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S1-Episode 9 - Making a Mohair Blankie....Yes
Season 1 - Foundation
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Hi! I am Violeta, From spain. New weaver since a month or so. Really pleased of having found this school and that it exists as an online version.
Here is my question: I have a lot of lace mohair (don't ask, please) because I am a knitter. Could I use the same technique with this kind of thread (it is Rowan Kidsilk laze mohair)? (adjusting the sett, of course).
And another question: Jane told something about beautiful joining to sew narrow pieces of fabric to become a blanket (I have an 50cm Erica loom, by Louet) but I cannot find in which video she explains how to join them. I suppose with mohair it isn't a big deal because after brushing you can't see the joining, but with wool it may be totally a point.
Many thanks!
For the lace weight mohair, I found that setting it at 10 epi worked well (you have to recalculate the yardage). Not sure the weight of the materials she uses in the sample, but I tried lace weight at 6 epi and it was a bit too flimsy. To be honest, the lace weight at 10 was gorgeous, but I'd use it as a shawl before a blanket.
Would agree on your assessment for joining - don't recall where that was mentioned.
Cheers!
Andrea
Cathy Johnson
Thanks for the info! I came here to ask the exact same question, also a knitter ;)
I couldn't find lessons on joining either, I have a Schacht Baby Wolf which is 26" wide, I will be trying double weave but I don't think that works with mohair lol.
I'm thinking about trying out mohair for the first time, and also considering making a baby blanket with mohair. First want to try it out. I'm using the width you provided for the monte cristo baby blanket 35" and tryin to calculate based on the guide.
In the guide, you have this example:
Throw
6 epi
x 45” wide
270 warp ends
x 3 yards long
810 yards
675 yards weft
1,485 total yards
7-ish balls
Where exactly did the 675 yards weft come from? How would I calculate the yardage for weft? Also does the mohair come in balls, meaning for this example, you'd need to buy 7 balls of mohair?
And lastly... would you use the brushed mohair for a baby blanket? Or other preferences for a baby blanket yarn or weave?
For the weft amount, I believe this is calculated based on 6-7 ppi x width x length of blanket (s). You might need less than 7 balls since yours would be 35" wide.
The mohair that is sold through JSD - I'm not sure if it is on cones or balls - it sort of looks like balls in the picture. The mohair I used was in a skein so I put it on my swift and wound my warp and bobbins directly off the swift to fuss with it as little as possible.
Once the mohair is brushed it is soooooo soft! I think you could use it for a baby blanket - but try it! I did a wee sample before and was glad I did because the yarn I was using needed to be resett. Alternatively, you could try the twill Shetland x Mohair blankie. You can find the formula for this in the JSD master sett chart (i.e., sett the Shetland @ 8 epi) and calculate your warp/weft with the formula sheets. I would like to see a final one of these thought .
Oh wait - I'm re-reading this, but I'm still confused by the calculations. In that example above - 6 x 45 x length = 810, and right below that is listed 675 yards of weft - so I'm not sure what that number is calculated from.
So for me, 6 x 35 x 3 = 630 yards. So I guess I just need the weft calculation to figure out how much total.
I think regardless, it'll probably be close to that number, so I'll probably want to get 7 in order to make a blankie.
Thank you!! Also I just noticed the yardage amount per cone/ball is listed in the shop! so I'll calculate and figure out how much I need from that. Appreciate the help!
I recently forwarded your email about Mohair prices to my daughter-in-law, saying "if a box of mohair arrives on my doorstep, I'll know you'd like me to weave you a mohair blanket for your new house".
And? A lovely box of brushed mohair arrived this week. I'm a fairly new, tho mostly fearless, weaver, so am thinking it'd be much safer for me to use the Harrisville Shetland as warp & the brushed mohair for weft. Then I can weave them 2 coordinating blankets, plus some pillows for their sofas also.
I see the mention of the twill Shetland set at 8 EPI. Just a plain twill?
Also, I am lucky enough to have both a Louet Spring I loom and a Fireside jack loom - any recommendations on which loom might be friendlier with the mohair than the other? In case I decide to be truly fearless and warp with the mohair? Jane weaves both samples on a loom with metal heddles, but doesn't specifically mention that's why she chose those 2 looms for the projects.
Thanks for any advice !
Yes, Jan - 8 epi and 8 ppi for Shetland warp and Mohair weft in Twill. Either loom will work, but use your widest one - you will need a 45” loom or wider. If you use a Mohair warp - don’t forget to warp front-to-back! If you use Shetland for warp - you can warp back-to-front as we do with everything else. It sounds like you are going to have a great deal of fun in your near future!
Jan Smiley
Thanks Sandra for the quick reply & the details - I'm really looking forward to this project!
Sandra, I have my Shetland warp on the loom and ready for using the mohair as weft. I have it set at eight EPI. Re-watching the mohair videos and Jane mentions always weaving mohair in plain weave to minimize the shedding. Am I correct in using a 2/2 twill instead since I am using Shetland for the warp? Or ? Thanks for the help!
Jan
Can I use the mohair weft in a double weave width blanket using PW? I see a post above stating that it wouldn't work, is that correct? My project is shetland for the warp and mohair for the weft. PW Double weave. I have done straight wool in a double weave with success.
Mohair is a very sticky yarn and could cause you problems as you weave your layers. Best to weave a sample so you understand how they will work together.
Thanks. this will give me the opportunity to put a small warp on my new Jane Loom! My big loom is a 39" Toika countermarch. The big loom did well with wool double weave. I'll post progress and results when done. I have a deadline.
I would love to hear about your progress, as I am planning exactly the setup on my Jane.
Agnes, check out my post:
Double Weave sett, using wool warp, mohair weft
Season 3 - Pushing the Boundaries of PW
I go into grave detail about my experiences and possible pitfalls with the project. A good learning experience. I will proceed with the mohair weft, with the wool warp. But first I'm going to do a shrink test with the 2 different fibers and get percentages. If you have any other questions, post them on that thread if you please.
I'm about to embark on the mohair blankie adventure. Jane recommends a skeleton tie up for weaving with mohair which makes sense but I have a Glimakra countermarch loom. Is it possible to create the skeleton tie up that she suggests? Thank you for any suggestions.
Hi there, here is a link to an article in the Knowledge Base on our other website.
https://janestaffordtextiles.com/knowledge-base/skeleton-tie-ups-on-a-countermarche-loom/
It tells you exactly how to do it.
Happy weaving.
Jane
Perfect, thank you!!