Our Process
At Black Sheep Farm & Weavings, the creation of each piece begins long before the loom begins its graceful dance. Our hand-spun yarn is the heart and soul of every beautiful piece we create; it is the first and most essential step, capturing the rich legacy of our ancestral drop-spindle techniques. We use 100% wool from Churro and Lincoln sheep, combined with the exquisite luxurious fibers of Angora and Mohair goats, carefully selected according to our highest quality standards. Through the ancient processes of carding and hand-spinning, passed down through generations, we shape the wool fibers into yarn that carries its own unique story.
Hand-spinning is much more than a technique; it is an art form. Each strand is like a page from our history, weaving the past and present together. The natural variations in thickness and texture give our hand-spun yarn a distinctive authenticity, creating a deep, tangible connection to the land and the hands that crafted it.
Each rug woven with our hand-spun yarn is far more than just a decorative piece—it is a one-of-a-kind work of art. Created with patience, skill, and love, each piece tells a story woven by the rhythm of our hands, honoring generations that came before us. This commitment to tradition and exceptional quality ensures that every creation will “last you a lifetime.”
At Black Sheep Farm & Weavings, we honor both ancient Zapotec traditions and modern innovations in the art of pigments. We use a combination of natural and synthetic dyes to create a custom palette, offering over 300 distinct colors. This approach allows us to keep the highest standards of quality while respecting environmental sustainability.
Natural Dyes: A Connection to Tradition and the Land
Natural dyes are an essential part of our identity at Black Sheep. These pigments, derived from plants, insects, and minerals, connect us directly to nature and our Zapotec heritage. We use traditional ingredients such as cochineal, indigo, walnut shells, and wild marigold flowers to create warm and organic tones. Each dyeing process is unique, and the colors achieved tell a story of respect for the land and ancestral techniques passed down through generations. Rugs dyed with these natural pigments are distinguished by their warm and harmonious “earth tones.”
Synthetic Dyes: Precision and Versatility
For designs that require more specific and consistent colors, we also incorporate high-quality synthetic dyes. These dyes allow us to expand our palette, offering vibrant and long-lasting colors that complement the luminosity of natural dyes. Synthetic dyes provide uniformity and stability, allowing us to fulfill custom orders and replicate exact colors with precision. Additionally, their resistance to light and wear ensures that our handwoven rugs keep their beauty for many years.
Natural Wool Colors: Beauty from the Source
We also celebrate the natural, undyed colors of our sheep’s wool. The sheep provide a range of beautiful, earthy tones that require no dyes at all. These naturally occurring tones—from soft creams and whites to rich browns, grays, and our more unique shade of black—offer an authentic connection to nature and simplicity, reducing the need for additional processing.
Blending Tradition and Innovation
At Black Sheep Farm & Weavings, we blend the best of three worlds. Depending on the design, our handwoven rugs can be dyed entirely with natural dyes or with a combination of natural and synthetic dyes. This versatility allows us to create pieces that are authentic and unique, appealing to those who value tradition as well as those who appreciate modern innovation.
The weaving process is the second-to-last step in creating our rugs. It begins by setting up the loom with strong warp threads. We use a warp made of 80% pure wool and 20% nylon, ensuring that the threads are meticulously tensioned to form the foundation of each rug. Using a two-heddle pedal loom, we weave using the hand-spun yarn across the warp, row by row, thread by thread, creating a reversible rug, which we call a “flat weave” because the same pattern or design is respected on both sides. Each movement of our hands and the loom’s reed brings the rug closer to completion, carefully intertwining the threads to create unique patterns and textures.
Our designs are often inspired by traditional patterns as well as our own creations, including geometric shapes, drawings, and replicas of famous paintings. We call them “inter-tribal patterns.” Each handwoven rug or tapestry tells a story, capturing the dreams and emotions of the artist. This unique combination is reflected in each rug, emphasizing sustainable practices from the wool to the final weave. The result is a beautiful, durable rug that will “last a lifetime,” carrying the story of our heritage, our farm, our sheep, and the artistry of weaving.
The finishing process for our rugs at Black Sheep Farm & Weaving is the last step, designed to ensure exceptional durability and a flawless presentation. Once the rug is removed from the loom, we manually remove any loose threads or imperfections with scissors and tweezers. Each rug is carefully inspected to ensure the weaving is perfect. The fringe is sewn back into the body of the rug to create a “clean finish,” which makes it easier to care for. At the ends of each rug, we add a braided cord that not only adds a distinctive and elegant touch but also protects the edges, ensuring the rug “lasts a lifetime.
At Black Sheep Farm & Weavings, the creation of each piece begins long before the loom begins its graceful dance. Our hand-spun yarn is the heart and soul of every beautiful piece we create; it is the first and most essential step, capturing the rich legacy of our ancestral drop-spindle techniques. We use 100% wool from Churro and Lincoln sheep, combined with the exquisite luxurious fibers of Angora and Mohair goats, carefully selected according to our highest quality standards. Through the ancient processes of carding and hand-spinning, passed down through generations, we shape the wool fibers into yarn that carries its own unique story.
Hand-spinning is much more than a technique; it is an art form. Each strand is like a page from our history, weaving the past and present together. The natural variations in thickness and texture give our hand-spun yarn a distinctive authenticity, creating a deep, tangible connection to the land and the hands that crafted it.
Each rug woven with our hand-spun yarn is far more than just a decorative piece—it is a one-of-a-kind work of art. Created with patience, skill, and love, each piece tells a story woven by the rhythm of our hands, honoring generations that came before us. This commitment to tradition and exceptional quality ensures that every creation will “last you a lifetime.
At Black Sheep Farm & Weavings, we honor both ancient Zapotec traditions and modern innovations in the art of pigments. We use a combination of natural and synthetic dyes to create a custom palette, offering over 300 distinct colors. This approach allows us to keep the highest standards of quality while respecting environmental sustainability.
Natural Dyes: A Connection to Tradition and the Land
Natural dyes are an essential part of our identity at Black Sheep. These pigments, derived from plants, insects, and minerals, connect us directly to nature and our Zapotec heritage. We use traditional ingredients such as cochineal, indigo, walnut shells, and wild marigold flowers to create warm and organic tones. Each dyeing process is unique, and the colors achieved tell a story of respect for the land and ancestral techniques passed down through generations. Rugs dyed with these natural pigments are distinguished by their warm and harmonious “earth tones.”
Synthetic Dyes: Precision and Versatility
For designs that require more specific and consistent colors, we also incorporate high-quality synthetic dyes. These dyes allow us to expand our palette, offering vibrant and long-lasting colors that complement the luminosity of natural dyes. Synthetic dyes provide uniformity and stability, allowing us to fulfill custom orders and replicate exact colors with precision. Additionally, their resistance to light and wear ensures that our handwoven rugs keep their beauty for many years.
Natural Wool Colors: Beauty from the Source
We also celebrate the natural, undyed colors of our sheep’s wool. The sheep provide a range of beautiful, earthy tones that require no dyes at all. These naturally occurring tones—from soft creams and whites to rich browns, grays, and our more unique shade of black—offer an authentic connection to nature and simplicity, reducing the need for additional processing.
Blending Tradition and Innovation
At Black Sheep Farm & Weavings, we blend the best of three worlds. Depending on the design, our handwoven rugs can be dyed entirely with natural dyes or with a combination of natural and synthetic dyes. This versatility allows us to create pieces that are authentic and unique, appealing to those who value tradition as well as those who appreciate modern innovation.
The weaving process is the second-to-last step in creating our rugs. It begins by setting up the loom with strong warp threads. We use a warp made of 80% pure wool and 20% nylon, ensuring that the threads are meticulously tensioned to form the foundation of each rug. Using a two-heddle pedal loom, we weave using the hand-spun yarn across the warp, row by row, thread by thread, creating a reversible rug, which we call a “flat weave” because the same pattern or design is respected on both sides. Each movement of our hands and the loom’s reed brings the rug closer to completion, carefully intertwining the threads to create unique patterns and textures.
Our designs are often inspired by traditional patterns as well as our own creations, including geometric shapes, drawings, and replicas of famous paintings. We call them “inter-tribal patterns.” Each handwoven rug or tapestry tells a story, capturing the dreams and emotions of the artist. This unique combination is reflected in each rug, emphasizing sustainable practices from the wool to the final weave. The result is a beautiful, durable rug that will “last a lifetime,” carrying the story of our heritage, our farm, our sheep, and the artistry of weaving.
The finishing process for our rugs at Black Sheep Farm & Weaving is the last step, designed to ensure exceptional durability and a flawless presentation. Once the rug is removed from the loom, we manually remove any loose threads or imperfections with scissors and tweezers. Each rug is carefully inspected to ensure the weaving is perfect. The fringe is sewn back into the body of the rug to create a “clean finish,” which makes it easier to care for. At the ends of each rug, we add a braided cord that not only adds a distinctive and elegant touch but also protects the edges, ensuring the rug “lasts a lifetime.
