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

Recycled Wool Sweaters and a Felted Wool Sweater Rug

Last week I received the three 75 lb. bales of recycled wool sweaters I ordered from my supplier. Greyhound no longer stops here, so we had to drive to the next town over to pick them up.

Mark is very cautiously cutting the metal strapping. The bales are under a lot of pressure. It sounds as though a gun goes off when the strapping is cut. Then the bale expands and expands, revealing all the wonderous wool textile inside.

I am however finding it harder and harder to find pure wool. There is more and more  superwash wool.. I know, I know, this makes me rant.... I very much dislike superwash wool.  The way it feels when it is wet makes me wonder if it has any of the wonderful qualities of wool left in it. It feels just like acrylic...

I do have bags and bags of sweaters that I could not felt. 

My first rug woven from my new bales, beautiful purples, blues and greens!