"A Rug For Maniphone....."

Our former neighbor, Maniphone, who now lives in North Dakota, asked me to weave her a new rug for her kitchen. I was more than happy to do so, and asked for her color preferences and measurements.

Here are the loopers that I dyed in the washing machine using Rit dye....Green Apple. I used Rit dye because loopers are cotton or a cotton blend, while the dyes that I use for sock yarn are meant for animal fiber only.

The process was pretty easy, although I did have a couple of setbacks that made the process take a "bit" longer. It was a first for me....."experience is the teacher". I dyed 2 loads of loopers....in the 1st load, the loopers were put into mesh laundry bags that I'd bought at the Dollar Store (I'd suggest buying a better quality than that), which worked OK, but a couple of the bags tore during the cycle, allowing loopers to escape and become tangled. Load #2 was done using no mesh bags, but just dumping in the loopers, which of course, tangled, too, but no worse than when I used the inadequate mesh bags. After drying both loads in the dryer, I had about the same amount of de-tangling to do from each load, but in all truthfulness, it wasn't too bad of a time de-tangling them. Patience is the key.....as with life, eh? ;)

The warp is set at 12 epi (ends per inch). Maniphone asked for a 3' x 5' rug, which means 432 warp threads, plus 8 extra so that I could double the threading in the last 4 heddles of each side, making it a stronger edge.

This photo shows the warp wound onto the back beam and ready for threading the heddles......

Half of the warp threaded.....only 220 more threads to go.......

I love my new loom! The front beam is removable so I can sit somewhat inside the loom for threading the heddles.......

This photo shows how the heddles of each shaft have been colored to make the threading easier. The texsolv heddles, are easily marked using a permanent marker.

After threading the heddles, each warp end has to be threaded through the reed, which will be placed in the hanging beater. The reed is what "beats the warp" into a nice and firm fabric.

The loom completely set up and ready for me to begin weaving.......

The loopers are chained together and wound onto a shuttle. For this rug, I used another method to chain these loopers together, suggested by "Karen In The Wood", a woman I met when taking my first Jason Collingwood weaving workshop. I follow her blog...... http://kareninthewoods-kareninthewoods.blogspot.com/

This photo shows the end of one chain and the loopers ready to add to it......

Here is the finished looper rug prior to hemming the ends. I also ended the rug differently this time, too. Instead of just turning the hem, sewing it, and leaving it to show, I turned it, hemmed it, then totally laid it underneath the last row of loopers and attached it by sewing through the loopers, leaving a completely hidden edge (well....as complete as I could get it, that is). I think it made for a nicer looking rug.

I do need to add this little antidote though......Maniphone gave me the measurement of what she wanted "without" measuring the rug she wanted to replace. The "real" rug size she needed was 2' x 3', instead of 3' x 5'! LOL....Simon and Henry now have a cushy rug at their Lego play table, which makes me happy, too. Eventually Maniphone will get what she needs.......I promise......really, I do! ;)