Innholdsfortegnelse for Spring 2024 i Handwoven

My dad used to say that to make your life feel longer, you need to vary what you do. As in, if you do the same thing over and over, pretty soon it becomes a blur. As a weaver, I take comfort in repetition at the loom, but I try to remember his words in other parts of my life. Many of you already know that this is my last issue as editor of Handwoven. I took the job seven years ago thinking it would be a fun and interesting challenge, and I was right. I have had seven years of getting to know a wonderful group of people both at the company and through emails and telephone calls. I’m not sure that my weaving has improved, but my appreciation…

In Spring 2022, my friend of 40 years and I met for tea. Though decades had passed, our families had grown, and we had retired from our professional lives, we felt our friendship take flight once again. As we talked, the idea of me weaving a wrap for her came up. Together, she, an artist, and I, a weaver, discussed the color, fabric hand, and imagery that would convey our friendship. I had the good fortune of traveling a lot as a child and was educated in Okinawa, France, and Italy. My parents made every effort to understand the cultures in which we lived, and so I was given cultural experiences I may not have otherwise had. When we lived in Okinawa, my mother was profoundly influenced by the local…

STRUCTURE Twill. EQUIPMENT 4-shaft loom, 18" weaving width; 12-dent reed; 2 shuttles; 5 bobbins. YARN Warp: 8/2 cottolin (60% organic cotton/40% linen; 3,360 yd/lb; Maurice Brassard), C5153 Mauve, 504 yd; C5214 Magenta and C1430 Orange fonce, 252 yd each. 8/2 cotton (100% cotton; 3,360 yd/lb; Maurice Brassard), C1330 Rose fonce, 504 yd. Weft: 8/2 cottolin, C5153 Mauve, 247 yd; C5214 Magenta, 204 yd; C1430 Orange fonce, 183 yd. 8/2 cotton, C1330 Rose fonce, 317 yd. 16/2 cottolin or cotton or sewing thread for inner hems, 36 yd. WARP LENGTH 432 ends 3. yd long (allows 8" for take-up, 38" for loom waste and sampling). To weave additional napkins, add 22" of warp length per napkin. SETTS Warp: 24 epi (2/dent in a 12-dent reed). Weft: 22–24 ppi. DIMENSIONS Width in…

STRUCTURE Plain weave. EQUIPMENT 3½" right-angle triangle pin loom; H-8/5 mm crochet hook; tapestry needle. Note: A square made from 32 pieces woven using this size loom measures 14" on all sides. Use a larger or smaller loom size to make a poncho of different dimensions. YARNS Hatteras (100% organic cotton; 109 yd/100 g; Tahki Yarns), #02 Natural, 256 yd; #05 Teal, #06 Steel Blue, #21 Seaweed, and #15 Charcoal, 64 yd each. Montague (100% organic cotton; 110 yd/50 g; Valley Yarns; WEBS), #02 Natural, 150 yd. DIMENSIONS Finished size: Poncho 44" along long edges, 15" wide at neck. Pin looms give me the ability to create quilt-like patterns without cutting or wasting fabric. Equally exciting and inspiring are the nearly infinite design possibilities from just a few basic loom…

STRUCTURE Twill. EQUIPMENT 6-shaft loom, 16" weaving width; 15-dent reed; 1 shuttle. YARNS Warp: 8/2 Tencel (100% lyocell; 3,360 yd/lb; Valley Yarns; WEBS), Black, 276 yd; Burnt Orange, 207 yd; Gold, 423 yd; Lemon Drop and Spice, 201 yd each; Natural 132 yd. Weft: Silk with Stellina (75% superwash wool/25% tussah silk; 2,940 yd/lb; Green Grass Handwoven), Black, 606 yd. Note: This yarn is no longer available. A good substitute is Treenway Silks’ Zola, 12/2 laceweight (100% bombyx silk; 2,950 yd/lb), Raven Black. OTHER SUPPLIES Cardboard strip 1" × 17" to use as a separator between rows of hemstitching. WARP LENGTH 480 ends, 3 yd long (allows 7" for take-up, 24" for loom waste; loom waste includes fringe). SETTS Warp: 30 epi (2/dent in a 15-dent reed or 3/dent in…

STRUCTURE Turned summer and winter. EQUIPMENT 8-shaft loom, 19" weaving width; 10-dent reed; 1 shuttle; 2 bobbins. YARNS Warp: 8/2 cotton (3,360 yd/lb; Yarn Barn of Kansas), #46 Baby Blue, 963 yd. Pattern warp: Sugar’n Cream (100% cotton; 674 yd/14 oz; Lily), White, 77 yd. Weft: 6/2 cotton (2,520 yd/lb; Yarn Barn of Kansas), Mediterranean, 662 yd; Navy, 41 yd. OTHER SUPPLIES Sewing machine; fusible thread, optional; freezer paper or a Teflon sheet, optional. WARP LENGTH 378 ends 2. yd long (includes floating selvedges; allows 6" for take-up, 31" for loom waste). Note: To weave additional towels, add 1 yd of warp per towel. SETTS Warp: 20 epi (2/dent in a 10-dent reed). Weft: 20 ppi. DIMENSIONS Width in the reed: 19". Woven length: (measured under tension on the loom)…

1. When Pigs Fly MARGARET STUMP We just couldn’t resist this flying pig constructed from pin-loom–woven squares. Designer Margaret Stump used a supersoft yarn to create a cuddly stuffed animal. 2. Monk’s Belt Revisited SUSAN A. BLOOMFIELD Time flies, and sometimes we don’t realize that our skills have improved in the meantime. Recently, while browsing through old Handwovens, designer Susan A. Bloomfield found an article from 1987 about a monk’s belt tablecloth. She believes she skipped it as a beginning weaver, thinking it was too complex for her. Susan wove 4-shaft towels in honor of the tablecloth from 1987, which itself was based on a small sample from the 1920s or 1930s. 3. Fluttery Lace Curtain REGINA MCINNES Designer Regina McInnes loves linen. She also had turquoise linen in her…

SUMMER 2024 Rugs, Rug Structures, and Asymmetry This issue will have two themes, one that is on the technical side—rugs and rug structures—and one that is more design-oriented—“symmetry is overrated.” For the first theme, we want to show rugs or items made using techniques and structures often associated with rugs. For the second, we want to explore asymmetrical approaches to design. FALL 2024 Anything but Twill! There are lots of good reasons that twill is a popular weave structure, but for this issue, we want to learn about the other ones! We are hoping to include projects and articles that focus on some of the lesser-known weave structures such as crepe, dimity, damask, pique, corduroy, velvet (three-shaft twills!!!), and canvas, and even structures that weavers have come up with that…

STRUCTURE Swedish lace. EQUIPMENT 4-shaft loom, 32" weaving width; 10-dent reed; 2 or more boat shuttles; 9 bobbins. Note: Stick shuttles would be a good alternative for many of the weft colors instead of boat shuttles and bobbins. YARNS Warp: Shetland (100% wool; 1,800 yd/lb; Harrisville Designs), Silver Mist, 501 yd; Chicory, 137 yd; White, 91 yd; Delphinium, 78 yd; Periwinkle and Iris, 59 yd each; Aubergine, 39 yd; Hyacinth, 33 yd; Lilac, 26 yd. Weft: Shetland, White, 517 yd; Silver Mist, 88 yd; Chicory, 42 yd; Delphinium, 23 yd; Periwinkle and Iris, 18 yd each; Aubergine, 12 yd; Hyacinth, 10 yd; Lilac, 8 yd. WARP LENGTH 313 ends 3. yd long (allows 11" for take-up, 30" for loom waste; loom waste includes fringe). SETTS Warp: 10 epi. Weft: 10…

STRUCTURE Turned Atwater-Bronson. EQUIPMENT 8-shaft loom, 22" weaving width; 12-dent reed; 1 shuttle; 7 bobbins. YARNS Warp: 10/2 pearl cotton (4,200 yd/lb; UKI), #142 Purple Passion, 132 yd; #27 Purple, 126 yd; #5 Loden, 222 yd; #26 Dark Green, 216 yd; #116 Black, 213 yd; #17 Wine, #24 Garnet, #99 Dark Sierra, #52 Chestnut, #15 Navy, and #120 Deep Purple, 108 yd each. Note: #24 Garnet and #52 Chestnut are discontinued. Try #32 Lipstick and #25 Medium Brown as substitutes. Weft: 10/2 pearl cotton, #132 Red Hot, #114 Indies Orange, #67 Light Orange, #63 Yale Blue, #109 Bermuda, and #1 Light Blue, 96 yd each; #12 Red, #11 Tangerine, #111 Dark Gold, #125 Pacific Blue, #18 Copen, and #101 Baby Blue, 49 yd each; #10 Gold and #117 Stone, 48…

STRUCTURE Twill. EQUIPMENT 8-shaft loom, 10" weaving width; 12-dent reed; 1 shuttle. YARNS Warp: 8/2 Tencel (100% lyocell; 3,360 yd/lb; Syd’s Threads), Chestnut-Backed Tanager handpainted 6 yd warp of 220 ends, 1,320 yd total. Weft: Scarf A: 8/2 Tencel (100% lyocell; 3,360 yd/lb; Syd’s Threads), Eastern Bluebird, 550 yd, or 8/2 Tencel (100% lyocell; 3,360 yd/lb; Maurice Brassard), T963 Royal Fonce, 550 yd. Scarf B: 8/2 Tencel (Syd’s Threads), Pheasant Grey, 550 yd, or 8/2 Tencel (Maurice Brassard), T4275 Charcoal, 550 yd. OTHER SUPPLIES Mesh bag for wet-finishing; laundry dye color-catcher sheet. WARP LENGTH 220 ends 6 yd long (allows 12" for take-up, 22" for loom waste; loom waste includes fringe). SETTS Warp: 24 epi (2/dent in a 12-dent reed). Weft: 22–24 ppi. DIMENSIONS Width in the reed: 92⁄12". Woven…

As a handloom weaver living in the United Kingdom and a subscriber to Handwoven, I find your journal of great interest, and it provides many hours of enjoyable reading. I was particularly interested in Tom Knisely’s article “It’s a Matter of Scale” (November/December 2023). I have been working with ideas using Cat Track but using the yarn from a traditional British sheep breed such as the Herdwick, which is local to Cumbria where I live in northwest England. The wool is very coarse and hard-wearing and is normally associated with carpet weaving. It proved interesting to use in my weaving. Locally, I could source the yarn in four undyed gray colors as well as a range of hand-dyed colors, although those colors were limited in range. Woven at eight ends…

STRUCTURE Overshot. EQUIPMENT 4-shaft loom, 60" weaving width; 8-dent reed; 2–3 shuttles; 5 bobbins. YARNS Warp: 8/2 cotton (3,360 yd/lb; Georgia Yarn Company), Natural, 3,330 yd. 8/2 cotton (3,360 yd/lb; Valley Yarns; WEBS), #2574 Heather, 878 yd. 8/2 cotton A (3,360 yd/lb; UKI; Yarn Barn of Kansas), #04 Plum Green, 81 yd. Weft: 10/2 cotton (4,200 yd/lb; Georgia Yarn Company), Natural, 1,925 yd; Carolina Blue, 610 yd; Olive, 26 yd. 3/2 cotton (1,260 yd/lb; Valley Yarns; WEBS), #2314 Royal, 2,315 yd; #5934 Elm Green, 8 yd; #3800 Currant, 114 yd. WARP LENGTH 953 ends 4. yd long (includes floating selvedges; allows 14" for take-up, 32" for loom waste). SETTS Warp: 16 epi (2/dent in an 8-dent reed). Weft: 17 ppi in hems; 22 ppi in pattern (11 ppi tabby and…

STRUCTURE Plain weave with overshot inlay. EQUIPMENT 4-shaft loom, 18" weaving width; 10-dent reed; 2 shuttles; 1 stick shuttle (optional). YARNS Warp: 5/2 pearl cotton (2,100 yd/lb; UKI), #075 Cobalt Blue, 1,017 yd. Weft: Plain weave and tabby: 5/2 pearl cotton, #075 Cobalt Blue, 356 yd. Pattern: 3/2 pearl cotton (1,260 yd/lb, Tubular Spectrum, Lunatic Fringe Yarns), #10 Yellow Red, #10 Yellow, #10 Green, and Violet, 20 yd each. WARP LENGTH 339 ends 3 yd long (includes floating selvedges; allows 20" for sampling, 5" for take-up, 35" for loom waste; loom waste includes fringe). SETTS Warp: 20 epi (2/dent in 10-dent reed). Weft: 14 ppi in plain-weave; 28 ppi in pattern. DIMENSIONS Width in the reed: 171/10". Woven length: (measured under tension on the loom) 48". Finished size: (after wet-finishing)…

STRUCTURE Echo weave (networked twill on a three-color parallel threading). EQUIPMENT 8-shaft loom, 9" weaving width; 8-dent reed; 1 shuttle. YARNS Warp: Remix (30% nylon/27% cotton/24% acrylic/10% silk/9% linen; 980 yd/lb; Berroco), #3930 Smoke, 252 yd. 8/2 Tencel (100% lyocell; 3,360 yd/lb; Maurice Brassard), #T8022 Vert Fonce and #T5153 Mauve, 245 yd each. Weft: 8/2 cotton (3,360 yd/lb; Valley Yarns; WEBS), #8990 Black, 389 yd. OTHER SUPPLIES Sewing machine for securing hems (optional). WARP LENGTH 212 ends 3. yd long (includes floating selvedges; allows 8" for take-up, 40" for loom waste). SETTS Warp: 24 epi (3/dent; 1 of each color/dent in an 8-dent reed). Weft: 18 ppi. DIMENSIONS Width in the reed: 9". Woven length: (measured under tension on the loom) 78". Finished size: (after wet-finishing and hemming) 7" ×…

STRUCTURE Twill. EQUIPMENT 4-shaft loom, 20" weaving width; 10-dent reed; 1 shuttle. YARNS Warp: 8/2 cotton (3,360 yd/lb; Maurice Brassard), #101 Blanchi or #100 Naturel (ice-dyed or hand-dyed), 1,995 yd. Weft: 8/2 cotton, #83 Noir, 1,775 yd. OTHER SUPPLIES Fray Check; color-catcher laundry sheets, optional. WARP LENGTH 399 ends 5 yd long (allows 10" for take-up, 25" for loom waste). SETTS Warp: 20 epi (2/dent in a 10-dent reed). Weft: 20 ppi. DIMENSIONS Width in the reed: 20". Woven length: (measured under tension on the loom) 145". Finished size: (after wet-finishing and hemming) five towels, 17½" × 24" each. During the COVID-19 shutdown, my husband suggested we take daily walks around our neighborhood to get out of the house and exercise. Those walks may have saved our sanity during our…

Imagine a flock of exotic birds flowing past you in a splendor of color and pattern. Such was the look Isabelle Fusey and I were going for when we dreamed up a conference challenge for the 2021 Association of Northwest Weavers’ Guilds (ANWG) conference. The design we chose was a Noh Coat pattern by Bonnie Cashin, a mid-twentieth-century American designer who specialized in simple-shaped clothing to be worn in layers. She also had a great appreciation for handwoven cloth and worked with American handweavers and mills in Scotland to achieve this look in her ready-to-wear lines. The Noh Coat is simple in construction and especially suitable for handweavers who would rather be weaving than sewing. The coat has no lining, no set-in sleeves, no darts, no zippers, no buttons, no…