Fiber Viber Lounge (ama About Fiber Arts)

[LadyLekku]

My last art thread is sadly outdated, and all the embedded files are gone. Might as well start fresh!

Ask me anything about fiber art/crochet/weaving/dyeing/spinning.
Can also talk about how to run an Etsy store or that kinda thing for anyone who wants to ask.

More old projects and delicious yarn can be found on my Instagram @knottymagpie
My Etsy page lists what I currently have for sale. No custom orders at this time. (Haha unless?)​

 

[LadyLekku]

Reserved

 

[LadyLekku]

Current WIP: Doubleweave blanket on a rigid heddle

I've never worked a double weave before. I had to install a second heddle on my loom for it. Essentially, it means to weave a fabric that's folded in half. Wrap your brain around that; you weave, one row at a time, alternating between weaving the top and the bottom half. One side is left connected, and the other is open, so that you can unfold it once you cut it off the loom.

Spoiler: Warping the Loom

First, warped it like a normal project.

Then, warped a second time, so I had twice as many warp threads as usual.

Then wound the warp over the back bar (tension rod) of the loom

Spoiler: Tying the warp

Still working with only one heddle, I had to organize the yarn ends into the top and bottom fabrics. This was the hardest warp I've ever tied, because I had to try and figure out what went where. I did end up messing up, at this part, and not realizing til later.

Added the second heddle, organized the warp threads again, and then tied onto the apron rod. All of this took days.

Put the loom onto the floor stand. Ready to go! Or so I thought. I ended up having to cut and re-tie almost all of it, to fix a mistake.

Spoiler: Weaving!

Ready to go. Here's a side image of how the warp looks, and gives an idea of how the top and bottom will be woven at the same time, interchangeably. The yard sticks are my "pickup sticks". Essentially since I only have two heddles, I needed two sticks so that I could also raise and lower certain strands of yarn, as I wove. You can think of it like having four configurations of where the yarn could be at any point. Two for the top layer, and two for the bottom. Weaving is the interchange of the weft (horizontal) threads passing over or under the warp (vertical) threads. So you need at least two positions for each layer. One where every other yarn is lifted or pushed down, and then the opposite. Two layers means four positions. The simplest woven texture, one up one down, is called plainweave.

Before you weave, you have to do a few rows of scrap yarn. That way the tension is right, from the very beginning.

A side view, showing the two layers forming. On the other side of the loom, these two layers are connected.

The actual weaving! By this point a few feet are done and the plaid pattern is showing up as the colors change.

 

[LadyLekku]

New scarf done!