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.

Ugly Yarn Series, No. 2

Day 60: All too frequently, some new craft or method will capture my interest, leading me to purchase all the necessary equipment and extras only to find out that the art is not something I particularly like. Such was the case with "colour pooling," a crochet/knit technique which creates large patches of colour using space-dyed yarns with more distinct breaks between hues than is seen in standard ombres. That said, colour pooling also requires the needleworker to adjust the tension of the stitches in order to maintain a pattern. The inevitable result is that some stitches must be tighter or looser than others which, to me at least, looked like sloppy handiwork. I gave up colour pooling for a bad deal and was then stuck with some rather garish multicoloured Red Heart worsted ("Fiesta") specifically designed for the method. This particular yarn reminded me of something a hippie might have found underneath the seat of their van after a rock festival, and I had three skeins of it I needed to put to good use.

Witness Ugly Yarn series No. 2. Workers of sprang advise that you should never use "sticky" yarns for warp. Well, I did, and although it took a lot of wrangling and fussing, I managed to turn almost a full skein into a tightly woven sprang "project tote" (stuffed here with more of the same yarn). I knit the top border in 2 x 2 rib, and ran a spool-knit cord through the neck to make it into a drawstring bag. With plenty left over, I turned out a pair of nalbinding ankle warmers, again with 2 x 2 knit cuffs at either end. Just for giggles, I then set up my backstrap loom and wove an obviously sectional band to replace the old backstrap band which was about four inches too long. I still have a little over half a skein to use up, but I'm pleased with the way all three of these Ugly Yarn projects worked out.

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.