I am a weaver in Milwaukee, WI. I just discovered your website with lots of beautiful pictures and….most of all, saw that you are a weaver of mohair! I just made a mohair throw on my 36″ loom and would LOVE to make more but I found the stickiness so difficult I don’t know if I can ever do a 100% mohair warp again….but I love how they look (and feel). I see that I missed your day workshop on that subject (but I can’t make it to B.C. now anyway). I have been looking all over for information on weaving with mohair and this was so perfect. Do you have a booklet that gives your tips? Or a video? I would be so thrilled to be able to weave more colorful mohair throws!!
I don’t have a DVD on working with mohair, but I do have some written instructions that come with our kits. In it I tell you how to make a “dummy warp”. You might like to try it out with a narrow warp before you do it 36″ wide. This system makes weaving with mohair a breeze. Also, in our Online Guild – I demonstrate working with mohair in Season 1: Episode 9 – Making a Mohair Blankie… Yes! If you are ever looking for mohair we stock it in a lovely colour selection of Brushed Mohair.
I think I get how you do this. I have never done a dummy warp but it sounds easy enough. I do have a couple questions: 1) What is a “straight draw”? I guess I’m not familiar with that term.
1,2,3,4. Just regular threading for plain weave
2) Do you only weave one blanket at a time with the mohair warp or can you put a long enough warp on to weave more than one?
We make a warp for 3 which is 7 1/2 yards 3)
3) You use a boat shuttle with a bobbin when you weave? How large of a bobbin and shuttle? I was using a ski shuttle and also a large stick shuttle.
I use a regular bobbin 4″…but I wind them tightly by holding down the fuzz right at the bobbin.
4) I found I had a lot of fuzz come off the reed when I was done. Is there a way to keep the blanket fuzzy while working on it so it doesn’t lose so much fuzz in the process? I think the reed takes it out. I am using a 6 epi reed.
There will always be a lot of fuzz. My reed is coated with fuzz.
5) I saw you full your mohair blanket when done. My mohair is not 100% mohair. About 75%, I believe. I doubt if that will full.
My mohair is 78% Mohair 13% Wool spun on a 9% nylon core. It fulls very well. Do a sample to test it.
6) Do you ever brush the surface of the finished blanket when done to give it a little more fuzz?
I brush the blankets with a nylon hairbrush to raise the nap after the blankets are fulled.
