Working Up An Experiment

Day 15: Ah, these words shall live in infamy: "It seemed like a good idea at the time." I had a bright idea for a pick-up pattern, intending to work it on the "bonker loom" (the Glimakra band loom), so I set up roughly five feet of warp as a backstrap project for a test. I was only a few inches into it when I realized that as a "bonker band," it was going to be way more nuisance than it was worth to pick up some threads while dropping others in the same shed. While the principle is easy on an inkle loom, the weaver sits at 90 degrees to the direction of the warp on the bonker. I may feel differently about the idea once I get more experience under my (hand-woven!) belt, but for now, it was obvious that I needed to change horses in mid-stream. This is precisely why I like to work up an experimental piece using the simplest method and a short warp. At worst, I wouldn't lose much fiber if I decided to throw the whole thing in the bin. However, this one was easily convertible to a different design. Someone is likely to find it tied around their Christmas gift so that it serves a useful purpose.

Backstrap Weaving

Day 311: You've heard me mention backstrap weaving in a few recent posts and may have wondered what I meant. This is weaving at a very elementary level, i.e., a way to stretch warp and hold it secure (a clamp on one end, an anchor on the other), and a means of opening the sheds through which the shuttle is passed. Tension on the warp is governed by a strap running around the weaver's back (hence the name "backstrap"). To open the shed, the weaver leans slightly forward to relax the tension and alternately raises or depresses the heddle through which the warp threads run. The shuttle is then passed through the shed, and the weft thread can be beaten into place using either the shuttle or the heddle. As the work develops, the clamp is loosened and the finished weaving is pulled back through it, and likewise, the unwoven warp can be released from the anchor incrementally. Backstrap weaving can be done sitting or standing, and the warp can be anchored on any available object (tree, fence post, doorknob, etc.). Any length weaving can be made, and width is only limited by the weaver's arm span. If fancier designs are desired, pickup sticks can be employed to lift warp threads. Here, I am weaving a simple tabby pattern, creating a shoulder strap for the lined bags which were woven on my four-foot floor loom. It takes roughly an hour to make a 44" band.