The Gray Yarn I Am Not Using – Yet

betterLast year when our Scandinavian Weavers Study Group held the RED exhibit, I made postcards.  When asked if I needed reimbursement, I said that I would just like some gray wool yarn, bits that people might have left over.  I planned to make a big piece with varying textures and tones, along the lines of this test piece.

The BEST yarn ever came from my friend Nancy Ellison.  Hand spun!  With stories!  Nancy wrote, “Enclosed is some gray handspan yarn from my sheep. The hairy single is from an Icelandic.  The softer two-ply skein is from “Buddy,” who was a bottle lamb four or five years ago.  He is Gotland and Shetland.  He was one I was giving a bottle to on the “Off 90” film which can be clicked on from my website.  I don’t remember which sheep for the more novelty yarn skein.  Hope you can make use of these in your weaving.”

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For my first new warp of the year, I pulled out all my black and gray yarn.

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After a day of playing with ideas, though, I’ve begun a danskbrogd monochromatic (with a dash of red at the bottom).  The surface is flat and precise, and not suited to the wonderful texture of Nancy’s yarn.  It’s a gift for another day, another project.