Weaving Tutorial Sml

8/10/2019 Weaving Tutorial Sml

1/22

Getting

Started

Weaving on the

Majacraft Circular Loom

suzy brown (WoolWench)


2/22

Copyright 2013 by Susan J. BrownAll rights reserved. No part o this course material may be reproduced in any orm or by any means,electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any inormation storage and retrievalsystem, without permission in writing rom the author.


3/22

Weaving in Circles with your new

Majacraft Circular Loom

Getting Started


4/22

It might look a little bit like it, but we really didnt try to reinvent the wheel here! What we haveis a very simple tool or weaving circular pieces, using any yarn you like, and to turn into any-

thing you can imagine making, with lots o circular shapes! Hats, cushions, wall art, stitch thecircles together to make shawls, aghans, add them onto your existing clothing as patches (thinkthe back o your denim jacket, how cool is that!). Tere are myriad uses or a beautiul reeormcircular weaving! And o course, we didnt just invent them, these have been around orever, andor inspiration you only need to look to the past activites o weavers to find things like enner-iffe Lace, with patterns totally adaptable or this kind o weaving and loom, and then look to theamazing 1970s wallhanging art in brown and orange or retro colour inspirations.. As always,everything has been done beore, but now its our turn to revitalise, renew, reresh, and add ourown 21st century twist!

Tis tutorial will show you how to get started weaving on your new Circular loom, with the addi-tion o a couple o technique variations you can use to create interest and texture in your weaving.

Its probably a good idea to make your first weaving with scrap yarns, as a practice weaving,beore staring out with your precious yarns.

Your warp thread should be airly thin, as it will build up in the middle where it crosses as youwarp to opposite sides. It should also be good and strong! Start by attaching it to the back o theloom with a piece o tape, or you could just tie it on, makng sure it goes through the centre hole,rom ront to back. Once the warp is in place this end can be secured to the weaving itsel by sim-ply knotting it around the centre.

Warping your loom


5/22

Te next step is to take the warp threadall the way through the hole to an outsidenotch and to the back o the loom.

ake the warp thread around theback o the loom in an anti clock-wise direction and bring it back tothe ront o the loom through thenext notch.

It should look like this (lef) at the back. You can also takeyour yarn clockwise i that eels more comortable or you,

just remember to keep going around the loom in the samedirection all the time.


6/22

Now bring your warp thread all the way across the circle to the notch on the oppositeside, you will know its directly opposite when the thread crosses the centre hole acrossthe middle.

Again, bring your yarn to the back o the loom through the notch, take it anti-clockwiseto the next notch and bring it back to the ront again.

Now take your warp thread acrossthe loom again, to the opposite

notch, just like last time. Youshould now see a neat little cross inthe middle o the centre hole in theloom.


7/22

Keep working your way around the loom in the same direction, taking the yarn aross thecircle to the opposite side, through the notch, around the back to the next notch, back to theront, then across the loom again... keep repeating, Te back o your loom should not haveany crosses over the middle, allowing you to remove it when you have finished weaving,without needing to cut or tie the warp thread. It should look like this on the back:


8/22

Keep working your way around the loom, always in the same direction. You may findthat you have an uneven number o notches lef. Since we are using fine warp thread youcan just double up through one notch and take your yarn across to the last empty notch,back around to the ront, doubling up with the first warp thread to take yarn through the

hole in the middle and secure at the back.

At this stage I thread the last piece o warp through a large darning needle, and securethe end by threading it around the cross in the middle o the loom. Tis not only securesthe end o the warp but also draws that cross together, making it easier to weave.


9/22

ie the end o the warp thread with a slip knot around the centre o the crossed

threads. Tis should both secure the end o your warp yarn and also the centre o your

weaving.

Tis is different i you have a thick yarn as warp, you will find that the centre becomes

a large lump with each thread layered over the last. I you want to use thick yarns or

your warp, I would suggest using analternative warping method with a ring in the

centre, either a metal one (keeping in mind that this centre ring will not be remov-

able) or, i you want to use your piece or an item o clothing or something that you

dont want a metal ring in the middle o, use a well knotted circle o yarn in the centre

instead.

With this circle in the middle you can thread your warp through the centre ring and

then straight back to the edge, the next notch around, rather than crossing in the mid-

dle and taking it to the other side. However with finer yarns the standard method o

taking each fiber to opposite sides o the loom is probably the easiest way to get started!

Also using a finer yarn or your warp thread means that your wef yarns will be the

more prominent, mostly hiding your finer warp. I you want your warp to take priority,

however, try using a thicker yarn with a fine wef thread.


10/22

Now you can start weaving! Te easiest way to get started here is to do some plainweave simply taking your wef thread under and over the warp threads. It can be abit tricky when you get started, you need to check careully which thread is next,but once you get around the center a couple o times it will become easier to see.

Te idea with plain weave is that on each row you do the opposite o the previousone, so where you last went under the warp thread, on the next row you then goover it, i you went over the warp thread on the previous round, on the next oneyou go under it.

Start your Weaving


11/22

Sometimes you will find that your rows might get out o sync, or i you have an evennumber o wef threads you will need to do this on every round, where you are go-

ing under a warp thread that you also went under on the last row. I this happens, andremember, this is reeorm (!) you can skip a thread and go under two, on the next rowyou will have to go over two at the same place. Overall, with this kind o weaving, itsgood to keep in mind that we are not ollowing a pattern, or any specific rules, some-times its just un to let it all go and see what will happen! Your best effects may wellcome rom these areas where things did not go to plan.

Tere are some other thingsyou can do however, toreturn to your plain weavepattern.

I sometimes take each warp thread at a time,placing a slip knot around it. ake the needleunder the warp, and back up, going throughthe loop you just made in the wef yarn, so asyou tighten it, it becomes a knot around thewarp thread.

By the time you have been all the way around yourcircle, tying this knot around each single warpthread, you will have a nice raised row, that has theeffect o creating a texture eature, and also securesyour wef onto the warp in that row, rom there you

can even leave a gap between this row and the next,securing the next row in the same way, to create akind o lace effect with exposed warp threads.


12/22

When you get to the end o your wef thread, you can take it to the back o your loomand leave it there till you have finished your weaving. Once you have the weaving offthe loom you can weave those ends back through the reverse side, securing them andkeeping them out o sight, It you are making an item that may get a lot o wear and use,I would suggest making a small knot to be really sure they will not pull out.

Starting a new colour is simply a matter o continuing to weave in the same way as youhave been, around the circle, under and over, or you could do a row o knots as previ-ously shown. Te loose end can be threaded through to sit at the back o the weavingor securing later when the weaving is off the loom.


13/22

Different colours can also empha-

sise the textures and the way youweave, in the picture to the rightI have done a ew rows o plainweave with this hand painted yarn,and when it turned to black again Istarted a new row o knots to makean edge.

You can keep adding differ-ent yarns, and it can be un toincrease the thickness o themas you work your way towardsthe edges o the loom and intothe wider spaced warp.

It can be a bit tricky tothread your thicker yarnsthrough the warp, but you

dont need to use the entireskein at once! What I dois make a butterfly o theyarn by wrapping a figureo eight between my thumband little finger, then secureit with a loop around themiddle. Tis butterfly ismuch easier to thread be-tween the warp threads andthe loom.


14/22

o make a section in your weaving, ratherthan continuing to go around and aroundthe circle in the same direction, it is possibleto make wedges and separate pieces aroundyour circle.

First weave under and over as usual, whenyou are the point where you want to endyour section, take the yarn back around thelast warp thread, and weave back under andover in the opposite direction, being sureto go under where you had previously goneover in the last row.

I you want to add some more interest youcan do what is known as a clasped wef.o do this you weave two different warpthreads in opposite directions to the pointwhere you wish them to meet. At that pointbring them both to the ront o the weavingand cross them over each other.

wist the two yarns around each other sothey clasp each other with a twist.

Ten weave them back in the opposite direc-tions, back the way they came. Because youhave added the twist where the two yarnsmeet, there will be no gap in your weavingwhere the colour/yarn change is.


15/22

It is possible to make multiple sections around your circle, with gaps between them to addinterest and keep them separate, to do this simply turn your yarn at the end o the row youcreate. When you add a new section, you can roughly measure out the amount o yarn youwill need by laying it out on the loom first, this saves cutting off any more o your preciousyarn than you need to!

It is a good idea to always finish the last ew rows o your weaving by taking your wef allthe way around the circle again in plain weave, to be sure your weaving will hold togetherproperly.


16/22

You will find that as you add andend yarns there will be loosethreads hanging at the back o yourweaving, You can either weavethese into the back o your weaving

as you go, or you can do that aferyou remove it. As ar as securingthe ends go, I always make somekind o knot beore I weave theends in, just to be really sure theywont come loose, especially i thisis to be a decorative piece, becauseI might choose not to wash and

ull it afer it is off the loom. Tis finishing is intended to set the fibers, very slightly elting(ulling) the abric to properly finish it, this does help secure the ends into the abric. But i

you dont plan on doing that, just make sure you are confident in the way you secure the endsat the back o the weaving.

As you get closer to the edge youmay find it a bit more difficultto thread your yarn through thewarp.

Enlist the aid o a nice bigcrochet hook i you need it!


17/22

When you get near to your edge,

make sure you press your weavingflat and stretch the edges out a bit,i the outside rows are too tightwhen you take this off the loom, itwill pucker and go dome shaped.Tis is fine i you want to makethat shape! But i you want to besure it will sit flat, check that youroutside rows are reasonably loosebeore you take it off and weave asclose to the edge as you can.


18/22

Additions

I you want to add some extras to your circle, it can be easier to do some o those beoreyou take it off the loom. You can add some tassles easily, take a length o yarn, old it inhal then thread the loop end under a warp thread. Make a loop then thread the ends othe tassle yarn through the loop and pull up into a knot.

You can also build and extend the size and shape o your woven circle, by picking upstitches and crocheting around it. You can continue the circle or totally reeorm it intoany shape you like! Tis is a technique that is easier to do afer you have removed theweaving rom the loom.

Tere will be a second tutorial covering decorative weaving techniques that can be doneon this circle loom, as well as more inormation on adding to the size and shape o yourbasic circle weave.


19/22


20/22

o remove your weaving rom the loom, place it flat and gently lif the warp threadsrom the back o the loom, working your way around it.

I you want to use this as a wall hanging, you will need to either mount it onto a solidbacking (like a heavy card) or you can do what I do and thread a piece o 2mm floristswire around it to hold it in its circle shape when it is on the wall.


21/22

Run the wire through the warp

threads at the back o the weaving.

Join it with a couple o twists so that it stays in place, keeping the circle open.Tis should be strong enough to hold your weaving flat once it is hung on the wall.

Since the florists wire is quite sof, you can shape and reshape it. You might preer to have amore sturdy wire or hoop, You can use a wire hoop, even though you cant thread it throughthe weaving, you can simply stitch it onto the back o your piece, the stitches will hold it in

place and keep the weaving stretched.

You can use the same technique even i you have added onto the edges o the weaving,although i you have made crazy shapes you will need to be a bit more creative on how youreinorce it, and thats where the bendable florists wire comes in handy!

Alternatively, you can turn your weaving into something else, a hat (keep crocheting!) acushion cover, or, stitch them together and give them a nice cloth backing to make a uniqueaghan, or crochet them together into a shawl. You can even add these to larger weavings, orstitch them onto other things, like the back o a denim jacket, or onto a bag, there are many

many possibilities i you let your imagination soar!


22/22

Happy Weaving!

Weaving Tutorial Sml

Documents

Transcript of Weaving Tutorial Sml