“Caora an Iarthair” – Sheep of the West.

This sample was created using an ARM Touch60 loom using 8 out of 24 shafts. The draft used for this weave was a straight draft at a width of 14” and 28epi. The woven structure used was called the Brighton honeycomb which gave similar textures to the sheep’s wool. The colour seen was naturally dyed using plant based dyes. Indigo was used to create the bright blue and log-wood was used to create the rustic orange. The technique used to create the sheep bum element of this sampan involved cutting stands of plain un-dyed wool and strands of the dyed wool and then tying and knotting these strands to the warp when the shafts have been lifted. Once tied they were further secured with the weft yarn. Once all the weaving was complete the samples were removed from the loom and the edges were sewn and secured. Once the pieces have been framed to create the super fluffy and puffy texture the 2ply wool used was unravelled leaving the yarn crinkled and curled just like the bodies of sheep.