Been working on a variety of projects. Made a couple of variations of an intertwined bag. Now these bags are sprang bags. They come from a figure-8 warp, the join line is the bottom of the bag. They were worked in intertwining rather than interlinking. Not as stretchy as interlinking but attractive in their own way. Also made a couple more hats. Here are two hats, one has twice the number of threads. One is sort of a hair net, the other, is much more like a tam, both made from the same skein of red sock yarn. Now, freshly ‘spranged’ they always curl up funny. Do not let this discourage you. Blocking is easily done, and remedies the curling when you’ve used natural fibers. This is remedied by blocking. I soaked the hat, and then stretched it around a kitchen bowl.
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My books are now available on Amazon.ca.
They’ve been available through the.com version of Amazon for a while now, but Canadians looked for them on the .ca version of Amazon, hoping for domestic shipping, and so far have been dissapointed. No More! Fingerweaving Untangled and Le Fléché Démêlé are now available on amazon.ca. 🙂 Working on some items to display in a local yarn store, using yarn from their shelves.
I am reminded of another reason I love sprang. When I knit with a rainbow skein, the colors tend to muddle if I’m not careful. With circular warp sprang, the colors are as lovely in the finished article as they were in the skein. Students at Bannatyne School sewed those ‘sashes’ together, using braids made by the younger students. This tapestry commemorates the 100th anniversary of the school. It celebrates the role of the individual, as well as exemplifying the strength of the community.
Each thread is important. A single thread can make a huge difference. Single threads are fragile, can be easily broken. Many threads together can create something very strong, very beautiful. Here’s the completed tapestry. It’s minus 14 outside today, and there’s a fresh blanket of snow. Time for serious winter clothes. I set me a figure-8 warp, 30 inches long (70cm) and wove until it met at the middle. OK, I added some S and Z design to keep things interesting. I chained across the meeting line. The loop ends were gathered together, and I sewed the whole thing into a long tube or football shape. Check to prevent the needle from snagging the back side of the hat One end of the ‘football’ was tucked into the other end. The finished hat!
I’ve been working in a local school. Younger children have been learning about three-strand or four-strand braiding. For those in grade 4 and 5 I brought along rigid heddles and had them weave strips or “sashes”. Here are some patterns you can make with a rigid heddle loom. Now, if you have all threads of the same color, you get a solid colored cloth. A single thread of a contrasting color makes a broken line. OK, I had blue threads and a single white thread in the warp and then used white in the weft. What happens when I use two contrasting threads on that blue background? Two contrasting threads makes a solid vertical line. What happens when I use three contrasting threads? Three contrasting threads make a line that is fat-skinny-fat-skinny. Now for four threads. Four threads of a contrasting color make a solid line, a bit fatter solid line than the two threads. What happens when I use five contrasting threads? OK this was really two white, one yellow, and two white. Since 2+1+2=5 this is five contrasting threads on a field of blue. It makes kind of an interesting pattern. Many more patterns possible with a rigid heddle: All right, here I started with four green threads. Then I put greens in the slits and yellows in the holes for four threads, two of each color. Then I put yellow threads in both slits and holes. Then I put yellow threads in the slits and greens in the holes for four threads. On the other edge I place four greens (slits and holes). When you keep one color in the slits and another in the holes it gives you a horizontal line. Switching colors every four or six threads will give you a checkerboard pattern. Here are some of the strips woven by fifth graders.
The Burlington Weavers and Spinners Guild’s most recent newsletter posted a review of Sprang Unsprung: Carol James’ book, “Sprang Unsprung” is great for anyone wishing to learn Sprang from the basics through to more advanced pattern making and colour play. The step-by-step instructions are offered for both left and right-handed folks, and are always accompanied by helpful coloured illustrations and photographs of work in progress. Each page of the book is jam packed with project details interspersed with historic sprang woven pieces. James’ experience with Sprang weaving is extensive, and it shows in her clear instructions and logical progression of technique. She even provides schematics for building several different types of frame looms for weaving. The projects build upon what the weaver has learned from the last chapter, and for further inspiration and learning, James has put together a thorough annotated bibliography. This book is very user-friendly and would be a good resource for anyone wanting to learn Sprang from the ground up. The Burlington Weavers and Spinners Guild’s most recent newsletter posted a review of Sprang Unsprung:
Carol James’ book, “Sprang Unsprung” is great for anyone wishing to learn Sprang from the basics through to more advanced pattern making and colour play. The step-by-step instructions are offered for both left and right-handed folks, and are always accompanied by helpful coloured illustrations and photographs of work in progress. Each page of the book is jam packed with project details interspersed with historic sprang woven pieces. James’ experience with Sprang weaving is extensive, and it shows in her clear instructions and logical progression of technique. She even provides schematics for building several different types of frame looms for weaving. The projects build upon what the weaver has learned from the last chapter, and for further inspiration and learning, James has put together a thorough annotated bibliography. This book is very user-friendly and would be a good resource for anyone wanting to learn Sprang from the ground up. The numbers are in for another week at McNally Robinson Booksellers. Sprang Unsprung is the bestseller in the non-fiction category for Manitoba Authors, for two weeks running now. Thanks to all my friends who’ve gone out and bought copies. A friend of mine captured the ‘sprang dance’ from be book launch on her camera. I’m hoping to figure out how to post it. The launch was lovely.
In other news, I am pleased to be part of a collaborative work. The Alliance Francaise here in Winnipeg, along with the Maison des Artistes brought together a traditional embroiderer from Brittany, Pascal Jaouen, and a visual artist Collette Balcaen to collaborate on a Métis theme. The exihibit opening is this week. My contribution to the display was a fingerwoven belt, made using a very fine silk thread. A re-enactor friend, artillery enthusiast, wanted a silk officer’s sash. He challenged me to create a cannon design. I drew up a cannon and mapped it out on graph paper. Have a look at the results.
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