So I'm Weaving Along...

...on this pattern, that weirdly, doesn't look anything like the image...which is quite possibly a threading issue--I'll have to try this again when I get to the end.  You know what they say--it's not a mistake, it's a new pattern!



...and something goes wrong.

The tension bar on the inkle loom that I've been using for 20 years finally died...the threading inside the wooden bit was not lined with a metal fitting; it's just wood.  So after 1000 yards of trim or so, it stripped out.



I tried to use my cheap-n-scuzzy "surfboard" loom but the tension was unreliable and the bolt chewed through one of my threads.  It was time to move ahead to the next plan.




Not wanting to waste time, I went ahead and built this in two days:



While it's not quite finished, it might work well enough for both tablet weaving and rigid heddle weaving with a few minor alterations.  In fact, I have an idea for a temporary improvement...ooooo....

In the process of building, I had a few set backs during the build...was locked out of some areas of the wood shop...




...but hand-held power tools were available and I made full use of them!

And on the third day...



...I added the front and back bars (only one pictured here, along with, for some inexplicable reason, the broken tension bar from the inkle loom).  I attempted to warp up the card weaving on the loom but didn't have any luck doing so.  Eventually, I gave up because the tension was not consistent.

My dear husband went to the hardware store and in about 90 minutes had fixed the tension bar for the inkle loom, so now I am back in business!  It took a couple hours to re-warp the card weaving onto the loom, then had to take it apart again to adjust the tension again to accommodate the shortened length--this loom really needs TWO tension bars for card weaving.

I still have a quilt commission to finish and a bunch of uniforms to repair, but...you know... I'd rather be weaving. :)

Advanced Card Weaving: Birka 12

Here's another fun pattern for you history buffs!  This is Birka find #12

This person (Russian, if I figure it correctly) has already mapped out this pattern pretty clearly, it's just a matter of knowing how to read the thing.

Warp your cards like it shows above.  Turn your cards to the AD "home" position.

Turn all the cards four quarter-turns forward, passing the shuttle between each turn.

When you have returned to the home position, you will split the deck.  Turn cards 1, 8-13 forward (away from you); 2-7 back (toward you).  You will do this for three quarter-turns.

Then...reverse!  Turn cards 1-7 forward; 8-12 back; and 13 forward.  You will do this for three quarter-turns, back to the home position.

Repeat the pattern--four quarter-turns forward, then the split pack.

As you can see, this means that the 1 and 13 cards are always turning forward...the rest of the cards will be turning four quarter turns forward at the end of every pattern.  This results in a great deal of twist in the threads, which you will have to eventually deal with.  About every yard and a half of completed weaving, I will untie the knots (one card at a time) and untwist.  It's just the way this pattern works.  I often will turn the 1 and 13 cards with the cards adjacent to them, which still builds up a twist, but not at twice the speed.

Here's mine, in progress...


And finished!

Preparing for Crown

Finishing up Anglo-Saxon weave.  It's about 3 yards long now, and another yard or so left to weave...but if I want to use it in my new project, I'm going to need 6 yards.  I might weave up something faster...simpler...for this garment.

Pulling out fabric - The top and bottom fabrics are wool.  The two lighter colors are linen.  The darkest blue is some kind of cotton twill.  I chose the bottom two fabrics and decided I needed to make a coat for my Norse gear.  After looking at several pictures, I chose this one.

They call this a Birka-style caftan, dating to the 9-10th centuries.  It's a little big--I think it was meant to be a bit more snug around the chest, but it'll be fine.

Apron dresses and more will be made up in the next couple of weeks as well as embellishment for the garb I've got.  I want to make a red wool apron dress and a couple of hoods--a cotton/linen white hood for warm weather and a wool hood for cold weather.  I also want to make a set of flannel pajama pants to go with the tunic I made last year.  Maybe a sleeping hood as well.

I've also got my packing list started...lots of stuff to pack for just one person, and setting up the kit myself will be interesting...not impossible...but interesting.

Oh, and I still need to build a door for the yurt.

More and More Weaving

Finished the Birka weave.  I've read other people say, "It was fun, but I'm never doing it again."  This is likely due to the constant twisting of the threads that need to be untied every yard or two.  I heard that there is a thingy called a "spinner" that you can use to tie to the ends that will untwist the threads as you go.  I'm totally up for that!  I'll have to see what I can find so I can do more of these in different colors.  I thought I'd start with my Baronial colors (also my favorite--green--and my husband's favorite--blue).

When I finished that one, I warped up a new band, just for fun.  I used a pattern I found on the Loomy Bin.  I thought it had a rather Southwest or even an African feel to the design.  I also saw X and O, so I called it "Kisses & Hugs".  Emma said she liked the combination with red, white and black, so I'll have to make some kind of band for her to use with her costumes.  Since she was away at a friend's house when I finished it and was anxious to start a new one, I started one for another friend.

Molly sent me a text over Facebook saying that she'd pay me for a piece of weaving, so after a few questions back & forth, decided on this pattern and color combination.  I made it wider than I anticipated, which measures 4 cm and uses 32 cards.  It's about the maximum I could do comfortably on this loom, I think.  Kelly is going to build me a box loom so I may be able to do bigger, wider, and longer weaves.  It'll be interesting to find out what I can do... :)

Elewys