The information below is an excerpt from my book, Dyeing by the Numbers.
Decide how long of a strip you want to hook. I prefer 36” (1 yard) but will occasionally dye 18” for smaller projects.
Measure 36″ along the selvedge of your wool, snip and rip. Never cut wool. Ripping keeps your edges on the straight of grain. No human with scissors can do as well. The straight of grain is important for the strength and durability of your strips.
Snip close to the selvedges and tear them off. If the exact amount of wool isn’t important to your formula, you can leave the selvedges on. Save the selvedges. They are great for testing dye baths (if undyed), tying up bundles of wool, etc. Selvedges are often used in prodding projects also.
Fold the wool in half; snip at the fold and rip. See the diagram above. You now have a fat 1/2 yard.
Fold each section in half, in half again and in half once more as shown in the diagram below. Your folds will be parallel to the selvedge. Your finished bundle is approximately 3 ½” wide and 36” long.
Snip at each of the folds, two on one side and one thick one on the other.
This will give you a section of 8 swatches, the equivalent of 1/2 yard if you originally measured 36” long.
Rip into sections of the desired size. For sky and grass I use a piece 4 swatches wide @ 18″ long (a swatch set). If you need more to cover the space you are going to hook, use more swatch sets. For spot dyes and backgrounds I use the full 1/2 yard piece.
Soak to wet the wool and dye as desired.
I recommend synthrapol or other wetting agent that is pH neutral. Soaking in soap will affect the pH level and require more acid to set.
GREAT INFO on your page! VERY inspirational!!
I am a new rug hooker. I have recently purchased a strip cutter and a sampling of pieces of wool. The pieces are all 28 x 16 1/2 or 16 x 13 ” I am not a sewer and I am not sure what is the ‘straight’ of the grain. Most of the wool has been died or already washed, so I am having a hard time drying to determine which way to cut my strips on these pieces of wool. Doesn’t seem that difficult but I don’t want to make the wrong decision. thanks
Do any of the pieces have a selvege? If so, your strips will run parallel (think railroad tracks) with the selvege. The straight of grain is obtained when the wool is ripped. Never take a piece bigger than 3″ or so wide to the cutter. When in doubt, cut is so you get the longest strips.
Cindi,
Yet another great tip from a fabulous teacher. Unfortunately, I doubt I will ever buy a bolt of wool, but I can use the information on smaller pieces of wool, such as a yard or a half yard. You have shown how to get the right amount off for cutting up later.
Thanks.