365Caws is now in its 14th year of publication, and was originally intended to end after 365 days. It has sometimes been difficult for me to find new material, particularly during the winter months, but now as I enter my own twilight years, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to provide daily posts. It is my hope that along the way I may have inspired someone to a greater curiosity about the natural world. If so, I can rest, content in the knowledge that my work here has been done.
Thursday, August 19, 2021
Mönsterhoppor
Day 310: "Mönsterhoppor." It looks like the name of a rock band, but it means "floating threads," according to the instructions which came with the specialized Stoorstålka heddle which makes weaving traditional Sámi bands much easier than using the good old-fashioned pick-up method. I have to admit it's faster, but each Stoorstålka heddle is designed to hold a specific number of floating threads, and acquiring a full collection would be cost-prohibitive. There are a few draft variations possible within each warping, and of course changing up the colours would give each band a personalized touch, but by and large, the range of patterns possible with any particular heddle are quite limited. While the apparatus could be installed on a rigid-heddle loom to allow the weaver to work while sitting in a chair, I prefer using the backstrap method so that I can work standing up. Traditionally, the weaving is done with wool. However, I am using cotton so that I can apply the bands to pieces which are intended to be fully washable, e.g., fingertip towels where they will give a nice weight to the hem.
Labels:
backstrap weaving,
band weaving,
Sámi,
Stoorstålka
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