fiber arts and handicrafts

[Sunsilver]

Yeah, when I was looking up the YouTube video, I saw one of the larger ones used for hats.

[RoseMorninStar]

My hat loom came as a set of 4 sizes, infant, child, adult, large adult. The oblong one for scarves is just a single piece but you can make a wide or narrow scarf depending upon how many pegs one uses. Mine are similar to the ones below. I guess there are fancier patterns and things one can make with a loom, but I was happy to get the hats and scarves made.

[Sunsilver]

Thought Maria would find this fascinating...the wool in the word's oldest known rug was fermented to help fix the dye colours that are still vibrant after 2,600 years!

https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/.pr ... AS7YbEMh5E

[RoseMorninStar]

I found that fascinating. I was not only impressed by the color retention, but that it survived all these years! As for how they ferment it, I'm guessing urine is involved. I believe the Scots did that with their wool and also, I think, with linen.

Ancient peoples (Aztecs) figured out that corn needed to be nixtamalized in an alkaline solution (usually limewater) to release/convert niacin in the corn into a usable form to prevent the disease pellagra. They had developed that process at least 1,200-1,500 BC!! Boggles my mind.

[Maria]

I didn't know you could ferment protein! That's amazing. I've dabbled with dying and the color washes out so easy that I quit trying. The only thing I used dyed wool is with felted animal sculptures that will never get wet. I am really impressed with the fermentation technique. However that works.

[Sunsilver]

Here's the scoop on the technique, Maria! Not sure you'd want to try it, though...

‘Traditional Anatolian textile craftspeople are familiar with a less costly yet reliable technique,’ says Meßlinger. ‘They spread the dyed wool out on a field for several weeks in direct sunlight, then put it in a barn as bedding for their animals before rinsing it out in a stream or river.

https://www.fau.eu/2021/03/04/news/rese ... he-answer/

[Sunsilver]

For the purpose of the study, the scientists used yeast to ferment the wool:

The fermentation process is started with a suspension of sourdough and wheat bran. The latter fosters selective growth of G. candidum yeast due to a high content of pentosan. The G. candidum culture regulates the pH to 4.4 and hinders the growth of putrefactive bacteria. Within about 3 weeks of fermentation G. candidum decomposes lipids inside the cuticle layers of the wool enhancing permeability within the subsequent dyeing process. After fermentation madder roots and mordant are added to the suspension at ambient conditions.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-84747-z

[Maria]

OK, they were fermenting carbs and that creates acid which weakens the wool fibers. I didn't *think* yeasts could eat proteins.

[Frelga]

Don't know if this is of interest, but I also don't know that it isn't.

[elengil]

Oh man I WISH!

[narya]

I have this sudden urge to learn how to double knit.
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/librar ... f-the-ring

[Inanna]

Oooooooh

[Maria]

You could do the same sort of thing with cross stitch.

[Frelga]

Look! It's stop motion animation, but knit!

[RoseMorninStar]

[Inanna]

Wow.

[Impenitent]

Applauds!

[Maria]

Cute!

[Frelga]

Check this out! It's a quilt of 3-in-1 famous paintings in a quilted frame!

[Maria]

I can't see the picture.