Innholdsfortegnelse for Summer 2025 i Handwoven

Pay the bills. Start a load of laundry. Feed the cats. Buy some stamps. Get an oil change. Start another load of laundry. Run the vacuum (cat hair!). Dash to the grocery store. I don’t know about you, but my endless to-do list leaves little time for weaving—or even for working out, say, the color problems in my next draft. As I fall into bed, it’s all too easy to keep promising myself that I’ll do some creative work tomorrow. One of my favorite summer vacation destinations is a family cottage in the north woods of Wisconsin. Travel there starts with a flight—nonstop if I’m lucky. Then we take a drive past many miles of farmland that gradually give way to many miles of trees. When we finally arrive, I…

Krokbragd: Contemporary Weaving with Colour Angie Parker Krokbragd, or “crooked path” weaving, dates to the Middle Ages in the Nordic countries, but its origins can be traced back more than two thousand years to the Middle East, according to Scandinavian researchers Inga Lisa Petersson and Birgit Jansson. In recent centuries, this deceptively simple boundweave technique has been beloved but seldom lauded, yet it has almost infinite potential for weavers interested in designing with pattern and color. In her new book, Krokbragd: Contemporary Weaving with Colour, author, artist, and weaver Angie Parker invites us to dive head-first into an inspiring, innovative approach to design and ideas for fitting krokbragd textiles into a contemporary home. Parker fell in love with krokbragd while attending art college in the 1990s, and she has been…

STRUCTURE Turned taqueté with color-and-weave. EQUIPMENT 8-shaft loom, 23" weaving width; 10-dent reed; 1 or more shuttles; 6 bobbins; temple (optional). YARNS Warp: 10/2 unmercerized cotton (100% cotton; 4,200 yd/lb; Georgia Yarn Company), Warm Navy, 1,830 yd; Orange, 430 yd; Rose and Hyacinth Violet, 420 yd each; Turquoise, 210 yd. Weft: 10/2 unmercerized cotton, Warm Navy, 833 yd; Hyacinth Violet, 725 yd; Rose, 337 yd; Turquoise, 147 yd; Orange, 139 yd; Dahlonega Gold, 122 yd. WARP LENGTH 662 ends 5 yd long (includes floating selvedges; allows 13" for take-up, 37" for loom waste; add 1 yd of warp length for each additional towel). SETTS Warp: 30 epi (3/dent in a 10-dent reed). Weft: 26 ppi. DIMENSIONS Width in the reed: 22 2/10". Woven length: (measured under tension on the loom)…

STRUCTURE Turned summer and winter. EQUIPMENT 4-shaft loom, 20" weaving width; 12-or 8-dent reed; 1 shuttle; 4 bobbins. YARNS Warp: Bold Lyte Hemp (100% hemp; 2,600 yd/lb; Lunatic Fringe Yarns), Cobalt, 1,323 yd; Sapphire, 448 yd; Dark Gray, 392 yd. Fine Lyte Hemp (100% hemp; 5,000 yd/lb; Lunatic Fringe Yarns), Cobalt, 343 yd; Sapphire, 931 yd; Black, 882 yd. Weft: Fine Lyte Hemp, Cobalt, 1,000 yd; Sapphire, 852 yd; Dark Gray, 80 yd; Eggplant, 642 yd. OTHER SUPPLIES Secondary warp beam, or ⅜"–½" wooden dowel, 25" long, with weights (partially filled 500 ml water bottles work well); Studio Tunic pattern (see Resources); ½ yd commercial lightweight linen, prewashed; 1 yd fusible interfacing (Katzy and Cynthia used Fusi-Knit; see Resources); 15-denier nylon tricot, cut in 1" bias strips (see Resources). WARP…

Preparing T-shirt weft: For best results, use clean cotton T-shirts without side seams and largely free of printed designs (which may not be heat tolerant). Each potholder requires 20–24 yd of T-shirt weft. a. Remove the hem from a T-shirt by cutting it off close to the stitching. b. Beginning at the bottom edge of the shirt, make a continuous strip of fabric by cutting a narrow point that widens to 1" within 2"–3" from the point. c. Continue to cut a 1" wide strip in a spiral fashion around the shirt until you reach the arm-hole seams. Taper the last 2"–3" to a point. d. Repeat Steps a–c for additional shirts. If you need more weft from any particular T-shirt, cut the sleeves in the same manner. You can minimize…

STRUCTURE Twill. EQUIPMENT 4-or 8-shaft loom, 31" weaving width; 12-dent reed; 1 shuttle. YARNS Warp: Cotton Bamboo Linen (40% cotton/35% bamboo/25% linen; 1,650 yd/lb; Silk City Fibers), #123A Shale, 1,728 yd; #980B Sage, 432 yd. Weft: Cotton Bamboo Linen, #980B Sage, 1,859 yd. Note: To make the cover-up in larger sizes, you’ll need an additional 288 yd of Shale and about 470 yd of Sage (warp and weft) for each additional yard of fabric. OTHER SUPPLIES Butterick Cover-Up Pattern 3474; coordinating 100% cotton fabric for facing and bias binding, about 1½ yd; lightweight fusible interfacing, ¼ yd; coordinating cotton sewing thread. WARP LENGTH 360 ends 6 yd long (allows 17" for take-up, 31" for loom waste). SETTS Warp: 12 epi (1/dent in a 12-dent reed). Weft: 12 ppi. DIMENSIONS Width…

After seeing my Floral Bouquet Napkins, the Handwoven editors challenged me to consider ways that weavers could rework them. You can always weave them in a set of colors that better fits in your life—maybe in a range of neutrals for the patterning, or a dark tone for the tabby and light tones for the pattern. If you’re thinking of changing the palette, it’s always a good idea to do some level of sampling. Some weavers make yarn wraps using the new colors and then put a short warp on the loom to try out the likely candidates. I prefer to put the colors of my yarn into my weaving software and play with color changes there. But what if you’d rather use the draft to weave a runner, towels,…

STRUCTURE Shadow weave. EQUIPMENT 8-shaft loom; 36" weaving width; 12-dent reed; 2 shuttles; 2 bobbins. YARNS Warp: 8/4 cotton (100% cotton; 1,680 yd/lb; Maurice Brassard), #5981 Navy, 200 yd; #963 Royal and #100 Naturel, 648 yd each; #8264 Wine, 192 yd. Weft: 8/4 cotton, #963 Royal and #100 Naturel, 684 yd each. Note: Yarn amounts are for one towel and one towel/bag. OTHER SUPPLIES Soft cord in a coordinating color, 96". WARP LENGTH 422 ends 4 yd long (includes floating selvedges; allows 10" for take-up, 28" for loom waste). SETTS Warp: 12 epi (1/dent in a 12-dent reed). Weft: 12 ppi. DIMENSIONS Width in the reed: 35 2/12". Woven length: 106". Finished size: bag, 26" × 46"; towel, 28" × 52". Note: This fabric shrank almost 20% in width during…

1. Venu Scarf SHILPA NAGARKAR Designer Shilpa Nagarkar used bamboo fiber for this scarf, and she loved it so much, it inspired the name (venu is the Sanskrit word for bamboo). This natural material is widely used in parts of India for furniture, kitchen utensils, and even the construction of houses. You’ll enjoy working with the brilliant colors as you weave this scarf, and you’ll love the soft, luscious hand when you wear it. 2. Memories of Venice Pillow LILIJA LAPSA During a trip to Venice, Italy, designer Lilija Lapsa found herself enchanted by the lavender, pink, and turquoise houses on Burano Island. Lilija created her pillow design, which has rosepath twill accents in similar colors on a plain-weave background, as a reminder of the beautiful sights she encountered on…

MEET JUANA When Juana first tumbled off the curb, she laughed it off. Unfortunately, her right shoulder had a new snap, crackle, and pop. She began to hold her arm close to avoid triggering pain—which caused her balance to suffer. Weaving became so difficult that she was unable to join in her guild’s towel exchange, and she stopped attending meetings. They were just too stressful. AGING SHOULDERS CAN BE ACHING SHOULDERS The US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that one in five senior citizens has shoulder pain—from arthritis and bursitis, or from injuries due to falls, breaks, strains, and dislocations. Contributing factors include menopause, diabetes, and even the bodily wear and tear accumulated by those of us who continue to lead active lives. The good news is that there are…

Treadling Variations: Each pattern treadling block is made up of a 4-pick sequence, as shown in Figure 2. The patterning on your towels will depend on the way you mix and match these treadling blocks. Here are some variations to consider. • To weave vertical stripes: Repeat one treadling block for the length of the towel. • To weave a series of squares: Treadle one block until the pattern is as deep as it is wide. Repeat the same number of picks for a different treadling block. Alternate blocks for the length of the towel. • To weave stripes or rectangles: Repeat pairs of treadling block groups more times (for rectangles) or fewer times (for stripes). Threading Variations: • To weave this draft using fewer shafts: Towel 4 can be…

STRUCTURE Twill. EQUIPMENT 4-shaft loom, 10" weaving width; 6-dent reed; one 14" or longer stick shuttle; 1 boat shuttle. YARNS Warp: 8/4 Poly Cotton Rug Warp (50% polyester/50% unmercerized cotton; 1,600 yd/lb; Great Northern Weaving), Rust, 257 yd. Weft: 8/4 Poly Cotton Rug Warp, Rust, 44 yd; Natural and Denim, 22 yd each. 100% cotton strips 1" wide, from 3–4 men’s M–L T-shirts, about 100 yd total; see Weaving with T-Shirts. Note: Lois made her cotton strips from three T-shirts: dark blue, cream, and light blue. Adjust your warp and hem weft colors as you prefer for the colors of your T-shirts. OTHER SUPPLIES Water-soluble glue. WARP LENGTH 114 ends 2¼ yd long (includes floating selvedges; allows 4" for take-up, 19" for loom waste). SETTS Warp: 12 epi (2/dent in…

STRUCTURE Twill. EQUIPMENT Beach towel: 4-shaft loom, 41" weaving width; 12-dent reed; 1 shuttle. Tote bag and accessory pouch: 4-shaft loom, 36" weaving width; 12-dent reed; 1 shuttle. YARNS Beach towel: Warp: 8/4 cotton (1,680 yd/lb; Maurice Brassard), #101 Blanchi, 882 yd; #4269 Limette pâle, 378 yd; #5981 Navy, 459 yd. Weft: 8/4 cotton, #101 Blanchi, 1,410 yd. Tote bag and accessory pouch: Warp: 8/2 cotton (3,360 yd/lb; Maurice Brassard), #101 Blanchi, 1,808 yd; #4269 Limette pâle, 736 yd; #5981 Navy, 828 yd. Weft: 8/2 cotton, #101 Blanchi, 2,843 yd. OTHER SUPPLIES Tote bag: McCall’s M7611 pattern, View A; medium-weight sew-in woven interfacing, 2⅞ yd; cardboard or plastic canvas, 15" × 18" for strengthening bag bottom; 7" zipper; 45" wide lining fabric, 1½ yd; 45" wide sturdy contrast fabric, 1…

STRUCTURE Plain weave with color-and-weave. EQUIPMENT 2-or 4-shaft loom, 30" weaving width; 8-dent reed; 2 shuttles; 4 bobbins. YARNS Warp: Dungarees Rainbow Tweed (76% recycled cotton/12% cotton/7% recycled polyester/5% polyamide; 459 yd/100 g skein; 2,050 yd/lb; Queensland Collection), #3001 Alabaster, 660 yd; #3005 Peridot, #3009 Amethyst, and #3010 Lapis, 220 yd each. Weft: Dungarees Rainbow Tweed, #3001 Alabaster, 470 yd; #3005 Peridot, 148 yd; #3009 Amethyst and #3010 Lapis, 162 yd each. Note: Dungarees Rainbow Tweed has been discontinued. Possible substitutions include Venne Eco Jeans, made from recycled jeans and plastic bottles (in Sandalwood, Very Light Yellow, Havanna, and Slate Blue), and Berroco Remix Light, made from a range of recycled fibers (in Almond, Buttercup, Eggplant, and Blue Moon). OTHER SUPPLIES Handwoven or purchased ¼" tape, ribbon, or cord, 2…

STRUCTURE Twill. EQUIPMENT 8-shaft loom, 24" weaving width; 10-dent reed; 2 shuttles. YARNS Warp: 10/2 mercerized cotton (4,200 yd/lb; Lunatic Fringe Yarns), Cobalt Blue, 627 yd; 10 Blue, 630 yd; Teal, 664 yd; Natural White, 173 yd. Weft: 8/2 Tencel (100% lyocell; 3,360 yd/lb; Valley Yarns; WEBS), Silver Gray, 690 yd. 10/2 mercerized cotton; Bleached White, hand-dyed to pale cyan, 690 yd (see Dyeing Tip). Optional: For a little extra shine, Joy added 8 picks of sewing-thread-weight silver Lurex (metallic yarn) from her stash, spaced randomly (7"–10" apart) along the length of the shawl. Note: If you don’t want to hand-dye your pale cyan weft yarn, 8/2 Tencel in Whipple Blue is a grayed cyan, slightly darker than the weft Joy used. Other possible substitutes are 10/2 pearl cotton (4,200…

Mini but Mighty Warping Mill Want to wind longer warps without taking up the whole room using (and storing) a standard warping mill? Try Taylorwares’ mini warping mill. This sturdy mill measures 17 inches high, has a 1-yard circumference, and can hold a fine warp up to 12 yards long or a thicker one up to 7 yards long. Adjustable pegs at the top and bottom let you add a cross at one or both ends of your warp. (One of our editors used this mill to wind several 8/2 cotton and Tencel warps and found it to be very smooth in operation.) After your warp is wound, the mill is easily disassembled so you can tuck it away in the included carrying bag. Keep it on a shelf for…

Try other motifs: Consider using other bird’s eye or rose-path threading and treadling options. Because potholders are small and the T-shirt weft is thick, look for threadings that can be repeated multiple times in a 9"–10" width. The books by Davison and Dixon (see Resources) include numerous options. Weave something different: Potholders made from T-shirts woven in a twill lie flat and are thick and easy to care for. These same attributes mean T-shirts are also good for weaving items such as trivets and small rugs or doormats. To weave one of those items, adjust the draft for your desired width. For example, the threading used here is a 6-end pattern repeat of doubled ends sett at 12 epi (2 ends per dent in a 6-dent reed). Each additional repeat…

STRUCTURE Twill. EQUIPMENT 8-shaft loom, 24" weaving width; 10-dent reed; 1 shuttle. YARNS Warp: Knockan Laceweight (100% superwash merino; 1,312 yd/100 g; Ripples Crafts), The Day Monet Visited the Dye Shed, 1,120 yd; Water Loch, 1,127 yd. Weft: Knockan Laceweight, Water Loch, 1,425 yd. Note: Knockan yarns may be difficult to source in the United States, but the base yarn is commonly used by other small-batch dyers. Merino Lace from Hedgehog Fibres is similar. WARP LENGTH 642 ends 3½ yd long (includes floating selvedges; allows 8" for take-up, 35" for loom waste; loom waste includes fringe). SETTS Warp: 30 epi (3/dent in a 10-dent reed). Weft: 26 ppi. DIMENSIONS Width in the reed: 21 6/10". Woven length: (measured under tension on the loom) 83". Finished size: (after wetfinishing and hemming)…

STRUCTURE Overshot. EQUIPMENT 4-shaft loom, 19" weaving width; 15-or 10-dent reed; 4 shuttles. YARNS Warp: 20/2 cotton (8,453 yd/lb; Bockens), Unbleached, 1,915 yd. Weft: 20/2 cotton, Unbleached, 1,150 yd. 40/2 linen (7,000 yd/lb; Jane Stafford Textiles), #059 Olive, 340 yd; #802 Denim, 270 yd; #401 English Rose, #320 Lavender, #801 Wine, and #803 Ginger, 77 yd each. WARP LENGTH 547 ends 3½ yd long (includes floating selvedges; allows 12" for take-up, 26" for loom waste; allow 24" for each additional napkin). SETTS Warp: 30 epi (2/dent in a 15-dent reed or 3/dent in a 10-dent reed). Weft: 44 ppi (tabby, 22 ppi; pattern, 22 ppi); plain-weave hems, 27–28 ppi. DIMENSIONS Width in the reed: 18 5/15" or 184/10". Woven length: (measured under tension on the loom) 88". Finished size: (after…

STRUCTURE Dimity (plain weave with twill stripes). EQUIPMENT 8-shaft loom, 23" weaving width; 12-dent reed; 1 shuttle. YARNS Warp: 5/2 pearl cotton (2,100 yd/lb; UKI; Camilla Valley Farm), #79 Natural, 774 yd; #140 Safari, 182 yd; #106 Persian Green, 78 yd; #60 Duck, 52 yd; #141 Silver, #81 Grotto, #115 Peach, and #17 Wine, 65 yd each. Weft: 5/2 pearl cotton (2,100 yd/lb; UKI; Halcyon Yarn), Bleached White, 570 yd. WARP LENGTH 414 ends 3¼ yd long (includes floating selvedges; allows 8" for take-up, 33" for loom waste). SETTS Warp: Plain weave, 16 epi (1-2-1/dent in a 12-dent reed); twill, 24 epi (2/dent in a 12-dent reed). Weft: 11 ppi. DIMENSIONS Width in the reed: 22 3/12". Woven length: (measured under tension on the loom) 76". Finished size: (after wet-finishing…

YARN SUPPLIERS Camilla Valley Farm, camillavalleyfarm.com (Williams 64). Georgia Yarn Company, gayarn.com (Shadix 18). Great Northern Weaving, greatnorthernweaving.com (Herr 34). Halcyon Yarn, halcyonyarn.com (Williams 64). Jane Stafford Textiles, janestaffordtextiles.com (Allen 54, Allen 77). Lion Brand, lionbrand.com (Coatney 46). Little Knits, littleknits.com (Tuthill 50). Lunatic Fringe Yarns, lunaticfringeyarns.com (Luhring and Newman 28, Pate 60). Maurice Brassard et Fils, mbrassard.com (Sykes 38, McInnes 68, Lapsa 77). Ripples Crafts, ripplescrafts.com (Uden 42). Silk City Fibers, silkcityfibers.com (Coatney 46, Nagarkar 77). Vävstuga, vavstuga.com (Allen 54, Allen 77). WEBS, yarn.com (Pate 60). READING DRAFTS Some drafts for weaving are extremely long if they are written out thread by thread. To save space, wherever a section of the threading or treadling is repeated, a bracket is placed above it with the number of times to follow that…