Pattern #1 Picked-Up Loops

A size #13 knitting needle was used to pick up loops on an open shed. Squishy ribbon yarns create a soft look. Think of a loop pile border at the bottom of a skirt or jacket cuff. Loops in a handspun singles yarn could create a gorgeous pile.

I am fully aware that there is just not enough information out there about weaving. We desperately need more books, websites, magazines. More, more, more! Please, please, please!

To help fill the void I’m going to post rigid heddle patterns and because I always get email requests for the draft for harness weaving, I’ll provide this along with the rigid heddle pattern when appropriate. I would love to hear from you about what kinds of designs and patterns you’re looking for and I’ll try to oblige.

Some of the easiest patterns to make are “finger-controlled” patterns. IMO these are sorrowfully under utilized. Finger-controlled patterns can be inserted on any weave structure anywhere according to the weaver’s whimsy.

Picked-up loops are made on an open shed and are pretty much as they are named. For this one example, place your heddle in the up position (or down). On a harness loom open a plain weave shed (over-under-over-under). You’ll need a knitting needle to pick up the loops, the bigger the needle, the larger the loops. Loops can be picked up all the way across the warp, from selvedge to selvedge, or in sections.

To make a row of loops, open the shed, place the weft in the shed, and start picking up loops at the selvedge from the side you’ve inserted the weft. Pull loops out of the shed between the raised warps and placing them on the needle. You need to work from the side the weft is inserted from because as you pick up loops, you will take up weft yarn. After you’ve picked up the row of loops, press down the weft as much as possible with the beater and then slide the knitting needle out, change sheds, insert the next weft row and beat, locking the loops into place.

Bottom Row:
#13 knitting needle and ribbon weft

1. Use ribbon. Up shed, pick up every third space (between raised warp threads).
2. Down, 3/2 cotton
3. Up, 3/2 cotton
4. Down, ribbon. Pick up every third space
5. Repeat

Top Row:
#13 knitting needle

1. Use ribbon. Up position. Pick up every 4^th space.
2. Weave five rows of plain weave with pearl cotton.
3. Repeat.

This sampler is 3/2 pearl cotton, threaded in a 10-dent reed, 10” wide. On the harness loom, thread straight a draw and weave plain weave.

Selvedges

Rule of thumb: the narrower the fabric, the straighter the selvedges need to be.

This was something I was thinking about this morning as I wove a scarf that will be featured in Berroco’s Knitbits e-newsletter next month. What I noticed as my hands passed the shuttle back and forth was that even when I was weaving plain weave on my Flip loom, I couldn’t just proceed mindlessly. I had to engage, pay attention. Was my beat even? Were my selvedges straight and not drawing in? Were there any skips? Though my thoughts wandered to other tasks of the day, I constantly returned to my hands. I like this back and forth. And as I thought about the new weavers who will try this project, I was reminded of the challenges of the beginner to keep the selvedges straight and the beat even. Weaving with my experienced hands, these things happen almost automatically, though not without paying attention. I think it’s one reason weaving appeals to me.

As word of encouragement to new weavers with wavy edges, I suggest you compare your technique from one end of the scarf to the other. This examination will reveal that you’ve improved. And if you compare each successive project, you’ll see that these too have improved. This is encouraging and challenging. My mother Dorothy’s “Practice makes perfect,” admonishment to me as I ran through my scales on the piano certainly applies to weaving as well.

Convergence Report, Part 2: S’more Stash

Caption: From top left, clockwise: silk boucle and silk-cashmere from Redfish Dyeworks; silk and stainless steel from Giovanna Imperia Designs; Cotton Kasuri and Kasuri bamboo tape from Habu; and 32 gauge copper coated wire and jump (elastic) viscose from Giovanna Imperia Designs.

Oh hooey, so what if I have 35 plus years of stash in my closet. And so what if I’ve solemnly sworn not to get sucked in by yet another pretty yarn without a plan for it. But doing what I say and doing what I do is definitely not the same thing when I’m confronted with a new yarn I just simply can’t resist.

The thing is I NEED this yarn. I’m not the kind of designer who knows in my head what I want to make and just the yarn that will get me there. When I have an idea, I have to sample a lot before I get to where I want to be. Readily available materials help me work out design problems and can even be the starting point. Therefore, when I see new or unusual yarns that spark of an idea, I must, right then and there—BUY.

Links:

www.habutextiles.com
www.giovannaimperiadesigns.com
www.redfishdyeworks.com

Convergence Report: It’s about the people.

In the Schacht booth at Convergence, left to right: Madelyn van der Hoogt (Handwoven magazine); Jane Patrick, Melissa Ludden, Stephanie Flynn-Sokolov of Schacht, and Patty Johnson of Color Crossings (Wisc).

People: the best part of being at Convergence in Tampa. I loved seeing old friends, meeting new people, and talking to Schacht dealers. Mostly, though, I relished the familiarity of gathered fellow weaving enthusiasts who are my community-at-large. I feel at home with and invigorated by this group that is involved, passionate, creative, generous.

Here’s a partial list and some news about some of the people who stopped by the Schacht booth:

Syne Mitchell, host of Weavecast and editor of her new on-line weaving magazine, WeaveZine. Syne was attending Convergence for the first time and used the opportunity to interview all of the loom makers at the conference, including our very own Barry Schacht. Look for this feature in an upcoming installment of Weavecast. We are so fortunate to have these two venues. They are giving weaving a new platform that reaches out to new weavers. Syne is doing a fabulous job and I encourage you to lend your support to her important work.

Rita Buchannan is retiring from teaching, but that doesn’t mean she’s not involved in weaving of some sort. Her exquisite woven boxes, bags, and vessels were sited in several shows. Her other passion, gardening, is where she likes to spend much of her time these days.

Pam Howard, a weaving teacher at the John C. Campbell Folk School and owner of Yarn Circle, is always a delight to see and chat with. Her passion for teaching weaving was a reminder of how important it is to have great teachers. It is enthusiasm like Pam’s that creates new weavers who are so vital to our continued growth.

Madelyn Van der Hoogt editor of Handwoven magazine and author of numerous weaving books (her newest, “The Best of Weaver’s: Overshot if Hot” was just released by XRX) and Liz Gipson, Handwoven’s managing editor and occasional host of Knitting Daily TV stopped by the booth to chat. Both were in attendance to converse with subscribers and look for editorial material. They are always seeking great new ideas and projects, so here’s my encouragement to you to submit articles and project designs to the magazine. BTW. They had a few pages mocked up of the re-design of Handwoven, debuting with the September issue. I think you’ll find the new look a refreshing change.

Peggy Osterkamp, author and publisher of several handy and informative weaving titles, stopped by the booth to tell us about her latest project, a beginning weaving book. Look for it in the year to come.

Tina Ignall, of Vav magazinet. I love this Swedish magazine and enjoyed chatting with its editor. Look for a project by yours truly to appear in 2009.

Linda Cortright editor, publisher and just about everything else of Wild Fibers magazine. I don’t know if Linda would call her magazine The National Geographic of fiber, but it’s how I would describe it. Subscribe today. You’ll love the stories, pictures, and learning about fiber growing and the people who do it around the world.

Polly Leonard. Creator and editor of Selvedge magazine, the beautifully-produced and informative textile magazine from England. I always look forward to each issue. Check it out.

You’ll notice that the above is heavy on editorial folk, but as a past editor, I guess I’m a little prejudice. Also, I feel that publishing is critical to keeping us informed and helps create our weaving community…

Links:
www.interweave.com
www.wildfibersmagazine.com
www.selvedge.org
www.folkschool.org
www.vavmagasinet.se
www.weaving.cc
www.weavecast.com
www.weavezine.com