Wool lint tips for rug hooking

Dark wool ready for the dryer

I told you that I would be back with some wool lint tips- here they are. Short and sweet.

In this time of COVID we have all found ourselves needing to wear masks- some, more than others depending on what your day might be like.

Just wear a mask

I have started wearing masks when I cut wool for rug hooking. The dust can be quite something depending on the piece you are cutting. In the studio it has become apparent just how much dust is created! For some reason it wasn’t as noticeable in the house (maybe because it is always dusty there…). Gracie isn’t even brought into the studio when there is a kit to cut- even the dog doesn’t need this . She won’t wear a mask…but then again- I can’t fault her for that.

Mask ready to wear

It is sure easy to wear a mask- you probably all have one or more masks at home. No need to be breathing this wool lint or anything else extra into our lungs right now. There is a good assortment of homemade masks hanging by the door to grab as we leave the house. Just one more thing to remember when leaving, but a necessary one. It seems like we will be needing masks for awhile, according to Dr. Fauci.

Blue wool strips

Put your wool strips in the dryer

The second tip is this. If I have a large amount of wool strips- especially black- I just loosely knot them and throw in the dryer for 5 minutes or so- the dust (lint) ends up in the lint trap and not spreading all over the place. That was a trial that worked out beautifully. The strips come out the same as they went into the dryer minus the lint ! A mesh bag would most likely work the same. I’m going to try that this week. Really, that might be done each time with any amount of wool here. The important part is to gather the strips in some fashion so they don’t get tangled.

Wool cutter dust for rug hooking strips

Bolivar wool cutter

As you can see- the dust beneath, around and in the blades is quite a bit from cutting the above bundle of blues. My Bolivar cutter gets a workout and needs to be cleaned regularly so it will work it’s best.

Wool for so many things!

Wool…I do love it and am determined not to let the dust get to me. The history of this wonderful fabric alone makes it that much more special. It reminds me of my childhood – my mother used a lot of wool in her day.

Have you made any masks yourself? There isn’t a style that seems better than another for me yet. I’ve tried several and the quickest one seems to be the pleated one – how about for you? If you have a recommended pattern please share. Are you double masking now?

You can’t be too too careful these days! Stay well my friends.

#rughooking #woolstrips #rugwool #wooldustremovaltips #Bolivarcutter #woollint