Thrumming is a technique in which small pieces of

wool Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have some properties similar to animal w ...

yarn Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibres, used in sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery, ropemaking, and the production of textiles. '' Thread'' is a type of yarn intended for sewing by hand or machine. Modern ...

(thrums) are pulled through fabric to create a wooly layer. The term ''thrum'' originally referred specifically to worthless pieces of

warp Warp, warped or warping may refer to: Arts and entertainment Books and comics * WaRP Graphics, an alternative comics publisher * ''Warp'' (First Comics), comic book series published by First Comics based on the play ''Warp!'' * Warp (comics), a D ...

thread which remained after weaving a piece of fabric using a

loom A loom is a device used to weaving, weave cloth and tapestry. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the Warp (weaving), warp threads under tension (mechanics), tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads. The precise shape of ...

, though its meaning has since broadened to include any small pieces of wool or thread which are used in a similar way.

Applications

Thrum caps

Marinaro Inglese - Vecellio Cesare - 1860 - detail

A thrum cap (or thrummed cap) consisted of a canvas base in the shape of an inverted flower pot, with woolen thrums pushed through to create a shaggy exterior. Such caps were worn by sailors in the

Tudor period In England and Wales, the Tudor period occurred between 1485 and 1603, including the Elizabethan era during the reign of Elizabeth I (1558–1603). The Tudor period coincides with the dynasty of the House of Tudor in England, which began with ...

, and were commonly dyed blue or brown. They continued to be in use into the seventeenth century.

Stuffed mittens

Stuffed mittens (also known in

Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the populatio ...

, where they are traditionally made, as "thrummed mittens") are thrummed with tufts of fleece to create a warm, fluffy interior which gradually

felts Felt is a textile that is produced by matting, condensing, and pressing fibers together. Felt can be made of natural fibers such as wool or animal fur, or from synthetic fibers such as petroleum-based acrylic or acrylonitrile or wood pulp–ba ...

with use. The same technique may also be applied to line winter caps and other knitted articles. The writer Robin Orm Hansen published a pattern for stuffed mittens in her 1983 pattern book ''Fox and Geese and Fences''. According to Hansen, the technique was largely unknown at the time, being limited to Newfoundland and Labrador and a single family in Maine. It has since become more widely known and practiced.

Rugs

Historically, sailors created mats by pulling thrums through a stiff woven base of burlap or rope. These "thrum mats" were used to prevent the ropes of a ship's

rigging Rigging comprises the system of ropes, cables and chains, which support and control a sailing ship or sail boat's masts and sails. ''Standing rigging'' is the fixed rigging that supports masts including shrouds and stays. ''Running rigg ...

from chafing. The writer

William Winthrop Kent William is a masculine given name of Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman conquest in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern era. It is ...

has conjectured that these mats were a precursor to the technique of

rug hooking Rug hooking is both an art and a craft where rugs are made by pulling loops of yarn or fabric through a stiff woven base such as burlap, linen, or rug warp. The loops are pulled through the backing material by using a crochet-type hook mounted ...

References

External links

{{Knitting Textile techniques