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From the Recent Archives of
Fabulous Felty
First-Time Projects
W
eaving is one of the fastest ways to turn yarn into fabric. Here are six projects selected from Handwoven’s recent archives
to introduce yarn lovers to the special joys of weaving felt-like cloth. Only simple looms are required (with two shafts or a
rigid heddle) and simple techniques that include step-by-step instructions. You’ll love seeing the fabrics grow on the loom,
and even more, you’ll love seeing what happens when you “full” them.
Fulling is what happens to a woven cloth when it is wet-finished—either a little or a lot! If a wool fabric is wet-finished briefly, the
result can be a soft and fuzzy fabric suitable for scarves and shawls. If a wool fabric is wet-finished a lot, the result can be a thick feltlike fabric suitable for bags and mats. Other special effects produced in these projects by wet-finishing are: intentional holes (similar
to Nuno felting), intentional bumps (created by tying pennies in the cloth before wet-finishing), and woven waves and puckers
(resulting when wool and other fibers are combined in the same piece). It’s time to start your weaving journey!
CONTENTS
Embroidered Wool Bag in Bulky Knitting Yarns — Stefanie Meisel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
A Puffed and Puckered Scarf with Novelty Knitting Yarns — Liz Gipson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Wadmal Vest: An Easy Project on Two Shafts — Jane Patrick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
The W(hole) Project: Nuno-Like Felting for Weavers — Susan Bowman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Ever y Last Penny Scarf: Fulled Shaping for Textured Cloth — Su Butler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Transformation: A Study in Fibers and Finishing — Jane Patrick. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Tips for Reading Drafts and Finishing Techniques
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
W
eaving Made Easy is a very accessible guide to using the
simplest of looms—the rigid heddle—to create fabrics that
are a perfect blend of fun and functionality. This book is
packed with clear step-by-step instructions for warping and weaving
and abundant tips and techniques for color, design, construction, and
embellishment (all also adaptable to a shaft loom). Projects range
from scarves to bags and belts, from pillows to placemats and rugs.
Whether you are using a rigid heddle or a shaft loom, Weaving Made
Easy is the ultimate idea book for the beginning weaver.
Coming in the Winter!
[Novermber 20
08]
The Best of Handwoven: Projects for the Rigid Heddle Loom, a new eProjects Collection. This
electronic collection includes specially selected projects from the first twenty years of Handwoven that
can be woven on a rigid heddle or two-shaft loom plus groundbreaking tips for weaving on the rigid
heddle loom and steps for adapting projects from rigid heddle to two shafts or vice versa.
Download other available eProject Collections at
handwovenmagazine.com
© Interweave Press LLC. Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved.
handwovenmagazine.com
Embroidered
Wool Bag
in bulky knitting yarns
STEFANIE MEISEL
For the last three years I have been experimenting with transforming wool during the finishing process. A recent
acquisition of books about on-loom embroidery techniques inspired me to combine embroidery with fulled wool to
create a woven bag whose designs become integral to the fabric surface after finishing. Consider using this idea to
embellish other kinds of wool fabrics, such as vests, scarves, blankets, and throws.
T
he woven grid created by plain weave
is a wonderful surface on which to
embroider designs in thick wool.
Simple embroidery stitches in yarns that
full well can mimic handfelted designs
without requiring the felting process.
This bag was embroidered in a free-form
fashion using a simple backstitch, but you
can plan a more elaborate design and incorporate more complicated stitches. After
it is fulled, this fabric is embroidered again
with 10/2 cotton to accentuate the embroidered wool designs.
The yarns you choose for on-loom
embroidery should be able to full during the
finishing process (avoid yarns labeled
“Superwash”; they will not change during
wet-finishing). To accommodate shrinkage,
embroidered designs should be about 40 percent larger on the loom than the desired
finished size. In order for the embroidery to
be visible after finishing, use a yarn that is
at least as thick as the yarn in the ground
weave. The embroidery yarn will tend to
blend with the ground-weave yarn in the
finishing process, so yarns with contrasting
colors will have greater impact.
Resources
Drooker, Penelope. Embroidering with the Loom.
New York: Litton Educational Publishing,
1979.
Hoskins, Nancy Arthur. Universal Stitches for
Weaving, Embroidery, and Other Fiber Arts.
Eugene, Oregon: Skein Publications, 1982.
Mayer, Anita Luvera. Handwoven Clothing Felted to Wear. Petaluma, California: ShuttleCraft Books, 1988.
Winslow, Heather. “Beading and Embroidery
on Handwoven Fabric.” Handwoven, January/February 2001, pp.54–57.
Design and yarn considerations
Although this project uses a thick wool-andmohair-blend yarn to create a sturdy fabric
suitable for a bag, finer wool and a thinner
fabric can be used for other purposes. Yarn
with mohair content will result in a fuzzy
surface after finishing. If you don’t want a
fuzzy appearance, choose a bulky wool yarn
without mohair or simply trim the excess
fuzz with scissors. For further exploration
with fulled fabrics, Anita Luvera Mayer’s
book, Handwoven Clothing Felted to Wear
(see Resources), is an excellent reference.
© Interweave Press LLC. Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved.
Before you begin
Before you thread your loom, make sure
that your heddles can accommodate bulky
yarns. I use standard inserted-eye heddles,
which are excellent for this purpose.
Texsolv heddles will also work well. If you
have the more common stainless steel heddles without inserted eyes, thread a strand
of the bulky yarn in a heddle and draw it
back and forth to see if the eye is big
enough to accommodate the yarn without
abrasion.
Stefanie Meisel of
Grass Lake, Michigan,
is interested in diverse
weaving techniques and
experimenting with the
properties of wool.
handwovenmagazine.com
2
Originally published in Handwoven®, November/December 2005, pp. 44–47
© Interweave Press LLC. Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved.
handwovenmagazine.com
3
S T E P S F O R W E AV I N G A N D F I N I S H I N G T H E B A G
Step Wind a warp of 48 ends 11⁄2 yd long.
1
I like to wind this yarn directly from
the skein. Simply unwrap the skein,
find the end that originates in the center of the skein, and tie this end to
your warping board or reel. Holding
the skein gently but firmly, carry the
entire skein along the warping path
until warping is complete.
weave another 5" and embroider on
this section. Repeat until you have
woven and embroidered 24".
other dent of an 8-dent reed or 1 end
in each dent of a 4-dent reed. Thread
the shafts for plain weave (1-2 on two
shafts, 1-2-3-4 on four). Lamb’s Pride
Bulky is a singles yarn and can be
delicate to use as a warp. Beam the
warp gently, taking care not to wind
it too tightly or pull hard on any individual threads.
4
3
end as at the beginning, cut the fabric from the loom. Tie each pair of
warp threads on both ends with a
tight overhand knot snug against the
fell. Trim the threads close to the knots.
Turn the knotted edges of the fabric
under 1⁄2" and sew the hems by hand
with a running stitch.
Step To make the strap: On the warping
5
Step Weave a few picks of plain weave
with scrap yarn to space the warp.
Allow 4" of unwoven warp before
you begin weaving the bag (this allowance is used for tying knots at the
raw edges of the bag). Weave 5" in
plain weave with the Lamb’s Pride
Bulky weft and then begin your embroidered design. If you’ve planned
a design ahead of time, follow your
plan. If you haven’t planned a design,
thread the needle and begin embroidering any free-form design that
pleases you. I used a backstitch to create spirals. After you have finished
embroidering on the woven fabric,
7
Step Leaving 4" of unwoven warp at the
Step Centering for 12", sley 1 end in every
2
Step Fill a washing machine with hot water,
board, measure 12 threads of Lamb’s
Pride Bulky 74" long (for a finished
strap length of about 40"). Remove and
knot them together at one end. Secure
the knotted end on a table using a
large book or ask a friend to hold this
end. Twist the threads in two groups of
6 and then let them twist back on themselves as if you are preparing a twisted fringe). Secure the free end with an
overhand knot.
Step Block the bag into shape with your
8
Step Fold the bag fabric in half lengthwise,
6
wrong sides together. Place one end
of the strap 2" inside the folded bag
at the top on one side. Working from
the top edge to the fold, stitch the
edges of this side together using a
closely spaced blanket stitch and including the strap securely in the stitches. Repeat on the other side of the
bag with the other end of the strap.
a small amount of Orvus Paste or dish
soap, and a pair of jeans to aid in
fulling. Begin washing on a regular
cycle, checking the bag every few
minutes after the first 5 minutes have
elapsed. Make sure that the cord
doesn’t become tangled or fulled to itself (spread it out each time you
check). My bag took about 15 minutes of agitation in my washing
machine, but fulling times will vary
depending upon the degree of agitation of your machine and your water
pH and temperature. When the bag
has fulled to your liking, remove it
from the machine and rinse it well in
lukewarm water.
hands and trim any loose ends that
have not fulled into the bag. If the
hemmed edge has become loose during the finishing process, press the
edge with a hot iron or continue to
agitate the hem area by hand using
hot soapy water; rinse again. Allow
the bag to dry thoroughly before
working the over-embroidery with the
cotton yarn.
Step Add embroidery to the top of your
9
fulled stitches with a shiny yarn such
as pearl cotton (rayon or other embroidery yarns can also be used).
Follow the original stitching or experiment with other fancy stitches.
PROJECT AT-A-GLANCE
Weave structure for bag
Plain weave.
Equipment
2-shaft or 4-shaft loom, 12" weaving width;
4-dent or 8-dent reed; 1 shuttle; large-eyed
tapestry needle, embroidery needle.
yarn (85% wool, 15% mohair; 500
yd/lb, Lamb’s Pride Bulky), Raspberry
(M-83), 25 yd, 4⁄5 oz.
Embroidery yarns: Lamb’s Pride Handpaint
Originals (70% mohair, 30% wool; 804
yd/lb), Tropical Water; 10/2 pearl cotton
(4,200 yd/lb), Peacock #10, 10 yd.
Yarns
Warp: Wool/mohair blend knitting yarn
(85% wool, 15% mohair; 500 yd/lb,
Lamb’s Pride Bulky), Raspberry (M-83),
72 yd, 21⁄3 oz.
Weft: Wool/mohair blend knitting yarn (85%
wool, 15% mohair; 500 yd/lb, Lamb’s
Pride Bulky), Raspberry (M-83), 62 yd, 2 oz.
Strap yarn: Wool/mohair blend knitting
© Interweave Press LLC. Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved.
Yarn sources
Lamb’s Pride Bulky (124 yd/4 oz skein;
you’ll need 2 skeins Raspberry) and Lamb’s
Pride Handpaint Originals (88 yd/50 g
skein) are available from most knitting
shops, UKI 10/2 pearl cotton from most
weaving retailers, large-eyed needles from
fabric stores. (Avoid Lamb’s Pride Super-
wash yarns for projects that require fulling.)
Warp order and length
48 ends 11⁄2 yd long (allows 3" take-up
and 27" loom waste; loom waste includes
4" allowance on both ends for tying knots
to secure raw edges).
Warp and weft spacing
Warp: 4 epi (1/dent in a 4-dent reed, 1-0
in an 8-dent reed). Width in the reed: 12".
Weft: 7 ppi. Woven length (measured under
tension on the loom): 24".
Finished dimensions
After washing, amounts produce one bag
7" × 8" with a 38" strap.
handwovenmagazine.com
4
Make free-form designs at the loom using
a backstitch.
Attach the strap in the side seams with a
blanket stitch before washing the bag.
The designs on this bag are spirals and
stars made with a backstitch.
Backstitch
Bring the needle up at 1, down at 2,
up at 3, down at 4, up at 5, down at
6, etc.
5
6
4
3
1
2
Blanket stitch
Bring the needle up at 1 (lower line),
hold thread to the left with left thumb,
insert the needle down and to the right
at 2 (upper line), come up at 3 (lower
line) keeping thread under the needle
point, and pull the needle through to
form a loop at 3; repeat 2 and 3.
2
1
3
4
5
© Interweave Press LLC. Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved.
handwovenmagazine.com
5
A Puffed and
Puckered Scarf
with novelty knitting yarns
LIZ GIPSON
Combine yarns that shrink differently in a fabric, give the fabric a vigorous bath in your washer, and watch as it puffs and
puckers into an entirely different cloth. This simple scarf in plain weave can be woven on almost any loom and is a great way
to begin your experiments with differential shrinkage.
I
f stripes of a fiber that shrinks a lot (usually wool) alternate with stripes of a fiber
that shrinks less or not at all (cotton,
silk, rayon, or other synthetics) in both the
warp and the weft, when the fabric is wetfinished, the wool stripes shrink and full,
surrounding the nonshrinking fiber and
forcing it into lovely puffs.
The project scarf demonstrates this phenomenon dramatically. An additional
bonus: It uses several luscious knitting yarns
often considered out of bounds for weavers,
in affordably small amounts. The shrinking yarn is a wool fingering yarn (make sure
you don’t choose a superwash, or it won’t
shrink!). A nylon novelty in the warp and
a cotton/rayon blend in the weft are used
for the nonshrinking yarns. Compare the
appearance of the fabric before washing
with the finished scarf!
shrink) and gentle beat make the scarf
quick to warp and weave. Use any loom
that can produce plain weave (a rigid heddle loom was used for this scarf). Because
stripes of two different yarns alternate in
the warp, it is easiest to warp the loom front
to back. Before you begin winding the warp,
place a contrasting-color guide string 21⁄2
yards long on the warping board to determine the path for the warp, and follow the
ten steps on page 7.
Resources
Davenport, Betty. Hands On Rigid Heddle Weaving. Loveland, Colorado: Interweave, 1987
(for rigid-heddle threading and weaving
specifics).
van der Hoogt, Madelyn. “Red Hot Polka Dots
for a Winter Scarf.” Handwoven, January/
February 2003, pp. 58–60 (for more about
differential shrinkage and wet-finishing).
The scarf fabric before finishing
2. Draft for
scarf
3
3
2
2
1 1
wool
cotton/rayon
(Ariel)
Preparing the loom
1. Holding the cross
3. Warp order
Liz Gipson of
Loveland, Colorado,
managing editor of
Handwoven, is smitten
with the simplicity of the
rigid heddle loom.
© Interweave Press LLC. Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved.
repeat
The open sett (to give the fibers room to
4
4
7x
6 wool
48 6
nylon
56
8
104
(Windsong)
handwovenmagazine.com
6
Originally published in Handwoven®, September/October 2004, pp. 38–40
© Interweave Press LLC. Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved.
handwovenmagazine.com
7
S T E P S F O R W E AV I N G T H E P U F F E D A N D P U C K E R E D S C A R F
Step Wind 48 ends of wool. Tie the cross Step
and tie a 2-ft length of string tightly
around the warp (a choke tie) about
24" from the cross. Cut the loops of
warp at both ends, chain the warp up
to the choke tie, and take the chain to a
table where you’ve propped your reed
or rigid heddle.
1
Step Mark the reed (or heddle) for a centered
width of 91⁄2". Hold the cross in your left
hand (or right hand if you are left-handed) as in Figure 1, and remove the ties.
2
Step Beginning at the first marked dent on
the right side (left if you are left-handed), sley 6 warp ends 1/dent, then
leave 8 dents empty. (If you are using a
rigid heddle, begin with a slot, and
thread 1slot/1 hole three times, then
skip 4 slots/holes.) Continue, sleying 6
ends of wool and leaving 8 dents empty.
End with 6 ends wool.
3
Step Wind and prepare 56 ends of Windsong in the same way as the wool, and
sley 1 end Windsong in each of the
dents (or slots/holes) you left empty.
4
Step Place the sleyed reed in the the beater
(or the rigid heddle in its blocks). Tie the
choke ties of each chain securely to the
breast beam. Thread the heddles for
plain weave (1-2 or 1-2-3-4).
5
6
Tie the warp threads to the warp beam’s
apron rod in 1" bundles. Remove the
choke ties at the breast beam and pull on
and shake out sections of warp without
combing them. Wind the warp onto the
warp beam with even tension, separating the layers with smooth, heavy paper
or sticks. After each turn of the beam, pull
on the warp in sections at the front of
the loom to untangle and provide even
tension.
Step When the cut ends reach the front beam,
tie the warp to the front apron rod in 1⁄2"
groups and adjust ties for even tension.
(For a rigid heddle loom, tie the two outside groups first, then raise the heddle
onto the heddle block, tie the remaining
warp groups, and adjust ties for even
tension.)
Step
10
Cut the scarf from the loom. Trim fringe
at both ends to about 2". Fill the washing machine with hot water and add a
little mild liquid detergent such as Dawn
liquid. Add the scarf and agitate for
10–15 minutes, until the novelty yarns
have puffed to the degree desired. Remove from the machine and rinse in
warm water gently by hand so that no
further shrinkage occurs. Hang to dry.
When the scarf is dry, trim off the fringe
just below the hemstitching.
7
Step Weave a few picks of waste yarn to
spread the warp. Wind one shuttle with
wool and a second shuttle with Ariel.
Weave 7 picks with wool, leaving a tail
about 28" long. (The 7 picks should measure about 1"; beat gently.) Use the tail
to hemstitch over two weft rows, encircling 3 ends wool or 4 ends Windsong
in each stitch.
8
IF . . .
...
you like choosing your own
yarns, visit a knitting shop and
choose one wool (not
superwash!) for the shrinking warp
stripes and two novelties in a nonshrinking fiber for the weft and the
other warp stripe.
...
Step Weave 7 picks (1") with Ariel and continue, alternating 7 picks of wool with 7
picks of Ariel for 62". End with 7 picks
of wool and hemstitch as before.
9
you like to experiment, try
using the nonshrinking fiber in the
warp only.
PROJECT AT-A-GLANCE
Weave structure
Warp order and length
Weft: 3-ply fingering wool (2,800 yd/lb, Naturespun), Purple Splendor N60, 60 yd (2⁄5
oz); cotton/rayon novelty yarn (65% cotton/35% rayon, 950 yd/lb, Ariel), Tropical
Storm variegated, 58 yd (11⁄16 oz).
104 ends 21⁄2 yd long as in
Figure 3 (allows 3” take-up and 24” loom
waste).
Yarns
Yarn sources
Warp: 3-ply fingering wool (2,800 yd/lb,
Naturespun), Purple Splendor N60, 120
yd (3⁄4 oz); nylon novelty yarn (100% nylon,
Windsong, 165 yd/skein, 2,560 yd/lb),
Dusk, 141 yd (9⁄10 oz).
Naturespun wool by Brown Sheep and
Windsong and Ariel novelty knitting yarns
by Cherry Tree Hill Yarns are available from
Shuttles, Spindle & Skeins and many knitting shops.
Warp: 12 epi (1/dent in a 12-dent reed).
Width in the reed: 82⁄3".
Weft: 7 ppi. Woven length (measured under
tension on the loom): 63".
Plain weave.
Equipment
Rigid heddle loom or 2-shaft or 4-shaft
loom, 9" weaving width; 12-dent reed;
2 shuttles.
© Interweave Press LLC. Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved.
Warp and weft spacing
Finished dimensions
After washing, amounts produce one scarf
about 5" × 40".
handwovenmagazine.com
8
Wadmal Vest
an easy project on two shafts
J A N E PAT R I C K
W
admal, a bulky, heavily fulled
woolen fabric, has a long, welldocumented history in Scandinavia and the British Isles. In these cold,
damp climates, resourceful people discovered wool to be excellent for warmth as
well as for repelling moisture or wicking it
away from the body.
Surprisingly, wadmal also served as sailcloth, when in the seventh century the
Vikings looked for ways to alter their open
boats for long ocean voyages. Wadmal, supported with leather strapping, was used for
the large square sails on these ships.
We see further evidence of this rough,
coarse fabric recorded in Icelandic sagas,
where it shared status with silver for payment of wages and fines. Woven on warpweighted looms of yarns spun only on a
drop spindle, wadmal was highly labor-intensive to produce—no wonder it became
a valuable commodity!
Leif Eriksson, on a prolonged stay at the
Faroe Islands, mollified a young woman for
his obvious dalliance (she became pregnant) with a gold ring, a walrus tusk belt,
and a wadmal mantle.
Recorded evidence tells of the manufacture and use of wadmal for mittens,
coats, and even horse harnesses in fourteenth-century England.
Today, we Westerners cannot imagine
ordinary cloth valuable enough to note in
household inventories or to use for paying
wages or fines. But in some parts of the
Jane Patrick of
Boulder, Colorado,
loves the excitement and
wonder that the students
in her beginning classes
experience as they
weave their first fabrics.
© Interweave Press LLC. Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved.
world this is still so. A Russian friend of
mine once worked in a factory that paid its
workers in Polish socks.
Knowing all this will perhaps lead you
to embrace this woolly vest for its simple,
useful beauty when it warms you on a cold
winter’s day.
Weaving fabric for a wadmal vest
A woolen yarn that will full well is the essential ingredient for wadmal. Harrisville’s
2-ply Shetland is excellent for this purpose.
For a lively appearance, strands of Black
and Plum alternate one-and-one in the
warp; the weft is two strands of Shetland
used together, one of Blackberry, one of
Garnet. After the fabric is washed, the four
colors become a rich, heathery blend.
The vest fabric is woven on a 25" rigid
heddle loom, though a narrower loom can
be used if the pattern layout is rearranged
(with pattern pieces placed end-to-end instead of side-by-side and warp length
increased). The fabric can also be woven
on a table or floor loom.
The weaving is easy and fast with only
nine picks per inch—I warped and wove
the entire piece (not including prior sampling) on a Saturday afternoon. Hand-finishing the edges and seams, however, takes
more than twenty hours to complete, but
you can carry your work along with you,
much as you would your knitting.
Wind the warp holding one end Black,
one end Plum together, separated by a finger. Thread the loom for plain weave and
weave 70" of fabric.
Finishing the fabric
Machine zigzag raw ends to prevent
raveling. Machine wash, regular cycle, hot
water, with Wisk laundry detergent.
Because this fabric was sufficiently felted
after washing, I did not put it in the dryer
but instead laid it flat to dry. Give it a hard
steam press using a press cloth.
Cutting and sewing the vest
Lay out pattern as in Figure 1, page 11, and
cut out pieces (except pocket). Machine
zigzag raw edges with black sewing thread.
With Black Shetland wool, blanket stitch
(see Figure 2, page 11) around all edges of
all pieces. Keep the stitches uniform (mine
are 1⁄4" apart, 3⁄8" deep), as they form the base
for the crochet trim.
For the edge trim, using a size C crochet
hook, single crochet into every blanket
stitch loop, working with the right side of
the fabric facing you. Join side and shoulder seams with single crochet (crochet each
seam in the same direction). Set the stitches with a good steam pressing on the wrong
side of the fabric using a press cloth, hot
iron, and lots of pressure.
Cut fabric for pockets against the grain,
and add after the vest is assembled. Machine stitch in place and then overcast the
top edge by hand with black sewing thread
to protect the edges against fraying. Stemstitch around the edges and across the top
with Black Shetland (see Figure 3, page
11). Add pocket embellishment as desired.
Steam press as before using a press cloth.
Web resources
Internet sites used for information about
wadmal in this article:
www.wlu.edu/~hblackme/oed/wadmal.html
www.vinlandsite.com/saga2.htm
www.mnh.si.edu/vikings/voyage/subset/
greenland/history.html
www. shetland-knitwear. com/history. html
http://cma.soton.ac.uk/HistShip/shlect82.htm.
handwovenmagazine.com
9
Originally published in Handwoven®, January/February 2002, pp. 66–68
© Interweave Press LLC. Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved.
handwovenmagazine.com
10
1. Pattern layout
for vest
2. Blanket stitch
3. Stem stitch
1 square = 1 inch
PROJECT at-a-glance
Weave structure for vest
Warp order and length
Plain weave.
252 ends 3 yd long, alternating
Black and Plum (allows 34" for
sampling and loom waste).
Equipment
25" rigid heddle loom or 2-shaft
loom with 26" weaving width;
10-dent reed; 1 shuttle.
Yarns
Warp: 2-ply wool (1,800 yd/lb,
Harrisville Shetland), Black
(includes amount for crochet
trim) 460 yd (4 oz), and Plum
378 yd (31⁄2 oz).
Weft: 2-ply wool (1,800 yd/lb,
Harrisville Shetland),
Blackberry and Garnet, 510 yd
(42⁄3 oz) each.
Yarn sources
Harrisville Shetland is from
Shuttles, Spindles & Skeins and
is available from most yarn shops.
© Interweave Press LLC. Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved.
Warp and weft spacing
Warp: 10 epi (1/dent in a 10-dent
reed or rigid heddle). Width in
reed: 251⁄4". Weft: 9 ppi (2 strands,
1 Blackberry/1 Garnet).
Notions and other materials
Tapestry needle, size C crochet
hook, black sewing thread, beads
and buttons for pocket trim.
Take-up and shrinkage
After washing, 28% in width,
16% (5% take-up, 11% shrinkage)
in length. Amounts produce fulled
yardage 18" × 62", enough for a
small vest with a chest measurement of 341⁄2".
handwovenmagazine.com
11
The W(hole) Project
nuno-like felting for weavers
S U S A N B OW M A N
Do you ever find your weaving is a little too rigid or structured? Do you long to loosen up and not worry about such
pedestrian considerations as uneven selvedges? Here is a fun, creative method to get a fashion-forward new look
for shawls and scarves as well as to create a lovely fulled softness very much like that of nuno felting!
C
ontemporary felters create cobwebby, lacelike fabrics using a
technique that has been given the
name nuno felting by felter Polly Stirling.
The good news is that handweavers, too,
can produce the lacy texture and soft
drape of nuno-felted fabrics.
The holes in these shawls are formed
by skipping dents in the reed and using
spacers in the weft. The fabric is then
fulled to produce solid yet soft feltlike
areas around the holes. And there’s a
bonus: you get to cut off the selvedges
when you finish the project!
When moisture, heat, and agitation are
applied to an unspun fiber to make it
shrink and become a cohesive fabric, the
process is called felting. When the same
actions are applied to woven or knitted
fabrics, it’s called fulling even though the
result looks very similar to felt. Soft wool
yarns full quickly and produce a deliciously
comfortable, drapable fabric.
Designing fulled fabrics with holes
To design a scarf or shawl, use a grid and
colored pencils to work out the length,
Susan Bowman of
Colorado Springs,
Colorado, weaves and
dyes to create drapable
fulled fabrics for shawls
and scarves with holes.
© Interweave Press LLC. Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved.
width, and placement of holes and woven
areas. Plain weave works well—in fact,
twills or more complex weave structures
may not even show after fulling, depending on warp and weft color choices and
the degree of fulling applied. Warps for
these projects are necessarily very long—
count on losing about fifty percent of both
length and width during fulling.
Design choices abound! The holes and
woven areas can all be the same size or
they can be different sizes. Use natural
wool colors, choose predyed yarns, or dye
the fabric after it’s woven. You can inlay
fiber, yarn, or fabric strips, too. If the inlaid elements are made of nonshrinking
fibers, they will add considerable surface
texture when the fabric is fulled.
a. Plaid shawl on loom and after finishing
Weaving tips
Gentle handling of the yarns is very important. Use light warp tension. Gently
press each weft into place. The goal is to
weave a light, airy fabric with room for
yarns to move together during fulling.
Cut weft spacer strips of smooth, thin
cardboard with a ruler and rotary cutter.
Strips should be 1–2" longer than the
width of the warp and should be very
smooth so as not to snag the warp threads.
Resources
Blumenthal, Betsy, and Kathryn Kreider.
Hands On Dyeing. Loveland, Colorado:
Interweave, 1988, pp. 63–65.
handwovenmagazine.com
12
Originally published in Handwoven®, November/December 2006, pp. 40–43
© Interweave Press LLC. Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved.
handwovenmagazine.com
13
S T E P S F O R W E AV I N G T H E S H AW L S
3x
1. Draft
for plaid
shawl
5x
N
5x
N
N
N
N
N
N
30
N
10
30
for the plaid shawl or Figure 3 for the
dyed shawl.
N
N
G
U
10
G
4
N
N
N
N
N
N
30
3
N
N
10
2
N 1
G
30
G
U
2. Warp color order for plaid shawl
for the plaid shawl as in Figure 2 or
144 ends of white roving 61⁄2 yd long
for the dyed shawl. Warping back to
front with two crosses is recommended for these yarns. Spread the warp
for the plaid shawl in a raddle at 10
ends per inch, centered for 284⁄5";
spread the warp for the dyed shawl
alternating 4 and 5 ends per inch and
centered for 32". (For specific warping directions, see Weaving Resources
at www.handwovemagazine.com.)
Step Thread the shafts following Figure 1
2
3
G
U
5x
N
U
Numbers under unthreaded sections
of the draft indicate skiped dents:
30 = 30 skipped dents (2").
Step Wind a warp of 288 ends 6 yd long
1
G
G
U
U
G
5x
U
U
G
N
4x
U
G
N
N
N
4x
U
2x
4x
5
3x
4
4
24
96
32
168 44
40 4
288
Lt Gray (G)
Uji Green (U)
Navy (N)
U
U
G
G
N
2x
N
N
11x
3
2
4
G
2
U
G
3
2
1
U
1 1
24
/
/
24 = 24 skipped
dents (2")
/
b. Trim away selvedges and uneven ends.
8
"
6x
2"
3x
4
3
34x
6x
5
3. Draft for dyed shawl
3x
"
2"
N
4
8
4x
/
4x
5
6x
repeat
2x
2"
U
6x
G
U
G
8
"
4x
2x
Step For the plaid shawl, weave following
Step Remove the fabric from the loom and
Figure 1 for 185" or longer (34 repeats
= 185" for this shawl). When you come
to a 5⁄8" space, leave the shed for the
last pick open and insert the 5⁄8" x 32"
spacer strip. Close the shed and press
the spacer against the last pick with the
beater. At each 2" space, insert the 2"
x 32" spacer in the same way. (Reuse
the appropriate spacer by pulling it out
of the cloth slowly to one side and insert it where it’s needed next.)
carefully wrap it around a cardboard
tube to transfer to table or counter. Lay
it out and cut off about 8" as an unfinished sample and another 20" for
fulling experimentation. Measure the
remaining yardage for your records.
fabric doesn’t full to itself. (It takes me
at least 45 minutes to full a shawl.)
Then rinse in cool water, roll in a towel
to squeeze out excess water, and
spread flat to dry. Press out wrinkles
with a steam iron on the wool setting
while fabric is still damp.
Step Practice fulling with the 20" fabric to
Step Use a mat and rotary cutter to trim off
Step For the blue shawl, weave for 208"
4
or longer following Figure 3, beating
lightly throughout. At the first 2"
space, leave the shed for the last pick
open and insert the 2" spacer strip.
Press it against the last pick with the
beater. Remove and use the same strip
for each subsequent space.
5
6
determine the amount you like—then
repeat with the shawl. Fill a sink with
about a gallon of hot water. Add 1 teaspoon mild dishwashing detergent. Immerse the fabric and gently squeeze
and agitate for several minutes until
fulling begins. Spread the fabric on a
countertop and gently rub the surface
along its entire length and width. Refill the sink with hot water and repeat
the sink and countertop steps, checking frequently and making sure the
7
the selvedges and uneven ends. For the
plaid shawl, the trimming was done
with pinking shears before the final
several minutes of fulling, creating a
softly rounded effect on the cut ends.
Step To dye the blue shawl (or you can
8
leave it natural white), follow directions
for rainbow dyeing in Hands On Dyeing; see Resources, page 12. Note that
additional fulling will occur during dyeing and steaming.
PROJECT AT-A-GLANCE
Weave structure for plaid shawl
Plain weave with spaced warp and weft.
Equipment
Weft: 2-ply wool (6,464 yd/lb), #117 Navy
660 yd (2 oz); #121 Uji Green, 500 yd (11⁄4
oz); #125 Lt Gray, 250 yd (2⁄3 oz).
2- or 4-shaft loom, 31" weaving width; 15dent reed; raddle with 1⁄4–1⁄2" spaces, 3 shuttles; 2
cardboard spacers (5⁄8" x 32" and 2" x 32").
Yarn sources
Yarns
Warp order and length
Warp: 2-ply wool (6,464 yd/lb), #117 Navy
1,008 yd (21⁄2 oz); #121 Uji Green, 576 yd
(11⁄2 oz); #125 Lt Gray, 144 yd (3⁄8 oz).
288 ends 6 yd long as in Figure 2 (allows 5"
for take-up; and 25" for loom waste). Note
that shrinkage is about 50 percent.
© Interweave Press LLC. Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved.
2-ply Geelong Lamb Wool (item A-98) is
available from Habu Textiles.
Warp and weft spacing
Warp: 30 epi (2/dent in a 15-dent reed) in
warp stripes, 0/dent in spaces. Width in
the reed: 303⁄10".
Weft: about 20 ppi in weft stripes; 0 ppi in
spaces. Woven length: 189" (includes 28"
for sampling).
Finished dimensions
After fulling and trimming, amounts produce
one shawl 161⁄2" × 76" plus samples.
handwovenmagazine.com
14
c. Blue shawl on loom and after dyeing
d. Fulled scarves and shawls by Susan Bowman. Blue Grid (the blue scarf) appeared in the
Cutting Edge Exhibit at Convergence 2006; 60/2 silk is used as a nonshrinking fiber.
PROJECT AT-A-GLANCE
Weave structure for dyed shawl
Plain weave with spaced warp and weft.
Weft: 6/1 wool roving (2,976 yd/lb), white
(undyed), 873 yd (47⁄10 oz).
Equipment
Yarn sources
2-shaft or 4-shaft loom, 34" weaving width;
12-dent reed; raddle with 1⁄4–1⁄2" spaces, cardboard spacer 2" x 36"; 1 shuttle.
Wool roving (item A-81) is available from
Habu Textiles.
Yarns
Warp order and length
144 ends 61⁄2 yd long (allows 6" for take-up;
Warp: 6/1 wool roving (2,976 yd/lb), white
(undyed), 936 yd (51⁄16 oz).
and 20" for loom waste). Note that shrinkage
is about 50 percent.
© Interweave Press LLC. Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved.
Warp and weft spacing
Warp: 12 epi (1/dent in a 12-dent reed) in
warp stripes, 0/dent in spaces. Width in
the reed: 34".
Weft: 12 ppi in weft stripes; 0 ppi in spaces.
Woven length: 208" (includes 28" for sampling).
Finished dimensions
After fulling and trimming, amounts produce
one shawl 16" × 89" plus samples.
handwovenmagazine.com
15
Every Last Penny Scarf
fulled shaping for textured cloth
SU BUTLER
There are times when I enjoy spending inordinate amounts of time planning
PROJECT AT-A-GLANCE
and weaving a special handwoven project. There are other times when I want
Weave structure for scarf
to create something with a “wow” factor that I can complete quickly without
Plain weave.
much fuss. A recent visit to the studio of weaver Candiss Cole, where she was
Equipment
experimenting with binding areas of cloth to create texture, led to an idea for
a “wow” project that is quick and easy as well as wonderful.
2-shaft, 4-shaft, or rigid heddle loom,
22" weaving width; 8-dent reed; 1 shuttle; pennies or other objects and rubber
bands for binding; chalk marker.
Yarns
W
eavers love the idea of embellishing cloth to add interest to
the original surface. I wanted a
scarf with a soft, bumpy texture that could
be produced without a complex weave
structure or a variety of fibers. As I pondered, fulling came to mind as a promising
possibility.
Since wool yarns full when subjected to
heat, agitation, and moisture, and since the
amount of fulling can be controlled, I had
an idea. What if I bound a wool fabric
around small objects and then fulled it to
force the fabric to acquire the objects’
shapes?
Texturing a surface with fulling
Klippans 6/2 Tuna is a 100 percent wool
yarn often used in fulled knitting because
the yarn fulls evenly with a relatively
Su Butler of Woodstock, Illinois, looks for
ways to manipulate
standard ideas into
new expressions in
handwoven cloth.
© Interweave Press LLC. Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved.
short amount of wet-finishing. I chose Tuna
for my scarf to take advantage of this
characteristic.
I wove the scarf in a very open plain
weave (see Photo a, page 19). The surface
texture was produced after the fabric was
removed from the loom. I bound over 200
pennies (in pairs) into the fabric and then
wet-finished it.
Infinite varieties of texture are possible
depending on the size and shape of the
objects used, where they are placed in the
fabric, and how much fulling the fabric undergoes. Many different items can be used
to form the shapes—rocks, marbles, game
pieces—a kid’s room can be a great resource! When the fulling is complete, the
fabric dried, and the objects removed, the
fabric retains the shapes of the bound
objects even when it is handwashed.
This project is one that almost any
weaver will enjoy; not only is it fun and fast
to do, but it also has a great “wow” factor.
Be sure to gather your materials in advance,
though; otherwise you may end up scrounging around the house for every last penny
to bind into your scarf as I did!
Warp: 6/2 wool (1,600 yd/lb), Dark
Blue #3771, 460 yd (43⁄5 oz); Red
#3024, 100 yd (1 oz); Turquoise
#3352, 140 yd (12⁄5 oz); Fuchsia
#3724, 60 yd (3⁄5 oz); Gold #3738,
120 yd (11⁄5 oz).
Weft: 6/2 wool (1,600 yd/lb), Purple
#3079, 650 yd (61⁄2 oz).
Yarn sources
100% 6/2 wool (Tuna by Klippans) is
available from Loominesce in 350 yd
skeins (2 skeins each Dark Blue and Purple; 1 skein each Fuchsia, Red,
Turquoise, and Gold).
Warp order and length
176 ends 5 yd long following Figure 1
(allows 8" for take-up, 32" for loom
waste; loom waste includes 10" fringe
each end).
Warp and weft spacing
Warp: 8 epi (1/dent in an 8-dent reed).
Width in the reed: 22".
Weft: 7 ppi. Woven length (measured
under tension on the loom): 140".
Finished dimensions
After binding the pennies, wet-finishing,
and removing the pennies, amounts produce one scarf 71⁄2" × 72" plus 5" fringe
at each end.
handwovenmagazine.com
16
Originally published in Handwoven®, November/December 2005, pp. 48–51
© Interweave Press LLC. Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved.
handwovenmagazine.com
17
S T E P S F O R W E AV I N G T H E E V E R Y L A S T P E N N Y S C A R F
Step One at a time, place the six skeins of
1
yarn for the warp on a swift and wind
each into a ball. Place the balls in jars
or bowls below the warping board as
you need them and wind a warp of
176 ends 5 yd long. Hold 2 ends together keeping them separate with
your finger but placing them together
in the cross. To start, wind 20 ends
Dark Blue from 2 balls. Tie 1 Dark
Blue end to 1 Red end and wind 12
ends Dark Blue alternating with Red.
Tie 1 Red to 1 Dark Blue and wind 20
Dark Blue ends. Tie 1 Fuchsia to 1
Dark Blue and 1 Turquoise to the other
Dark Blue and wind 8 ends Fuchsia/Turquoise, and continue, cutting
and tying at color changes. Tie the
cross and a choke tie about 20" from
the cross-end of the warp and chain
the warp from the warping board.
1. Warp color order
6x
24
12
28
20
92
176
sley the 2 ends individually that were
wound together in the cross). Tie the
choke tie to the breast beam. Sitting
behind the shafts, thread the heddles
for plain weave (if you have four
shafts, thread 1-2-3-4 to spread the
warp for easier shed formation). Tie
the warp onto the back apron rod.
choke tie and beam the warp under
even tension packing the layers with
smooth paper or sticks: Bring the beater forward and turn the warp beam
until the beater reaches the shafts. At
the front of the loom, pull on sections
of the warp to straighten and apply
tension; do not comb. Repeat until the
warp is completely wound on the
beam. Tie onto the front apron rod in
1" groups.
Step Allowing at least 10" for fringe, begin
4
weaving the scarf with 2 plain-weave
picks in Purple, beating them lightly
into place so each just “kisses” the
other. Then weave the scarf for 140"
at a consistent 7 ppi. This is a very
loose weft sett—the fabric needs to be
“sleazy” to allow room for the extensive fulling that will occur once the
piece is removed from the loom. Place
the weft carefully so the web looks like
the cloth in Photo a. Advance the
warp often as an aid to keeping the
© Interweave Press LLC. Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved.
4x
4x
6x
1 16 1
1
1
1
20
1
8
8
1
1 20
1
6x
Gold
Fuchsia
1
Turquoise
1
Red
20 1
20 Dark Blue
water is very hot for best results. Lift
the scarf carefully, immerse it in the
water, and allow to agitate for 2 minutes. Stop the machine and check the
fabric. If no fulling has occurred, let
the machine run 1 minute more. Continue, agitating 1 minute and checking the fulling, until the desired
amount of fulling has occurred. My
scarf took just over 5 minutes to reach
the degree of fulling shown here (the
presence of the pennies speeds up the
fulling process). Be careful to avoid
overfulling since fulling cannot be undone! To judge, look at the bound
areas. The pennies should be solidly
covered by cloth when the fulling
process is complete and the plainweave structure should look solid and
show no spaces (note the difference
between the cloth in Photo b and the
finished cloth in Photo d).
Step Cut the fabric from the loom allowing
5
at least 10" of warp length for fringe.
Trim the fringe on both ends evenly to
10". Make a twisted fringe of two
groups of 2 ends in each fringe (4
ends total; see page 22; I twist the two
groups 40 times in one direction and
then, keeping slight tension on them,
hold them together and twist them in
the opposite direction). Secure the
ends in an overhand knot allowing a
tail of no more than 1⁄2".
Step Now it is time to bind the pennies into
6
Step At the front of the loom, remove the
3
6x
picks per inch consistent. When you
have woven 140", weave the last 2
picks as you did the first 2 picks.
Step Sley 1/dent in an 8-dent reed (you’ll
2
Photo a shows how open the fabric
should appear on the loom, Photo b
shows the fabric after it is removed
from the loom, Photo c shows the
bound pennies before fulling, and
Photo d shows the fulled scarf after
the pennies have been removed.
the cloth in preparation for fulling. Lay
the scarf out flat on a table or floor.
Decide where to place the bumps,
and with white chalk, mark each spot
to be bound with an x (you can work
from a prepared diagram or just mark
the spots randomly). I used 202 pennies for the 101 bumps in my scarf,
binding two pennies in each spot to
give the raised areas a little more dimension. You can bind only one
penny in each spot for bumps with
slightly less “poof.”
Step After all the areas are marked, place
7
one or two pennies under the first
chalk mark and bind the cloth around
them very tightly with a rubber band.
Continue until all chalk marks are
bound. The scarf will look skewed and
strange and will also get quite heavy,
so it is a good idea to leave it on the
surface of a table or the floor during
the entire binding process.
Step When all marked areas have pennies
8
securely bound in place, the fulling
process can begin. Set your washing
machine for hot water wash and fill
to the lowest setting. Make sure the
Step When the fulling is complete to your
9
satisfaction, spin the excess water out
of the machine. Remove the scarf by
scooping your hands under it to lift the
whole piece from the machine without
stretching the fibers. Lay the scarf flat
and allow to dry thoroughly.
Step Take a pair of snippers or scissors and
snip the rubber bands that are holding the pennies in place, being very
careful not to cut the fabric. Remove
the pennies by pushing them through
the back of the cloth. Note how the
little “poofs” pop right back into place
as the pennies fall out. When the pennies have all been removed, straighten
and snip apart any fringes that may
have felted together.
10
Step Enjoy your new warm, bumpy scarf,
and consider designing a version of
your own. Note that shrinkage is
about 50% in the warp direction, 66%
in the weft direction.
11
handwovenmagazine.com
18
a
b
c
d
© Interweave Press LLC. Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved.
handwovenmagazine.com
19
Transformation
a study in fibers and finishing
J A N E PAT R I C K
I
f you’ve been following fashion
lately, you know that texture is IN,
whether it’s featured in luscious coat
capes or simple dresses, or in thick, drapable rayon-chenille throws. This scarf
is inspired by these influences as well
as the current interest among handweavers in collapse fabrics, and its story
is about how a fabric is transformed
after it’s woven.
To increase the after-loom drama,
the scarf begins life with all-white
yarns. A fingering-weight wool is used
in both warp and weft for its warmth,
softness, and fulling properties. Linen
is used in the scarf for its opposite properties—when abused with hot washing
and lots of suds, it won’t shrink or felt.
Linen also does not take dye as well as
wool, so if both fibers are treated with
the same dye, there will be color variation between them. Finally, mohair is
added to the warp for the subtle color
and texture variations it provides when
combined with the other two yarns.
For the yarns to shrink and full,
plenty of space must be allowed between them. As you weave the fabric,
it will lack integrity and seem sleazy.
Don’t worry! It will all stabilize in the
finishing process.
Jane Patrick of
Boulder, Colorado, has
been weaving since 1971.
She likes to coax the simplest of weaving equipment into creating visually
complex and texturally
intriguing fabrics.
© Interweave Press LLC. Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved.
Enough warp length is given in the
scarf directions for two small swatches,
one to keep as an example of the fabric
before dyeing, and another to keep as
an example of the fabric after dyeing
but before finishing. Take the time to
hemstitch the samples for safekeeping.
Warping and weaving the scarf
Wind a separate warp chain for each fiber.
Sley the wool first, 1/dent in a 10-dent reed,
leaving empty dents for the other fibers (see
Figure 1), and then sley the linen, and finally
the mohair. Thread the loom for plain weave.
On a rigid heddle loom, where mohair alternates with wool, sley the wool ends in the
holes and the mohair in the roomier slots.
Weave two samples 10" long each and
the scarf for 82" (allow 2–21⁄2" unwoven for
fringe between pieces); hemstitch all ends.
Check the sheds (mohair can be sticky).
On the rigid heddle loom, insert the shuttle close to the slots.
Dyeing the scarf
You’ll need a 6–8 qt pot not used for cooking, a stir stick, rubber gloves, dust mask,
measuring cups, and a heat source (such as
a hot plate or propane camp stove used outside). Protect all surfaces against spills and
wear an apron. Mix the stock solution: Wearing a dust mask, add 3⁄4 tsp Yellow #104 and
a pinch of Basic Blue #400 to 1⁄4 cup water.
Heat 1 gal of water, add 1⁄3 cup salt, and
stir until dissolved. Add stock solution, add
the fabric, and simmer for 15 min. Stir
often. Remove fabric from dyepot and add
1
⁄2 cup vinegar. Replace fabric and stir
briskly for 1 min. Simmer for another
15–30 min, stirring often. Rinse in cold
water until water runs clear.
PROJECT at-a-glance
Weave structure for scarf
Plain weave.
Equipment
Rigid heddle, 2-shaft, or 4-shaft loom,
11" weaving width; 10-dent reed;
12" stick shuttle; tapestry needle;
stiff brush or teasle (hand roller).
Yarns
Warp: 2-ply wool (2,800 yd/lb),
#740 Snow, 231 yd (11⁄3 oz); mohair
(900 yd/lb), natural, 42 yd (3⁄4 oz);
4-ply wetspun linen (1,200 yd/lb),
off-white, 84 yd (11⁄8 oz).
Weft: 2-ply wool (2,800 yd/lb),
#740 Snow, 330 yd (21⁄6 oz).
Yarn sources
Fingering-weight 2-ply wool (Brown
Sheep), mohair (Classic Elite), and
Euroflax linen (Louet) are available
from most suppliers.
Notions and other materials
Procion MX dyes (PRO Chem): Yellow #104, 3⁄4 tsp; Basic Blue #400, 1⁄8 tsp.
Warp order and length
102 ends 31⁄2 yd long (allows 42" for
take-up, loom waste, and sampling).
Warp and weft spacing
Warp: 10 epi (1/dent in a 10/dent
reed). Width in reed: 101⁄4".
Weft: 10 ppi. Woven length (measured
under tension on the loom) 82".
Finished dimensions
Amounts produce one scarf 63⁄4" × 54"
and two samples about 8" long each.
handwovenmagazine.com
20
Originally published in Handwoven®, January/February 2003, pp. 62–64
© Interweave Press LLC. Not to be reprinted. All rights reserved.
handwovenmagazine.com
21
Hot TIP!
For fabrics that undergo several finishing processes, weave
enough samples to save one
for every stage. You’ll have
them to refer to later, and they
will give you new ideas. Add
to warp length for extra sampling and try finishing some
samples more aggressively to
see the results. Keep notes!
1. Warp order for scarf
12
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
mohair
6
6
6
6
24
linen
66 6 1
1
1
6
6 1
1
1
6
6 1
1
1
6
6 1
1
1
6
6 wool
102
Finishing the scarf
Machine wash, delicate cycle, with 1⁄2 cup
detergent. Check often and stop the wash
cycle before the fabric is completely fulled
(some additional fulling will take place in
the rinse cycle). Rinse, spin, and remove
from the washing machine.
Press firmly while still wet with a hot
iron. Trim fringe to about 1". Brush vigorously with brush or teasle on one side to
raise the nap, soften the hand, and add loft.
Brushing will result in further shrinkage
caused by the friction of the wool fibers
moving against each other. Overall shrinkage is about 35%.
READING DRAFTS
10x
Some drafts for weaving are very, very long if they are written out thread by thread.
To save space, wherever any section of the threading or treadling is repeated, a
bracket is placed above it with the number of times to do that section. For example, in the threading draft shown here, there are two levels of brackets, one
marked 2x and one marked 10x. To thread: Start at the right side and thread (after
the floating selvedge) 1-2-3-4. Since the 2x is directly above these threads, you
will thread that two times. Then continue, 1-2-3-4-1-4-3-2-1-4. You are now at
the end of the 10x bracket, so you’ll do everything under that bracket (including
the 2x section) ten times. When the threading continues to another row, you also
read that row from right to left. Repeats in the treadling and in the warp color
order are treated in the same way. Note that the color order chart looks like a
threading draft but indicates the order in which to wind warp colors (4 black, 8
green, 4 black, then 9 red and 9 white six times, 4 green, 4 black).
Draft
4
4
2x
4
3
4
3
2
3
2
1
1
2x
1
←cont'd
4
3
2
1
1 2 3 4
4 4
3 3
2 2
1
1
/
/
4
2
3
2
1
/
2
1
2x
/
3
1
10x
/
/
/
= floating selvedges
6x
/
/
6x
Warp
color
order
/
12 4
4
4 black
green
4
12
8
54
9
red
white
54
9
132
2x
/
/
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.)
SIMPLE 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, left side if you are left-handed. Measure a length of weft three times the warp width and cut, leaving the measured
length as a tail. Thread the tail into a blunt tapestry needle.
Take the needle under a selected group of ends above the fell and bring it up and back to the starting point, encircling the same
group of ends. Pass the needle under the same group, bringing it out through the weaving two (or more) weft threads below the
fell. Repeat for each group of ends across the fell. Needle weave the tail into the selvedge and trim.
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