The Result?

Yesterday afternoon, I took the swift outside along with the box of offensive Maysville Rug Filler of which I had six hanks.

I carefully opened each one, put it on the swift, and tied some nylon cord around and through the hank in three different places in an attempt to secure the hank from unraveling and tangling.

When done, I threw them in the washer. Originally, I was going to wash them on gentle/hand wash, but I was so disgusted with the smell, I impulsively selected Quick Wash warm/cold and added extra regular detergent, not wanting to waste my beloved Kookaburra Lavender Wool Wash.

Obviously, I had little confidence in the success of this endeavor.

After the cycle was complete, I could see bubbles on the glass of my front load washer, which dictated a turn to the Rinse/Spin cycle.

What I pulled out of the washer was a heaping mess of tangled, thick cotton cords.

The nylon cording was an error in judgment, as all but three of the eighteen had come undone. It turns out they are far too silky for a simple overhand knot.  The hanks were entertwined and tangled...

Oddly, I was not upset, as I kept telling myself that it was not that bad because each hank was ONLY 75 yards.

After 15 or 20 minutes, I successfully detached each bundle from the others and tossed them on the line to dry. By that time, I had nixed the thought of throwing them in the dryer.

Yesterday was simply gorgeous with sunshine and a high in the 70s.

The dogs love it when I am out there with them, so I pulled up a deck chair and spent the late afternoon untangling my mess and winding them into balls. I thought it was going well with about 20 to 30 minutes per hank, until I finished and realized the whole thing took about three hours, and I still needed to wind them back into hanks to completely dry.

The good news is that they no longer reek!

They have a faint smell, but nothing that makes my eyes water or nose run. They are completely usable.

STINKY BEFORE:


NOT STINKY AFTER:



I am so excited!

Yes, this is turning into a riveting docu-drama, I know.

AND, I did re-use the silky nylon cord/string to tie secure the hanks again, but I do need them to come untied relatively easily. I actually use those when I prepare my warp for plain beaming. They secure the crosses. I just had a major brain fart when I decided to use them for something to throw in the washer, instead of the cotton baker's twine I had sitting right next to it.  (insert eye roll)

Next up, my handsome loom whisperer (the able and capable husband) needs to take the back beam off to replace the broken end piece with a new one. As soon as that happens, I will be able to begin beaming the warp in the colors I have for the rug. He promised to address this on Saturday...

Comments

Popular Posts