and I helped as Jerome was without his usual helper. The tarasconaise are huge compared to our ouessants so all in all it was quite a physical day.
Our flock waiting for their haircuts
