Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Research and Development

I've been doing some experimenting. I found a mill that has a machine that wraps fiber around a yarn or jute core, making what they call rug rope. This is a photo they sent of what it looks like.

Intrigued, I asked for a short sample, which they sent. It is about two feet long.


Here it is close up.



You can sort of see the fiber wrapping around.

I have bags and bags of coarser fiber, what is called 2nds and 3rds. Fiber from the lower belly, neck, and lower legs. Rugs would be the perfect use for it. The cost is only slightly more than what I pay to have my good stuff carded into roving.



Imagine this a lot wider and longer. This is just the small sample I had wrapped around the loom. This would create a very long lasting, hard wearing rug. Or chair pad, or dog bed, or cat bed, or butt pad for sitting at the outdoor football game. Or ice fishing.

I am experimenting now with dyeing the sample they sent. My suspicion is it would be better to send the fiber already dyed, than to dye the rope. We'll see.

P.S. Cindy guessed correctly. My new glasses are blue metal rim on the top, no rim on the bottom, and the whatever you call part that goes behind your ear (bows? arms? legs?)are dark blue on the outside and light blue on the inside. The only sunglasses clip-on that would fit are blue/purple mirrored, so they totally match the glasses. I'll be so hip and modern. Hahahaha.



6 comments:

Mama Pea said...

Dear R & D Department:

What fantastic rugs the rug rope would make. Think of all the great colors you could come up with. Would they be washable (like in a heavy-duty machine) or would they have to be dry cleaned?

cornbread hell said...

great rug idea.

your new glasses sound real spiffy.

Linda Sue said...

Rug rope, looks amazing, strong and warm- saddle blanket worthy...
Your new frames are hip and happenin' Chica!

Annie said...

Mama Pea, I don't know yet. More R & D is necessary once I get the rug rope made. I might felt them, in which case they might be able to be machine washed with little additional shrinkage, or at least soaked in the machine, (no agitation)and spun dry in the machine.

Rick, maybe the glasses will help me not feel so old, staid and boring?

Linda Sue, saddle blankets are a brilliant idea!

Cindy said...

What an amazing and way cool idea! I love it. That would make an amazing rug/blanket/saddle blanket/darned near anything! And, I KNOW you look way cool in your stylin' glasses!

cornbread hell said...

hahahaha. "old, staid and boring."

you are none of the above.