Skywise Seppa - the handwoven wrap, pt 1, the yarns

The Handwoven Wrap

The Yarns

I've been looking and thinking of using my rigid heddle loom that I bought several years ago, and hadn't really used. I decided with lockdown keeping me from LARP and my character, that I'd take this opportunity to get weaving and using the loom. I also wanted the rustic look for my handwoven items, and bought a 15dpi reed for my loom.

After that, I then had to search for finer yarns in the colours and textures that I was after. I joined a few FB groups and started making enquiries, and someone suggested Uppingham Yarns.

This company allows one to purchase sample cones and also create customised sample cards, so I used that to create a sample card of their 2/17nm lambswool with Skywise-favoured colours, or what I thought might be favoured, what one saw on the screen wasn't always what one got. Nevertheless, I ordered a range of blues, beige, creams, browns, plus white and black.

I opted for sample cones because I didn't know yet how the yarns behaved, what the colours might play out when crossed with each other, etc.

Below is part of that custom sample card.

Uppingham also carries some 'Knoll Shetland Type super soft wool' and its sample card, which I also ordered, as it had some of the reds and greens for Navarr and monster kit. Again, sample cones are an option, so huzzah!

The other company, which appears to be the descendant to the now defunct Texere Yarns, is the Airedale Yarns company. As far as I can tell, they don't do sample cones, but they also had some coarse Shetland wool yarns in some interesting colours, that range is named 'Lockwood'.

Lastly, I wanted to use some of the fine yarns that I had sitting in my stash, because I do have silk, linen, cotton, and wool, yarns of approximately the right thickness and colour for Skywise. Also, undyed creamy/off-white yarns are part of the Skywise colour scheme.

The following pictures show some of the many yarns that I drew from, anything labelled Texere came from my stash, the rest were the Airedale and Uppingham yarns.

Texere "Silk Heather"

Uppingham 2/17nm lambswool in white

Uppingham Yarns' "Havana" a discounted colour from their Knoll Shetland type super soft wool.

Uppingham Yarns' Silk Noil

Flax-Linen, wool, silk, cotton...

I confess, it was difficult to rein back on just how many different yarns I could use it this sample weave. I went by feel, colour, and smell... because yes, some yarns have a peculiar odour or fragrance to them, which I find oddly appealing.

Turns out, that 'pure linen single' from Airedale is just that little bit too thick, and was unsuited for a 15dpi reed. The linen was the only yarn that shredded and broke from the heddle's action. The 12.5dpi probably would have been better for that particular yarn. The rest performed perfectly well as warp threads.

Some Texere and some newer silk-mix threads atop them.

Uppingham Yarns' 2/17nm lambswool - black, oatmeal, linen, driftwood, key west, and blue sky

The Uppingham Yarns, besides the white, took a while to arrange sample cones and to arrive. In my haste, I started with the Uppingham Yarns' white, 'Havana,' and the Airedale Lockwood, the Airedale silk, and the Airedale linen, and my Texere stash, for warp yarns.

[continued in pt2]