My next Plan is to pop them in black sacks and put them in the freezer for a couple of weeks. If there are any livestock left in them this usually kills them off. I remember seeing this done with stuffed animals before cleaning them. I couldn’t bear the idea of the carpets going in the freezer before getting washed.
I took them to the St Lawrence Abrevoir. I was slightly contrite about all the pink dye coming out of the nice bag cushion cover thing. It’s considerably lighter now. Anyway I reasoned that as it was an unfixed natural dye, and the amount of water running through it, it wasn’t exactly going to turn St Aubins Bay Pink.
The difference between an Abrevoir and a Lavoir is that the Abrevoir is built for watering animals, and the Lavoir for doing washing. I was intrigued to find the design of the Abrevoir has a small chute where it pours back into the stream. The bag floated off to this chute and lodged there, which actually filled up the basin of the Abrevoir to about four inches. I hadn’t realised it was designed like that.
It is built with a deep trough for horses which like deep drinking water, and then this spills out to a wider area on a slight slope back to the exit chute and back into the main stream. I think sheep like very shallow water, which is the normal spill over the stones. Then cows like moderately deep water such as when the exit chute is blocked. The water is all fresh and running. It was wonderful paddling about in it. It felt like something very ancient to be doing. I suppose it took about 30 minutes to feel the carpets were rinsed enough. There is quite a lot of water going through the Abrevoir at the moment.
I will take some photos of the carpets tomorrow when they have had a vacuum, and before they make their way into the freezer. I think 5days is usually enough, but a week or two wouldn’t hurt. I will check the thermometer, but stick it on fast freeze for a few hours for this lot. I suppose it’s a bit odd to put carpets in the freezer, but thankfully my Husband knows about the freezer trick as well. He likes the flat one with geometric patterns on it. It might end up under our coffee table. He suggested it.
The rose carpet was still shedding a bit this morning, but it feels quite nice. Quite soft. I will have to get an opinion on these carpets if they survive the freezer. I like things with history. I love the geometry of these carpets. I obviously don’t understand them, but it’s useful to know about these things. These carpets take so long to make, and there’s is such skill and knowledge in their construction. They all have meanings too. I suppose I am insatiably curious about most things!