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Sunday, September 12, 2010

Old Yarn

I have had a lot of broken threads on this warp so far. Far more than I would expect. I think it might be the age of the yarn. I think this yarn might be quite old.

Here is a box of yarn that came with the loom:



And here is what the yarn inside looks like:


I haven't used any from this box, but I have used several partially-used spools that came with the loom. Which means the yarn I put on the loom is at least 40 years old. I'm not sure I want to use the stuff in the box, if this is any indication of what to expect. I often use old yarn, I have a lot from the 80's and even a few cones from the 70's, but this yarn is 60's or earlier. Maybe that's the limit for cotton? My older yarns are all wool or linen, and seem to have held up well.

Maysville carpet warp is still made today. The Maysville Guild doesn't exist anymore, as far as I know. They had a newsletter and encouraged members to send in pictures of themselves and their work. Membership was free. I'm not sure where to find the old newsletters, perhaps some are online somewhere.

3 comments:

  1. Is this for the rag rug you are making? Do you have to re-tie each breaking point? I imagine you do. What a hassle, and after so much work already. I guess sometimes new stuff is better than old stuff. I have had the same breakage problem when using old thread from my Grandma's sewing box.

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  2. From my experience, anything that has been exposed to light will become weaker over time. That's why I store my yarn in cupboards, drawers or covered bins. I would certainly try the yarn that was still boxed, since it didn't have light exposure.

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