Tabla de contenidos para May/June 2022 en Handwoven

Since 1876 Arizona FIBER CREEK Prescott AZ 86305 (928) 717-1774 fibercreek@hotmail.com California CUSTOM HANDWEAVERS Mountain View Tel: (650) 967-0831 Fax: (650) 967-1005 www.customhandweavers.com webemit@sbcglobal.net CUSTOM HANDWEAVING Redondo Beach Tel: (310) 316-0910 or: (866) 656-1060 www.nancyscustomhandweaving.com customhandweavin@aol.com JULIAN WEAVING WORKS Julian (760) 765-2432 info@weaverslink.com SAN FRANCISCO FIBERS CO. Oakland (510) 893-2015 www.sanfranciscofiber.com lou@sffiber.com Colorado BOUNTIFUL Livermore (877) 586-9332 info@bountifulspinweave.com www.bountifulspinweave.com Florida SERENDIPITY FARM & STUDIO Leesburg (757) 651-2632 serendipityfarmstudio@gmail.com Illinois FINE LINE CREATIVE ARTS CENTER St. Charles (630) 584-9443 www.fineline.org info@fineline.org Indiana THE WEAVERS LOFT Guilford (812) 576-3904 weaving@nalu.net www.weaversloft.com Kansas THE YARN BARN Lawrence (800) 468-0035 yarnbarn@sunflower.com Kentucky THE WOOLERY Frankfort tel: (502) 352-9800 fax (502) 352-9802 http://www.woolery.com info@woolery.com Louisiana WEAVIN' PLACE Folsom (985) 796-8048 www.weavinplace.com cheryl@weavinplace.com Maine HALCYON YARN Bath (207) 442-7909 (800) 341-0282 www.halcyonyarn.com PORTLAND FIBER GALLERY & WEAVING…

In Letters in Jan/Feb 2022, Deb Chandler put out a call for tips on making the weaving process easier. Here are some more readers’ responses. Dear Deb Chandler and the editors at Handwoven, Thanks so much for suggesting this column on how to preserve yourself while weaving. How perfect! These tips have been on my mind all week as I finish a set of towels with an obvious “feature” in the warp, one that can’t be easily changed. I think I wouldn’t have made this mistake in warping if I had taken more breaks. My first tip is to take more breaks when doing anything that involves counting. My memory and eyes are slower, so when I sit behind the eight-shaft loom threading the heddles with 8/2 cotton, I find…

A whole slew of textile and weaving historians exist who catalog the minutiae of cloth, patterns, drafts, fibers, dyes, and mechanical looms. Handlooms receive mention only in passing, usually regarding tieups. Eric Broudy redresses that oversight. In many respects, the prehistory of the handloom parallels that of the hammer: We can’t assign a specific date to when humanoids first learned to twiddle fibers into yarn or picked up a rock to crack open a nut or an enemy’s skull. Nor can we pin down when someone figured out how to interlace fibers into grids or attached a handle to the rock. The independent invention of hammers and handlooms by cultures widely separated by time and space also intrigues historians, as does the fact that the essential form of each has…

Weft Bedford cord falls into the same category. This structure consists of horizontal stripes of plain weave with floating ends hanging behind them. The threading repeats every four ends in a classic straight-draw threading. Two adjacent ends weave plain weave with the weft, while two ends just float on the back without interlacing with the weft. After a half inch or so of weaving, the four ends meet to weave two picks of plain weave. Then the ends that were floating on the back turn to weaving the plain-weave face of the next cord, while the other two ends are allowed to hang idly on the back of the cloth. The distortion occurs during wet-finishing. The tightly woven plain-weave bands cannot shrink as much as the ends hanging on the…

STRUCTURE Twill and basketweave. EQUIPMENT 8-shaft loom, 21" weaving width; 12-dent reed; 2 shuttles; 3 bobbins. YARNS Warp: 8/2 cottolin (60% organic cotton/40% linen; 3,360 yd/lb; Brassard), #C101 Blanchi, 1,435 yd; #C756 Bleu Pâle, 266 yd; #C1425 Marine and #C963 Royal, 209 yd each; #C5067 Periwinkle, 105 yd; #C1410 Lavande, 67 yd. Weft: 8/2 cottolin, #C101 Blanchi, 947 yd; #C756 Bleu Pâle and #C5067 Periwinkle, 474 yd each. OTHER SUPPLIES Retayne color fixative (G&K Craft Industries). WARP LENGTH 482 ends 4¾ yd long (includes floating selvedges; allows 12" for take-up, 31" for loom waste and sampling). SETTS Warp: 24 epi (2/dent in a 12-dent reed). Weft: 24 ppi. DIMENSIONS Width in the reed: 202/12". Woven length: (measured under tension on the loom) 128" (32" per towel). Finished size: (after wet-finishing…

STRUCTURE Twill. EQUIPMENT 4-shaft loom, 21" weaving width; 12-dent reed; 1 shuttle; 3 bobbins. YARNS Warp: 5/2 Bamboo (2,100 yd/lb; Valley Yarns; WEBS), Gold, 741 yd. Weft: 5/2 Bamboo, Gold, 173 yd; Grey Teal and Salmon, 126 yd each. WARP LENGTH 247 ends 3 yd long (includes floating selvedges; allows 6" for take-up, 40" for loom waste; loom waste includes fringe). SETTS Warp: 12 epi (1/dent in a 12-dent reed). Weft: 11 ppi. DIMENSIONS Width in the reed: 207/12" Woven length: (measured under tension on the loom) 62". Finished size: (after wet-finishing) 18½" × 61" plus 7½" fringe. When I saw the color palette and theme for this issue, I was inspired to weave a vibrant lacy shawl in my all-time favorite twill pattern. This shawl glows with the colors…

STRUCTURE Twill. EQUIPMENT 8-shaft loom, 13" weaving width; 12-dent reed; 1 shuttle. YARNS Warp: 8/2 Tencel (100% lyocell; 3,360 yd/lb; Valley Yarns; WEBS), Olive and Ruby, 315 yd each; Red Purple, 9 yd. Painted warp: 8/2 Tencel (100% lyocell; 3,360 yd/lb; Carr Park Artisans), Autumn Journey, 200 strands 4½ yd warp. Weft: 8/2 Tencel, Red Purple, 1,146 yd. OTHER SUPPLIES Reed holder, optional but recommended. WARP LENGTH 310 ends 4½ yd long (includes floating selvedges; allows 12" for take-up, 30" for loom waste; loom waste includes fringe). SETT Warp: 24 epi (2/dent in a 12-dent reed). Weft: 24 ppi. DIMENSIONS Width in the reed: 13". Woven length: (measured under tension on the loom) 120". Finished size: Two circular shawls, 11½" × 49" with 3" fringe on one end. Enhancing a…

THE YARNS Scheepjes, Whirl – Fine Art, 503 yd/220 g, 50% superwash merino wool, 25% microfiber, 25% acrylic. Scheepjes, River Washed, 142 yd/50 g, 78% cotton, 22% acrylic. The Dutch yarn company Scheepjes is well known among knitters and crocheters but not so much among weavers. Living as I do in the Netherlands, I can find Scheepjes in local yarn shops, and I have woven with their yarns on many occasions. For these samples, I wove with two Scheepjes yarns readily available in the United States. Whirl – Fine Art is a DK-weight yarn with a long gradient color change. The yarn consists of six loosely plied thin threads. All six threads start as the same color, but after a few yards, one of the threads changes color. After another…

Carr Park Artisans, (970) 481-3435, carrparkartisans.com (Lee 62–64). Color Crazy, colorcrazy.com (Knisely 20–22). Georgia Yarn Company, handweaver. us/georgia_yarn_company.htm (Allen 49–51). Gist Yarn, (617) 390-6835, gistyarn.com (Jablonski 40–42). Great Northern Weaving, (269) 341-9752, (800) 370-7235, greatnorthernweaving.com (Bhatia 36–39). Jagger Spun, (207) 324-4455, (800) 225-8023, jaggeryarn.com (Bhatia 36–39; Phillips 32–34). Lunatic Fringe Yarns, (800) 483-8749, lunaticfringeyarns.com (Newman and Luhring 68–70). Big Wrap Beach Blanket, pages 68–70 Maurice Brassard et Fils, (819) 362-2408, mbrassard.com (Crane 46–48; MacBride 43–45; Phillips 32–34). Silk City Fibers, silkcityfibers.com (Heyman 56–58). Treenway Silks, (888) 383-7455, (303) 233-7455, treenwaysilks.com (Stewart 59–61). Vreseis (Fox Fibre), vreseis.com (Crane 46–48). WEBS, (800) 367-9327, yarn.com (Allen 49–51; Cox 52–54; Lee 62–64; Goudsmit 72–74). The Woolery, (800) 441-9665, woolery.com (Crane 46–48).…

I’ve got sampling on my mind right now, probably due to flaming out on two samples for a baby blanket. For the first one, I made the mistake of assuming my huck-lace drawdown would translate into pretty cloth. When I showed the sample to a friend, she remarked that if it had been a blanket, she would have told me it was beautiful, but as it was a sample, she could agree with me that it was ugly. What else could you ask for in a friend? For my second sample, I switched to turned twill. I can see that one of the warp colors isn’t working with the other warp and weft colors. I need to change out those 40 ends. If you’ve ever swapped out ends, you know…

STRUCTURE Krokbragd. EQUIPMENT 3-shaft loom, 7" weaving width; 12-dent reed; 4 shuttles. YARNS Warp: 8/4 poly cotton carpet warp (50% polyester/50% cotton; 1,600 yd/lb; Great Northern Weaving), Barn Red, 138 yd. Weft: Zephyr 4/8 worsted (50% merino wool/50% tussah silk; 1,120 yd/lb; 248 yd/100 g; Jagger Spun), Ebony, 75 yd; Cinnabar, 70 yd; Curry, 64 yd; Marine Blue, 35 yd. 8/4 poly cotton carpet warp, Barn Red, 8 yd. OTHER SUPPLIES Tapestry needle; 2" x 8" cardboard strips for creating spaces between pieces for fringe. WARP LENGTH 39 working ends (61 ends total) 2¼ yd long (includes doubled floating selvedges; allows 3" for take-up and 36" for sampling and loom waste; loom waste includes fringe on the ends). SETTS Warp: 6 epi (1-0 per dent in a 12-dent reed). Weft:…

STRUCTURE Twill. EQUIPMENT 4-shaft loom, 21" weaving width; 10-dent reed; 1 shuttle; 3 bobbins. YARNS Warp: 8/2 cotton (3,360 yd/lb; Brassard), #100 Naturel, 644 yd; #1244 Olive, #8265 Orange Brulé, #1425 Marine, and #5139 Lime, 40 yd each. Weft: 6/2 unmercerized cotton (100% cotton; 2,250 yd/lb; Fox Fibre), 25% Brown, 334 yd. 8/2 cotton, #8265 Orange Brulé and #1425 Marine, 13 yd each. Note: Fox Fibre 6/2 unmercerized cotton 25% Brown has been discontinued. A good substitute is 6/2 unmercerized cotton (100% cotton; 2,520 yd/lb; Bluegrass Mills), Pecan. WARP LENGTH 402 ends 2 yd long (includes floating selvedges; allows 5" for take-up, 37" for loom waste). Note: To weave additional towels, add 1 yd to the warp length for each additional towel. SETTS Warp: 20 epi (2/dent in a 10-dent…

STRUCTURE Twill EQUIPMENT 8-shaft loom, 36" weaving width; 10-dent reed; 1–5 shuttles; 5 bobbins. YARNS Warp: Bambu 7 (100% bamboo; 2,100 yd/lb; Silk City Fibers), #360 Onyx, 1,775 yd; #051 Wine, 1,755 yd; #404 Tide Blue, 20 yd. Weft: Bambu 7, #980 Tangerine, 292 yd; #885 Pumpkin, 254 yd; #106 Aruba, 370 yd; #404 Tide Blue, 550 yd; #014 Teal, 667 yd. WARP LENGTH 710 ends 5 yd long (includes doubled floating selvedges; allows 15" for take-up, 50" for loom waste; loom waste includes fringe). SETTS Warp: 20 epi (2/dent in a 10-dent reed). Weft: 17 ppi. DIMENSIONS Width in the reed: 355/10". Woven length: (measured under tension on the loom) 115". Finished size: (after wetfinishing) 28" × 95" plus 6" fringe. I first heard about advancing twills when computers…

Twisting (or plying) the fringe Divide the number of threads for each fringe into two groups. Twist each group clockwise until it kinks. Bring both groups together and allow them to twist around each other counterclockwise (or twist in that direction). Secure the ends with an overhand knot. (Use the same method to make a plied cord by attaching one end to a stationary object.) Double (Italian) hemstitching Weave several picks of plain weave (or the basic structure of the piece), ending with the shuttle on the right side if you are right-handed, the left side if you are left-handed. Measure a length of weft four times the warp width, cut, and thread this tail into a blunt tapestry needle. Take the needle under a selected group of warp threads…

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022 Cut and Sew We know it’s scary, but sometimes you need to bite the bullet, cut that handwoven fabric, and do some stitching. This issue will be all about weaving and using handwoven cloth for creating garments, bags, belts, pillows, and anything else you can think of that is even more special when made with fabric from your loom. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 Exploring the Ifs Many aspects of weaving are clear-cut, but there is still room to play. This issue will look at the “as ifs” and “what ifs” of weaving. “As ifs” are those times when a weaver decides to weave a threading using another structure’s treadling, and “what ifs” are when a weaver decides to throw caution to the wind and experiment. JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2023 Wool and Wool…

In 2019, Tom Knisely ventured out of the world of traditional weaving books and into children’s literature with his delightful picture book The Weaver’s Surprise, a story about a friendly weaver, a family of mice, and how weaving brings them together. This past year, Tom wrote a new book continuing the story of the weaver and his small furry friends. Aptly titled Spinning Tails, this new story focuses on yarn production: sheep shearing, processing the wool, natural dyeing, and spinning on a drop spindle. Once again, for this review I brought in an expert in the form of my now five-year-old son, Henry, who, at one point, had most of The Weaver’s Surprise committed to memory. Would this new book pass muster with Henry? I put it to the test…

STRUCTURE Twill. EQUIPMENT 4-shaft loom, 20" weaving width; 12-dent reed; 2 shuttles. YARNS Warp: Italian Cotton/Linen (50% cotton/50% linen; 2,600 yd/lb; Gist Yarn), Lavender and Clementine, 812 yd each. Weft: Italian Cotton/Linen, Lavender and Clementine, 637 yd each. OTHER EQUIPMENT OR SUPPLIES Sewing machine or Fray Check. WARP LENGTH 464 ends 3½ yd long (includes floating selvedges; allows 9" for takeup, 27" for loom waste). SETTS Warp: 24 epi (2/dent in a 12-dent reed). Weft: 24 ppi. DIMENSIONS Width in the reed: 195/12". Woven length: (measured under tension on the loom) 90". Finished size: (after wetfinishing and hemming) four napkins, 17" × 17½" each. When this issue’s call for submissions was published, I admit I gave it a bit of side-eye. I had been weaving a lot of twill, experimenting…

STRUCTURE Twill and plain weave. EQUIPMENT 6-shaft loom, 38" weaving width; 8-dent reed; 1 shuttle. YARNS Warp: 6/2 cotton (2,520 yd/lb; Valley Yarns; WEBS), Burgundy, 624 yd; Sienna, 520 yd; Pale Yellow, 1,416 yd. 10/2 unmercerized cotton (4,200 yd/lb; Georgia Yarn Company), Chocolate, 384 yd (used doubled). Weft: 6/2 cotton, Sienna and Pale Yellow, 880 yd each. WARP LENGTH 688 working ends (736 total ends) 4 yd long (includes floating selvedges; allows 11" for take-up, 23" for loom waste). SETTS Warp: 16 epi in plainweave sections (2/dent in an 8-dent reed); 20 epi in twill sections (3-2/dent in an 8-dent reed). Weft: 14 ppi. DIMENSIONS Width in the reed: 373/8". Woven length: (measured under tension on the loom) 110" (about 55" per blanket). Finished size: (after wet-finishing and hemming) two…

STRUCTURE Twill and plain weave. EQUIPMENT 8-shaft loom, 10" weaving width; 8-dent reed; 1 shuttle. YARNS Warp: 30/2 Carmelina (100% muga wild silk; 6,800 yd/lb; 1,500 yd/3.5 oz; Treenway Silks), Natural, 176 yd. 30/2 Silken Fog (55% bombyx silk/45% yak; 7,400 yd/lb; 1,625 yd/3.5 oz; Treenway Silks), Natural, 429 yd. Weft: 30/2 Carmelina 30/2, Natural, 659 yd. WARP LENGTH 220 ends 2¾ yd long (includes floating selvedges; allows 8" for take-up, 21" for loom waste; loom waste includes fringe). SETTS Warp: 26 epi (3-3-3-4/dent in an 8-dent reed). Weft: 36 ppi. DIMENSIONS Width in the reed: 84/8". Woven length: (measured under tension on the loom) 70¼". Finished size: (after wet-finishing) 6½" × 61" plus 3½" fringe. Luxury yarns suggest a sophisticated fabric that would appeal to men or women. While…

STRUCTURE Twill. EQUIPMENT 4-shaft loom, 47" weaving width; 12-dent reed; 2 shuttles. Note: This is a 4-shaft project but requires 8 treadles, 2 more than are on most 4-shaft looms. A skeleton tie-up is provided for weaving on a 4-shaft, 6-treadle loom using 2 treadles at a time. YARNS Warp: 10/2 unmercerized cotton (4,200 yd/lb; American Maid; Lunatic Fringe Yarns), Natural White, 3,324 yd. Weft: 10/2 unmercerized cotton, Natural White, 1,831 yd; Dark Green, 824 yd. OTHER SUPPLIES Baking or washing soda. WARP LENGTH 1,108 ends 3 yd long (includes doubled floating selvedges; allows 9" for take-up, 21" for loom waste; loom waste includes fringe). SETTS Warp: 24 epi (2/dent in a 12-dent reed). Weft: 24 ppi. DIMENSIONS Width in the reed: 462/12" Woven length: (measured under tension on the…