Navajo weaver Betty Joe of Cove,Arizona wove her Late Classic Serape / Hubbell Trading Post designrug in the size 54” wide x 92” long. The design has 3 rows of 4large stepped nested crosses with Spiderwoman crosses in theircenters. Two rows of 4 small nested crosses are between the 3 rows oflarge stepped crosses. Small, stepped, bi-color diamonds fill thespaces between all of the crosses. Thin paired stripes of black andwhite chevrons separate the rows of crosses. All weft yarn is single ply,mill-spun Churro Navajo sheep wool. The strong 2-ply warp is alsomill-spun Churro Navajo Sheep wool. Our company hand dyed the anilineblack, teal, orangeand red colors. The whiteis natural, neither bleached nor dyed. We also dyed the 3 differentcolors of the 3 edge cords described below.
The 3 x 2-ply edge cords are burntorange, chestnutand raspberry red.Three edge cords provide complete weft loop protection from damagesalong the edges. The more commonly seen 2 edge cords allow exposureof the edges\' vulnerable weft loops to damages. The 2 x 3-ply endcords are black and white. The 3 edge cords and 2 end cords are knotted into tasselsat the corners. This rug\'s density is ~8 warps/inch and ~26wefts/inch. It is thin, flexible, lies flat, and waswoven by a lifelongexpert weaver.
{Note regarding Navajo Churro Sheep wool / yarn:We see sellers claiming thattheir rug for sale on is woven with Navajo Churro wool.These claims are notlegitimate unless the seller knows where the specific yarns originate, meaningfrom which sheep. Churro wool is not identifiable from touch orappearance.Knowledge of wool originis impossible with old rugs and blankets.We buy our Navajo Churro sheep yarn from the only legitimate Churro yarn vendor in Americawho sells in quantity. Shelives in El Prado, NM (outside Taos). Her Churro yarn is sold at retail cost at Weaving Southwest and Rio Grande Weavers Supplyin Taos, NM.Genuine Churro yarn costs roughly 2X what all other trading post Navajo weaving yarn costs (in quantity: $26 / lb.compared withroutine trading post yarn~$10 - $13/ lb.). We suggest you Google \"Navajo Churro\" sheep / yarnto betterunderstand why this isan important Navajo sheep andweavingyarn. The sheep are the critical factor here, along with the wool. The Churro sheep are excellent for Navajo husbandry because they are tough physically, require less water than other sheep, and are excellent mothers. Finally, the wool has less lanolin and grease in it than other wool. This makes the wool easier to shear, wash / clean, card and spinthan other wool. These attributes of this breed enhances their survivability in a challenging environment of the Navajo Reservation. Other wool and yarn is just as good for weavers to use to weave rugs as Churro wool yarn. Some other wools are even glossier / smoother than Churro (for example, Merino andMerinos\'geneticrelative, theRambouillet).But, Churro fits the bill when you need to raise sheep against all odds. This is why they are highly touted, for their ease of ranching and livestock maintenance, compared to other sheep.}
Thisisone of our company\'s \"Cortez Collection\" of Navajo rugs.We will provide the buyer with a signed / dated, detailed description; photos of the weaver; and a retail appraisal. Please contact us within 3 days of sale\'s close.Pay w Paypal. We willship viaUSPS Priority Mail for $25, orUPS / Fedex Ground Insured for$30 to the 48 states (defaultshipping is USPS unless UPS is requested). No ex-USA returns.Offered by Indiana Watson\'s Indian Weaving for Navajo rug restoration, trading and weaving. Please click on this ad\'s ME icon for more information about ourcompany in Cortez,CO,in the Four Corners.
