I’ve made a variety of sprang sweaters (child size). Using cheap cotton, the type you use to knit dishrags, the same number of threads and always using the same frame, I’ve been exploring different patterns. Clearly different patterns have different amounts of lateral stretch. The moral of the story is (as in knitting) always, always make a sample swatch first.
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I’ve been trying a few more variations of the sprang sock. Here’s a straight tube sock. It was made from a figure-8 warp, two rectangles worked at the same time. Cut apart, you get two socks for the work of making one … well, you have to do the finishing on the socks separately, gather the toe, sew the side seam, and deal with the fringes. This sock is a real tube sock: no fancy extra work to create the heel. The only problem with this sock is that people with sensitive feet might find all that gathering at the toe to be uncomfortable. The only solution for this that I can think of (decreasing the bulk at the toe) is to work from the toe up. This means you must work ‘free-end’ method, which technically is not sprang. It does give a lovely sock. I used several colors to emphasize the way threads were added. This sock has eliminated that bump at the toe. You begin with very few threads, and add more each row. This sock also features a short-row heel, and increases along the calf.
Yes, I’d like to post the directions on-line … but there’s so much to say, how to set up, how to do the interlinking, how to keep things even …. it needs a whole book. Yes, I’m still working on the book. It’s getting to the ‘proof’ stage. I keep finding errors, and want an error-free product to give to the world. The annual Visit with the People of Red River was held yesterday at the Musée de St Boniface. Twelve stations of activities were available. Students made a rotatation through six activities, twenty minutes each during their half-day at the Musée.
My activity has always given students a basic understanding of weaving, and fingerweaving in particular. That’s why I developed the fingerweaving dance twelve years ago. Still working on that sprang book. I’ve sent drafts off for editing. I am amazed at the helpful comments that have come back to me. Details such as staying with the same tense, switching person are just not in my mind when I set out to write these things. Yes, they do make a big difference, will make a cleaner, more readable end product. The book is still in progress. It’s almost ready. I’ve been working for two years now, putting together a how-to manuel on ‘sprang’. Following the same style as Fingerweaving Untangled, this book assumes no previous knowledge. This past week I received another draft back from the layout people. This one is very close to a printable version. Looking around my workroom, there sure are a great number of samples made over the last two years. I’ve lost count of how many samples I’ve made now. Each technique has detailed step-by-step drawings, as well as photos of the setup, the process, and the finished article: straps, sashes, bags, hats, sweaters, even socks.
It’s an 80 page book. The ‘No Frame’ method from an earlier post is featured, as well as work on a frame: figure-8 and circular warp. Yes, I’ve been away from this blog for some time. I was busy writing and making these samples, and wasn’t sure how to describe to you the process, what to say here. Friesen’s Printing is now expecting my manuscript for the end of June. Keeping my fingers crossed that the book will be available for sale in July 2011. OK, I have been corrected. The free-end method is technically NOT sprang. Sprang, by definition, according to Collingwood and Emery is always worked on a warp that is attached at both ends and always results in two mirror-image pieces of cloth. I am interested in teaching people how to use threads to make things. Interlinking, interlacing, and intertwining can be performed on loose ends or on ‘framed’ threads. I’m wanting to break down the barriers, get people to explore these techniques, encourage them any way possible. Yes, it’s easier to work the threads when they’re stretched on a frame. The frame is an extra step, an extra expense. My tactic is to get people to try interlinking (or interlacing or intertwining). When they see how much fun it is, and that you can get TWO rows of cloth for every row of work … hey, the frame is pretty easy to concoct. So I begin with ‘unsprung’ sprang, that is, the free-end method. It’s that time of year again. I can be found with my SashWeaving in the Souvenir tent, alongside the Habitat for Humanity run Official Souvenir desk. The thing I love about Festival is seeing all the sashes. Every year it gets better. People are making their own, and wearing them. This woman took a one-hour workshop from me at the public library, and look what she did! This gentleman and his wife purchased my book Fingerweaving Untangled. This year he’s sporting a chevron belt, and she’s made little coat toggles. And a Big Thank You to those who helped me at the booth. And I have to show you pictures of the snow sculptures:
These last few months I’ve been busy exploring sprang. I went through Peter Collingwood’s book, trying several of the patterns. Here’s a ‘sampler’ I made, using a dozen: I also explored a 3-D piece, using jute around a wire frame. Still working on that how-to book on sprang. Re-organized a whole whack of it, trying to avoid repeat information.
I’ve learned to distinguish between the textile structures such as interlinking, interlacing, intertwining, and the method of working, free-end or sprang. It seems that interlinking, for example can be worked with loose ends of threads, ‘free end braiding’ or you can work on a figure-8 type warp, or simple attach the loose ends. When you attach the ends, and ‘trap’ the ‘false weave’ it fills the definition of ‘sprang’. Interesting. More recently I’m very busy giving workshops in grade schools and high schools. It’s Winter Festival season. Local ethnic groups such as the Métis are highlighted, and I’m invited to teach weaving techniques associated with Métis culture. Feb 18 to 27 I’ll be at the Festival du Voyageur pretty much full time. Trying another method for a pair of socks using sprang. Here are the socks: How did I do this? I figured I’d measure out a warp with extra length in the strings that would be the sole of the foot, and more importantly, the heel. I thought I’d just have two passes each time I shoved the shed, once with the shorter strings for the top of the foot, and once for the sole threads. It’s been a real pain to work on this sock. The strings for the top of the foot go just fine. The extra long threads for the sole and heel are a Royal Pain. It’s been all afternoon and I’ve only woven two inches. Now I see that the finished cloth is pretty uneven. I’m ready to cut this into two, work the socks one-at-a time as free-end sprang. Work went much more smoothly, working ‘free end’. The top is tied to a hook in the wall. I secured the cut ends with a loop knot, and held them down with my foot. Each row, I pulled out the ‘falseweave’. You might be surprised how easy this is. And voilà, the completed sock: For those who want to know, I used a wool blend ‘sock yarn’. Knitters will understand the concept of ‘short rows’ to form the heel. In this piece I also explored adding strands at the ankle, at the back of the leg. Yes, sprang is stretchy, but I figure that if I’m eventually going to make a sock that goes up to the knee, I might want to add strands to allow for the difference in circumference ankle to calf.
Interested in more details? How do you do sprang? What’s this loop knot? How do you get the colors to work? How do you do the heel? It’s hard to answer just one question. Best to start at the beginning and work all the way through. Know that I’m writing a how-to book, step-by-step from the beginning. There will be Lots of detailed patterns. The first draft is already making its way through layout. I’m bound and determined to have this book in print by April 2011. At the same time I’m still open to comments, requests on what you really need to have explained. Today’s challenge: some simple color patterns. I started with a vertical stripe, and then recorded how to get the colors to move sideways, get them to mix at the middle, and then how to get them to ‘un-mix’.
Been wanting to try a pair of socks, using the sprang technique. Today was the day. After taking 50 pages of my book to the layout people, I came home and set up to sprang a pair of socks. I worked several ‘short rows’ over the middle 50% of the stitches for a few rows.
I’ve also been playing with different means of finishing the cut ends. Here I pulled each strand back along the path it travelled over the past two rows. It makes a nice fringe just below the edge. I’ve been working these past several months researching the subject of sprang, looking for North American examples, and have found plenty. More recently I’ve put nose to the grindstone, and have been working on a how-to book. My goal is to produce something similar to Fingerweaving Untangled. That is to say, I’m creating the step-by-step drawings, and taking detailed photos. Every time a thread is moved, another image is required. I’m working on the book that I wish I had when I was trying to figure out how to ‘sprang’.
I’ve heard tell of many examples of sprang from coptic excavations, from danish bogs, eastern Europe, and the like. I’d like to firmly root my book in the North American experience. Things like the ‘no frame’ method will definitely be covered. There is evidence that this is the method used by early North American residents. Simple frames will also be featured. I’ll cover a basic list of patterns, monochrome, stripes, how to get the colors to move diagonally. I’ll also include patterns made on the surface by playing with S and Z (of course and explanation of S and Z themselves), patterns made by creating holes, and the like. Any special requests out there? Well on the way with a set of basic drawings and instructions already done, I’m hoping to have this book off the press and ready for distribution by April 2011. |
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