Recycled Textile Rag Rugs

I have been very busy trying to build my rug inventory up for an upcoming sale in Thunder Bay, with Artisans Northwest. I have also accepted two consignments with different shops. I will discuss these shops in a different post.

I am weaving for the first time with mixed fibre, using more of the sweaters that come to me in my bales. I was only using pure wool, but have decided to utilize the wool blends as well. It makes economical sense for me, as I was giving most of the sweaters to thrift shops in the city. I will still be donating bags of sweaters but now, not quite as many.

I have less than two weeks till the sale so I must get at it, get myself busy cutting textile then weaving.

Rag Rugs and Pebble Jewelry

I have been working on this rug for few days, it takes quite a few hours to cut up  fourteen sweaters. I finished weaving it early this afternoon, and got it photographed and listed into my Etsy shop just before dinner. I was not quite sure how the colours would work, but they came together very nicely!

handwoven superwash wool sweater rag rug

Lake Superior beach pebble, pearl and copper necklace

I  have been dreaming all winter of combining pebble with pearls. I am pleased with this new necklace. I picked the pebbles up at my sisters camp on Black Bay last summer. Red Rock red... it works well with the brown pearls and the gorgeous copper!

Handwoven Superwash Wool Rugs

Who knew after all my ranting about superwash wool, that I would make friends with the stuff. I have been weaving rugs with very fine superwash merino sweaters. They are lovely, and make thick cushy, spongey rugs, I do love them. However it takes twice as many sweaters to weave a rug, as the fabric is so fine. This in turn drives the price up. Twice as much work involved cutting the sweaters, and then weaving, twice as many threads per inch, in comparison to the felted wool.

beige, gold, green, blue superwash wool rug

rust, brown, gray and black superwash wool rug

Handwoven Felted Wool Rag Runner

I finished weaving my longest felted wool rag rug runner today. It is seven feet long. Too long for me to take a full birds eye view photo from up above, well too long for me to do it in the house. Too much snow and ice outside to take outdoor photos right now.

full length view

grey, to blue, to green with a little beige

hey, look ma, not one pair of Keens but two!

hehe!

Felted Wool Rugs and Peacock Plums

I am very pleased and excited to be weaving again! It felt wonderful this afternoon to take this rug off my loom and list it in my shop. My stock has dwindled somewhat, which is a great thing!

felted wool rug

peacock plums

I listed this gorgeous pair of earrings in my shop last night.

the colour is fabulous! 

Pale and Pretty Handwoven Felted Wool Rug

A new rug, not woven at midnight.. maybe I will change that habit of mine. I woke up very early this morning to finish this pale pretty rug. It is a combination of off white, cream and tan, but has an unexpected splash of colour from the patterns on the front of three of the sweaters. I just listed this beauty in my Etsy shop!

up close

a shot with the shoes, in the front porch

Multi Grey and Mauve Handwoven Recycled Wool Sweater Rug

My midnight madness struck again.. headed up to bed last night and veered into my loom room, thinking I was going to start tidying up in there for Megan's arrival this weekend. I discovered I had enough bits and pieces of wool cut to start a rug. I suppose in way I did start to tidy.. I have less wool to stash whenever I do start to turn my loom room back into a bedroom.

I listed this gorgeous multi grey, mauve, purple, pale green and gold rug in my shop this afternoon.

up close and personal

boot shot in the front porch, my new winter photo taking space

Handwoven Felted Recycled Wool Sweater Rug

I did it again.. went up to bed last night and got called into my loom room. There is something exciting about weaving late at night, when the house is quiet... well except for the banging and clanging of my loom, the whirring of my sewing machine... . I don't really think Mark is impressed with this new found habit of mine. I finished the rug this morning.

Gorgeous new rug, love the combination of greens, blues and purples in it. I just listed in it my Etsy shop.

rag rug woven from recycled wool sweaters

Beige, Brown to Green Handwoven Felted Wool Rug

I have finally wove a new rug for my shop. Gorgeous earthy tones, a range of colour, from beige through brown to green to dark green.  I love it, but then again, I would as I am an earthy girl.

handwoven felted wool rag rug

Last night, I actually turned off the computer, finished cutting sweaters, carried the piles of wool up to my loom room. I set about to cutting the strips of wool, to the measurement I was going to use, and then before I new it, I was warping the loom, then weaving. I really didn't mean to start last night, I had an insanity moment take over.. poor Mark. When I finally went to bed hours later, he said boy you have been busy. I was having such a great time I didn't realize I was making a racket and keeping him up. This morning was his first shift back after a month lay off. He will be tired tonight.

I had an energy about me today, excitement at being back at the loom and working with wool and colour.  I knew I was missing it but didn't really realize how much. My elbow is by no means healed but I will sneak rugs in every once in a while. I would like to build some inventory back up in my shop.

The End of November

Wow, time is flying! The end of November already, yikes, Christmas will be upon us before we know it.

Thomas is leaving tomorrow, we will drive him to the city to catch a flight out. Hard to believe he was here for a month. We are hoping he will be back for Christmas.

Yesterday I warped up my loom, and started to weave. I have had a custom order for a rug waiting since September. My elbow has not healed but the worst of the process is the cutting of the sweaters. Well just the cutting of anything, not a great motion for my elbow.

I was great to be back at the loom though, gets me excited. I am not halfway done and already thinking about what I can weave next, what colours I can use! Very exciting for me!

So for now until I have rugs to list, I am listing jewelry. Two new pieces listed yesterday.

silver frost

copper rose

Artisans Northwest

We are heading to Thunder Bay later this morning, as I have my big Artisans Northwest Craft and Fine Art sale this weekend at the Valhalla Inn. Thomas has kindly offered to be my helper. I hope he is still talking to me on Sunday afternoon.. it is a long weekend...

I have taken my rugs out of my shop and am almost ready to go.

Last evening I had two different items up on the front page celebrating the North American trunk Show on Etsy.

pretty amazonite necklace

red recycled wool sweater rug

My rug and another necklace sold last night, so exciting! Wish me luck for this weekend!!