From Sheep to Rug
Adapted from "Rugs and Posts," H. L. James
The Two Grey Hills weavers of Toadlena use only hand spun yarn for their beautiful rugs and tapestries—a much more labor-intensive endeavor. Here is a comparison of the amount of hours it takes a weaver to produce a hand woven 3' x 5' rug using hand spun yarn vs. commercial yarn that has been purchased.
| Activity | 1973 Handspun | 1988 Commercial yarn |
|---|---|---|
Shearing (2 sheep) |
2 hrs. |
0 hrs. |
Cleaning |
10 hrs. |
0 hrs. |
Carding |
40 hrs. |
0 hrs. |
Spinning |
90 hrs. |
0 hrs. |
Washing |
8 hrs. |
0 hrs. |
Loom Construction (Optional) |
16 hrs. |
16 hrs. |
Warping the Loom |
18 hrs. |
18 hrs. |
Weaving |
160 hrs. |
160 hrs. |
Total | 344 hrs. | 194 hrs. |