Weaving samples gives you valuable information about the yarn, color, and sett. But what to do with all those samples has always been a challenge to me. In the past, I saved them in zip lock bags in shoe boxes with notes about the sett and the yarn. After years of weaving I still make samples but I don’t save them in boxes. Instead I try to make something useful from the sample and just keep pictures and make notes. These reel cases are made from samples. I dyed the rug wool and sampled it to see how the colors worked together before designing a rug. The warp is black 20/2 cotton sett at 10 ends per inch and the rug wool is used single in plain weave. I cut 1/2 inch foam with a slot for the reel handle. I used spray glue to cover the foam and the the unpadded side of the reel case with commercial fabric that looks like sheep’s fleece. I was able to make both sides of the case match by weaving my sample 16 to 17 inches wide and cutting the pattern circles side by side. These were a great gift for my fishing friends too.
