Also, my usual finishing manipulation was nearly impossible because of the tight sett. (The fold often needs slight adjustments to some of the ends.) So, for short, the "dry finishing" took a lot longer than I am used to. And I had no idea whether I could clip the woven-in ends or not. (In the end I did not)
Finally, it was done, and all fringes were twisted.
Before wet finishing, two things were very noticeable: it was extremely sturdy, also very heavy.
Into the washing machine it went, and came out feeling much the same. No shrinkage, no blooming (but I knew that). Also no drape...
Pressing did a lot. Now, it is still heavy (of course), but it does not feel "sturdy". It also does not drape as I had expected (but it is plain weave, which does not exactly help - but from all the "rave reviews" I had expected more.) I may have to try mangling it, but that is for another day.
I wonder how the knots in the fringes will hold up? They look half-chewed-up just with the first washing. How does the rest of the world treat tencel fringes?
- And, I may have invented a new way of wearing a small V:
So what have I learned?
- Tencel is not a forgiving yarn, so it is probably not a good choice for V-shawls.
- Tencel is heavy, which means I will want much finer, if I'm going to weave something "serious".
Which adds up to: I'm not a convert (yet). (But I have a cone of white 30/2...)
For Charlotte: this yarn was given to me by Laura Fry - I asked for it, just because I haven't seen any Scandinavian place offering it fot sale. But it is supposed to be produced in both the UK and in Austria...
2 comments:
Himla snygg, även om du hade lite problem med den.
Hälsningar Monika
Tencel fabrics softens when placed in a dryer for a few minutes without heat. The ends look better if you twist them after wet finishing and placing in the dryer. I secure the ends before wet finishing by loosely braiding the ends in large sections and securing with rubber bands; wet finish; place in dryer for 3 - 5 minutes no heat; press the fabric and smooth the ends with the iron; then, for me the last step is twisting the ends and cutting the 'tassels' even with a rotary cutter. My method adds a step or two (braiding and unbraiding) but I like the look of the fringes better that way with rayon yarns.
Stephanie S
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