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WEGATHERGOODS.COM @WEGATHER YOU’RE A WEAVER NOW! You are about to take your place in a long, ancient history of one of the earliest textile techniques ever used by humans. Welcome! Weaving has been part of our human experience for at least 30,000 years and is one of the most important and widespread methods of making cloth, baskets, and other functional and fabulous objects. This Simple Loom Weaving Kit employs many of the same tools and techniques that people have been using for thousands of years. It’s up to you to make them yours!
At its most basic, weaving is the interlacing of two sets of perpendicular yarns or linear elements. Woven textiles are generally stable and not very stretchy. They can be thick and rugged, light and delicate, and everything in between. There are countless dierent approaches to weaving, it’s rules and traditions, and some of those are shared in this booklet. Follow those that speak to you and make your own rules where necessary. As you learn and practice, you will find what works best for you. Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
•Loom maintenance - Your loom and tools are lovingly cut from birch plywood, which sometimes has the propensity for splintering. If you find this happening, use a fine grit sandpaper to smooth those areas.
•Even tension - Weaving is built upon tension. Try to keep this as even as possible, but remember that your goal is function, not perfection.
•No knots - You almost never use an actual knot in weaving. To change or add weft yarns, simply overlap the new and the old by about an inch in the same shed.
•Mind your selvedges - Try to keep your selvedges straight and parallel with the vertical sides of your loom.
•Experimentation - Weaving on a frame loom is exible. Feel free to change the orientation of your loom at will, making the bottom of your weaving the top and turning the top to the bottom. This type of weaving is low stakes - take some risks!
•Troubleshooting - Always follow the yarn. It will tell you where it wants to go and lead you out of “mistake” situations.
•Perspective - You can always start again! Weaving is a process that can oer meditative and creative possibilities. There is no requirement for perfection, and the stakes are so low in this type of weaving that there’s almost no harm in setting your loom down, taking a break, and starting again when you’re ready.
LET’S GET GOING! The following pages include images and descriptions of all of the necessary steps you need to get weaving, as well as several dierent techniques that experiment with structure and texture. You may choose to follow these as written or blaze your own trail. There are dozens more techniques to discover if you’d like to continue with your own research. Perhaps you’ll even invent your own techniques! If, at any point, you have a question, email [email protected] and we’ll do our best to guide you.
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2 TAPESTRY NEEDLE
WEAVING NEEDLE
SHED STICK FRAME LOOM
Get to know your tools. Your kit comes with a simple small With the warping method used on this loom, you’ll find that frame loom, which has been prepared with 100% natural there are essentially two sets of warp yarns - one on the cotton warp yarns. The shed stick, weaving needle, and front of the loom, and one on the back. A piece of cardstock tapestry needle are used to help you move the weft, or has been placed in order to visually separate these sets so cross-wise, yarns through the vertical warp yarns. that you can weave only the front set of warp yarns.
Start by threading the weaving needle. Cut a length of yarn Pull that end about 2/3 of the way down the length of the no longer than your wingspan and thread one end of the other tail. yarn through the eye of the wooden needle.
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3 Start weaving using the plain weave structure, the most Pull the weft yarn all the way through the weaving until basic of weaving patterns. Starting at either selvedge, use there is just a 3-4 inch tail left at the starting point. the tip of the weaving needle to guide the yarn under one warp yarn and then over the next, then under and over, and so forth, until you reach the other selvedge
Beat your first pick of weft in place using your fingers. Using your fingers, weave the tail of weft yarn into the warp by guiding it over the first warp yarn and then under the next, following this pattern for about 5-6 warp yarns. The yarn should be traveling opposite of the way the first pick moved through the warp yarn. You’ll clip the remaining tail when you’re finished with your weaving.
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4 Release a bit of yarn from the weaving needle and use it to As you work, mind your selvedges. With each pick, hold the create the next pick of weft. Guide it under the first warp weft yarn at the selvedge to keep it from pulling too tightly. yarn and over the next, following this pattern all the way Create a weaver’s angle with each pick by placing the weft to the other side of the loom. This pick should be traveling yarn at a 30-45 degree angle through the weft prior to opposite of the way the first pick moved through the warp beating. This allows extra space for the weft to successfully yarn. It will overlap the tucked tail. move through the warp and prevents draw-in.
You can use your fingers or the tip of the weaving needle to Continue weaving, alternating the over-under pattern with press, or beat, the weft down into the weaving. each pick.
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5 USING THE SHED STICK: The shed stick holds the opening Bring the shed stick across the loom so that each end of between two sets of warp yarns and makes for more the shed stick rests on the sidebar of the loom. Flip the eicient weaving. The instructions outline how to use the shed stick on its side to open up the shed. The tension of shed stick with the plain weave structure. However, the the warp yarns will keep it temporarily in place. Guide the shed stick can be adapted to aid in any weave structure you weft through the newly-opened shed, moving it through choose. Guide the pointed end of the shed stick into the the warp at the widest part of the shed, which should be warp, following the over-under sequence that you will be closest to the shed stick. using on the next pick
Angle and beat the weft as usual. Flip the shed stick again so Weave the next pick normally without the use of the shed that it is at in the warp. Push it up to the top of your loom. stick. When you’re ready to open the shed again, ip the shed stick back on its edge and follow the previous instructions.
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6 CHANGING YARNS: When you’re ready to end a yarn, clip it so that there is a 3-4 inch tail left. Use your fingers to weave that tail as if it were the next pick. Weaving through 5-6 warp JOIN TECHNIQUES: Use the slit join and the modified slit yarns should be enough. Push the remainder of the tail behind join (on following pages) to create curves and small shapes, the warp yarns. Thread your next yarn through the weaving needle. Weave the new yarn into the warp by following the and to place dierent colors or textures next to each other. movement of the tail of the previous yarn and continuing all the way to the other selvedge. Where the previous tail shows, the new yarn should stack directly on top of it. The tails of both yarns should overlap by about an inch, with both short tails dangling from the back of the weaving.
Use plain weave to work two yarns at a time, coming from Imagine these two yarns “meeting” and then “separating.” opposite sides of the loom. almost as if they are each weaving on their own set of warp yarns.
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7 The modified slit join uses the same priciple, just changing Continue to meet and separate, making sure that none of where the meeting point for the two yarns is located with the warp yarns is left unclaimed. every new set of picks.
If one of the yarns is thicker than the other, you may want Finger weave any tails in as you come to the end of a length to build one color section with more or less picks than the of yarn. other in order to create an even horizontal edge to the weaving.
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8 RYA KNOTS: Fun and quirky, rya knots create textural Cut through the bundle of wound yarn in one spot to create interest and can look like short little us or long owing tassels. They can be placed at any time during weaving or multiple short pieces of the same length. You can always cut can be added after a weaving is finished. Rya knots are often this new bundle of cut yarns into still shorter lengths if you placed along the bottom of a piece for hanging fringe. Start like. Try not to use anything shorter than about 3 inches, as by cutting short lengths of your yarn of choice. Wind the it may be diicult to maneuver. yarn around your palm or attened fingers until you feel you have enough.
Identify a pair of adjacent warp yarns around which you’d Wind each end of the rya yarn around the outside of the like the rya knot to wrap. It may be helpful to slide your pair and bring them UP through the center, just below weaving or tapestry needle underneath these two warp where the middle point of the rya yarn travels. Tighten the yarns. Place the middle of your short rya yarn ON TOP of rya knot by tugging down on both short ends. the two warps.
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9 You may choose to create a whole row of rya knots, or you Trim your rya knots. You may wait until you’re finisned with can place them individually or in small clusters throughout the whole weaving to do this. Remember, you can always cut the weaving. Since this is not a “stable” weaving structure, something shorter, but you can never make it longer. it is a good idea to sandwich any rya knots between rows of plain weave.
TEXTURE OPTION: Weave with multiple yarns at the same TUCKING TAILS IN TIGHT SPOTS: Thread the weft yarn time. This can create interesting color and texture eects. through your tapestry needle and gently guide it through a previously woven area of weft, as you see here in this section of plain weave based on the modified slit join technique.
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10 DISCONTINUOUS WEFT: Create shaped areas by using CURVES AND WAVES: Weaving is more than just horizontal discontiuous weft techniques, in which you decrease the lines! Create eccentric weft eects by allowing your weft to amount of warp yarns the weft travels through. travel over curved and contoured areas of your weaving.
TEXTURE OPTION: Consider weaving with multiple lengths When you reach the top of your loom or the end of the of the same weft yarn threaded through your needle. This weaving, make sure to include at least 1/2 inch of plain will build the weaving faster and create dierent textures. weave header. You’ll notice that it is more diicult to weave in these spaces, so you should remove the shed stick and consider using the tapestry needle for these tight areas. WEGATHERGOODS.COM
11 Clip any remaining weft yarn in your needle. You’re ready to Flip the loom to the back side. Use scissors to carefully cut remove the weaving from the loom. through the center of the back set of warp yarns.
Cut all of the warp yarns on the back side of the loom. Remove the cardstock to reveal the “guts” of your weaving. You’ll probably see many of the weft tails from the areas where you changed yarns.
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12 Once the warp yarns have been cut, there will be one warp Starting with that short warp yarn and the warp yarn right yarn that is still tied on to the loom through one of the next to it, tie each pair of warp yarns together with a square holes. Carefully cut (or untie) this yarn. It will be short than double knot. This protects the weft yarns from unraveling. all of the other warp yarns, so do your best to handle this gently.
Continue knotting warp pairs across the whole edge of the Knot the warp yarn pairs on the bottom edge of the weaving. weaving. Now your weaving is secure and all weft and warp yarns are protected.
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13 Trim any weft yarn tails on the front or back of the weaving. You may consider creating loops in the remaining warp You can carefully trim these nearly ush with the fabric. yarns, though which you can thread a dowel for hanging, OR thread each warp yarn through the tapestry needle and individually needle weave them back into the fabric. You can also add fringe to the bottom edge of the weaving.
CONGRATS! You’ve finished your first weaving! Feel free to experiment with other finishing techniques that interest you. To get the wheels turning, consider researching and trying some of the following methods:
•knotted fringe •twisted fringe •braided fringe •alternating knots •machine sewn edge •add beads and other treasures
NOW ON TO THE NEXT. The Simple Loom Weaving Kit is meant to last. That means that you can re-warp the loom and move on to your next woven masterpiece. Select warp yarns that are strong and smooth. For warping instructions, go to wegathergoods.com/warping or find tutorials on Instagram @wegather.
As you continue in your weaving adventure, consider using alternative materials in the weft. This can include fabric or paper strips, sticks and grasses, chain, wire, anything that you could consider linear. Weave on!
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