There are two cones that have been waiting on my yarn shelves for years. They are really annoying. "When are you going to use us already?" they call, pathetically. Today they caught me in a weak moment, as I was facing a naked loom.
The yarns are hemp 18/2 and cottolin 14/2, full of texture. I wanted to combine them in a warp for some towels in an amalgamated twill, but I wasn't sure if they would hold up as a warp. They are quite hairy. Sample time. I wound a short warp 6" wide, holding both yarns together in the cross. I picked the ends randomly as I threaded the heddles. The sley is at 36 epi in a 12 dent reed. I started weaving with red 16/2 cottolin. Click to enlarge.
By quitting time I hadn't yet experienced any broken warps, a good sign. The fabric is wonderfully scrunchy and rough, yet the pattern is not obliterated. I think I'll have to beat just a tad harder, as the pattern isn't weaving up square, then again there won't be as much draw-in on a wider warp. I'll wait on the final decision until I have an opportunity to wash a sample.