Dear Tabby,
I’ve been trying to weave with a fairly fuzzy mohair warp, and it’s giving me fits! It keeps sticking together and I am having trouble passing my weft yarn through. HELP!!!
-Frustrated Francine
Dear Frustrated,
Mohair is notoriously difficult to weave with. However, the effects are so stunning, it’s hard to resist such a delectable fabric. Here are my top tips for controlling the frizz.
- Use a wider sett than you normally would: i.e. if you would normally use an 8-dent reed for that weight of yarn, move to a 5-dent reed. This will help mitigate the stickiness, and gives the yarn space to bloom during finishing.
- Use the mohair sparingly in the warp as more of a supplement, or just use the mohair as weft. The main cause of mohair tangling is when it moves past itself as the reed changes positions over and over again.
- Use a hair de-tangler spray such as Loreal Tangle Tamer spray. Spritz it on your warp and it helps slick the fibers down. This will wash out later, and your yarn will go back to its fuzzy state.
- Use a pick-up stick or weaving sword to clear your shed and to make it larger. This will help separate your warp even further, allowing you to get the shuttle through more easily.
Don’t feel discouraged when a yarn doesn’t immediately work out. Sometimes all it takes is a little patience, a little know-how, and a lot of experimentation.
-Tabby