#backstrap weaving

[landofla]

I know I rarely post anything original or personal here. One of the major things I do offline is fiber arts. Spinning, Knitting, Weaving, Dyeing fiber all that kind of stuff. A few months ago a post was going around about the "lost art" of spinning. (Yeah not the kind in the health club, the kind where you get yarn when you are done) I have taken a lot of classes from a lot of different teachers. Abby is by far my favorite teacher. I think she has a handle on the material and a WAY to communicate about what needs to be done that is unbeatable. Right now she has a special on a membership that includes her whole entire backlog of online classes that goes back to the fall 2020.

Quote Abby: "MAJOR DEAL at https://www.abbysyarns.com where if you sign up for a full trimester membership you’ll get a month for free and you won’t pay again until September!!!!" Classes include all 4 of the spinning basics classes as well as intermediate and advanced topics, like fiber prep, drafting methods. plying structures, mastering long draw, mastering short draw, spinning for socks and a whole lot more.

#spinning #handspinning #yarn #yarnblr #loom weaving #backstrap weaving #textiles #fiber art

[gregorvorbarra]

hey yall wanna see my favorite textile-related souvenir from Peru?

of course you do!

this is a ruki! it’s a tool made out of alpaca bone (I was told it’s a foot bone) and used for backstrap weaving. the weavers in Patacancha use it to beat down the weft and to clear the shed when changing sheds.

the shawl in the background was handwoven by Maria, my weaving teacher in Patacancha <3

#alba :v #alba weaves #weaving #backstrap weaving #i also bought a pushka (drop spindle) #like yes i have a ton at home but i cant leave peru without a drop spindle???? come on

[allonsybadwolf]

So I saw a post about tablet weaving yesterday (link) and was gripped by the tablet weaving madness and had to try it immediately 😂 a craft I can try without leaving my house and spending money?? Sign me the fuck up!!

It's going great so far, EXCEPT that despite threading the cards in the correct order, I fully started weaving with them in the reverse order (14-1 instead of 1-14)

But it seems like it's working out fine anyways?? I'm getting a cool pattern so 🎉

This is super fun so far, so of course I'm eyeing inkle looms on the Woolery after doing this one (1) single time

Tablet weaving, 10/10, highly recommend

(pattern is here)

#allonsybadwolf #weaving #tablet weaving #card weaving #backstrap #backstrap weaving #my weaving #fiber crafts #fiber arts

[drelmurn]

Yesssss . . . Yesssss! . . . YESSSSS!

#tablet weaving #card weaving #backstrap weaving #weaving

[calendae-creations]

I finished my latest batch of weaving last night, and have it up in my shop now! Two hand woven bookmarks, and one keychain, all with light blue and dark blue stripes, and a supplementary weft pattern in silvery thread with zigzags and diamond shapes. $10 each, plus shipping.

#weaving #backstrap weaving #supplementary weft #fiber art #textile art #my art #inventory

[milkweedman]

Attempting some tablet weaving for the first time. I have essentially no idea what im doing--i did watch a few videos which mostly went in one ear and out the other, as well as look for some written guides which were completely indecipherable if for no other reason than Reading Hard.

The warping was fiddly but straightforward, and the first several inches are totally botched bc i wasnt really creating a clean warp shed bc i had no idea what belonged to what half, but after i figured that out it got way neater ! I'm not really concerned about how it looks though. This first attempt will serve its purpose either way, which is to be a bag handle so that i don't have to crochet or knit one. Yes i did finally try tablet weaving just to avoid knitting or crocheting more straps.

Also wow, these cards really arent going to last very long. I pulled them out of the 5 deck hand and foot set (hence why they're all 3s, since thats the worst card to get and i figured removing a few wouldnt be missed), but if id realized they deteriorate so fast i definitely would have just used something else. Oh well though.

Also, i had a feeling this would hurt my back, and indeed it does. I lasted about 10 minutes before it was too much. Might need to use a chair next time.

#was talking to my fiance about dyslexia earlier and have been thinking abt it a lot recently #was diagnosed as a teenager at the same time as the adhd #mostly dont think abt it and generally considered it not to affect me that badly #but i have a theory abt why i csnt read anymore and why written patterns are SO hard to follow #which is that i think reading for me takes a LOT of mental energy and focus #and if im low on that for whatever reason anything more than a few sentences is just utterly insurmountable and i can't read it #its even worse in any language other than english which baffled me for years #but ! my fiance was telling me how he has an easier time reading english than anything else bc he practiced SO MUCH trying to read normally #in english but didn't do the same in hindi or anything else #which like. oh. yeah. i also tried way harder with english bc that's what school was in and i was desperate to not be seen as stupid #which also explains why reading aloud in any language other than english is so so hard #reading hamlet aloud for english lit: god this sucks but i do love hamlet #reading dante's inferno (french translation) aloud in french lit: oh my god i hate every second of this and i think i will die from nerves #reading childrens poetry aloud in russian for my intro to russian class: if i dropped dead right now that would be preferable #and like my russian pronunciation was not the problem here #i could have a conversation with my teacher in russian okay #and i know cyrillic ! no problems there #but having to read it aloud ?? exhausting and miserable #anyway. all of this to say that i am not using patterns bc trying to mix reading with learning a new thing is just. not happening #backstrap weaving #tablet weaving

[tyrhinosaurus]

Hi,

I've been getting into tablet weaving recently and saw your post about it. Your backstrap loom looks really neat (and much more stable than using masking tape to tape the ends of my weaving to the wall and my shirt) and I saw that you had made it yourself. How did you go about making it? I have seen instructions online but they can get complicated and involve heddles and stuff I dont care about for tablet weaving. Also, do you have any suggestions for warping? (The tablet weaving instructions for warping I've found tend to use inkle looms and the backstrap loom warping instructions dont use cards.)

Hello :)

I’m always happy to answer questions, this might be a bit more in depth than you’re looking for if you have a partial set up already, please let me know if it’s not quite answering your questions!

I did make my loom, at least 6 years ago now.

I worked off of the guidelines I found on this website:

https://backstrapweaving.wordpress.com/backstrap-basics-an-article-from-weavezine-by-laverne-waddington/

(The woman behind the blog is very passionate about backstrap weaving and continues to be a well known name in tutorial spaces as far as I can tell.)

The great thing about this loom is how straightforward it is to DIY: I got some pieces of dowel from the local hardware store, cut them to the length I wanted, and then either drilled holes in the ends or made some grooves, and then finished it off with some varnish. Tbh it isn’t super crucial to do anything to the ends of the sticks- the holes are good for tying the end pieces up and attaching to a wall but I use my feet, and the grooves are good for rubber bands but they will hold without having to be in grooves. 

The length of the sticks is really up to you, and how wide you want to be able to weave.

So! Loom!

I have 3 thick sticks - 25mm diameter and ~590mm long. Two of them have grooves in the ends (5mm wide, 5mm deep, starting 20mm from the ends), and the other one has holes (10mm diameter, 20mm from the end)

-- The grooved ones are for hole the working end against me, the holey one is for winding the warp and holding it with my feet.

I have 2 medium sticks - 15mm diameter and ~590mm long. One with holes in the ends (5mm diameter, 15mm from the end) and the other with nothing.

-- Usually one helps wrap the warp up on my foot stick. If i’m doing straight weaving, one of these will hold my shed open (although i’m being drawn more towards rigid heddles), otherwise its optional to use with the foot stick again if you need extra strength (I have been contemplating if more sticks in the warp will keep it under more consistent tension while winding)

I have 2 thin sticks - 8mm diameter and ~450mm long. They have grooves in the ends but honestly that is more of a pain than anything else I wouldn’t recommend it.

-- They were intended to hold the cross in the warp while transferring it onto the loom, and I do something use them for this. I also usually use one of them as a heddle stick. But for tablet weaving you wont need either of those. 

That’s the basic set of pieces. I think it was about $30 AUD for all the dowel.

I’m lucky in having access to lots of different tools and materials but honestly if you have a handsaw, some sandpaper, and some nice varnish you’ll be set (just go for a light coat of varnish you don’t need or want the sticks to be very slippery). My first project was making my back strap, and I used a tea towel as a makeshift back strap while I did - use some hair ties or rubber bands to make loops and hook it over the sticks.

The other things you might need are a beater and/or shuttle, to push threads down as you weave. My beater was a gift from my grandpa, and is a flat piece of timber with rounded, champfered edges on the ends. Its about 300mm long. I have used a ruler as a beater/shuttle before too, they are good. And regular kitchen forks can be useful too, for making minor adjustments as you go (especially if the warp is a little uneven, some threads don’t cooperate as well as others). Ive got a really small, nice one I bought with my weaving cards that i’m using for the current project.

Warping is a whole other beast.

The first warp I did using a scrap piece of a bed frame and 2 clamps. it was not the neatest, and the clamps were not tight enough ahaha. But it worked. Ive also used knobs on my chest of drawers, the stands of two lamps with the tops taken off(they had nice heavy bases), and maybe even knobs on my bed frame. Anything thats far enough apart and you can take the tension off to take the warp off is all you really need (so wouldn’t recommend the bed frame for that). My latest upgrade is the warping board i’ve posted about. it’s a piece of plywood with some long nails tacked into it in a few places. very versatile for changing the length to suit my desires. Not so easy to tuck away in a cupboard but i’m working on that.

For tablet weaving you can also get away with the warp being slightly uneven i’ve found, since the threads get cut anyway. For this project i wound the warp on the board, took it off, put on end on one of the sticks and got my sister to help tension it so I could even out the threads a bit. I then cut them all. I separated them into threads for each tablet, tied the ends up neatly, and then cut the remaining loops in half. They’re all a bit uneven but no more than 20 cm difference between the longest and shortest, which is a win in my book. I then looped the knots over the foot stick, laid it all out straight in the hallway, and threaded the cards on. Once all the cards were on I put a pin in them and tied the ends all together in a loose but fairly even knot. Then using one of the medium sticks for assistance I starting winding the warp onto the foot stick. I was tensioning it a little with my hand on the unwound threads as i went, so straightening, holding down, and pulling as i wound to try and keep them even. Then readjusted the knot at the ends of the threads and tucked in between the two rubber banded sticks on my stomach and set off.

Its never going to be perfect but that’s the game you play when working with DIY tools and figuring it out as you go.

I will say that holding the end with your feet is not for everyone, and requires a bit of flexibility and strength in your calves and core. So be gentle and takes break when you need.

Hopefully this helps!

#backstrap weaving #long post #question #tablet weaving #warping #craftblr

[cadere-art]

I've been having computer issues big time (corrupted system files and source image after a failed update yay!) and it's been sucking hard BUT I've managed to get myself weaving again while my husband fights my computer!

#textile arts #wip #weaving #backstrap loom

[weavingforlooms]

I finished!!! I forgot to post for a while but I got reminded with someone’s lovely comment on my other post!!!

Am! Am so proud of this and myself… 😍😍😍 I love my color choices and the overall look and feel !

I have another loom to start out on but considering I have only so much that I know , I think I might go crazy and just. Have fun with it instead of finding patterns

#handweaving #zue speaks #weaving #fiber art #backstrap loom #guatemala #loom weaving #finished piece #finished project #weaver

[ninalanfer]

A while back @optimistinchief wanted to see how my string heddle setup looks like. And now finally I'm playing around with some more swatches. Which means string heddles.

It's really very simplistic. And I'll try to demonstrate to the best of my ability.

One stick per shaft. Here I'm testing some straight draw twill. 4 shafts.

Here I've picked up shaft 4 (because where I live we count the shafts as beginning in the back. 1, 2, 3, 4. So the shaft closest to you will be shaft 4. I realise some of the world count them the opposite way. So felt I needed to clarify.)

Here I've pulled up shed 2. So shaft 2 and 3.

So to weave a straight draw. I pull up shed 1 (shaft 1 and 2), then shed 2 (shaft 2 and 3), then shed 3 (shaft 3 and 4), then shed 4 (shaft 1 and 4). And finally I start from the beginning again, circling through them over and over.

I learned how to pick up the string heddles from Kerstin Neumüller's book Simple Weave. But I'm sure there are other sources for it out there. It's a really ancient technique, so there ought to be.

It's not difficult. It just takes a while. But considering the alternative is to manually pick up every shed with like a pick-up stick, it's still faster than having to do that.

Hope that's helpful.

#weaving #weaveblr #string heddles #backstrap loom

[coffeeworldsasaki]

AAAAAHHHH

#weaving #IVE WANTED TO WEAVE FOR SO LONG THANK YOU STRANGER ON COHOST FOR TELLING ME ABOUT BACKSTRAP WEAVING

[disgruntled-lifeform]

Do you know what kind of loom you want to learn to use? I have a rigid heddle loom, so I’d be happy to talk shop about that if it’s a loom you’re interested in.

I have a zero knowledge base atm when it comes to weaving, I *think* the ones I've seen at my local guild is a rigid heddle loom though.

I think learning to work a backstrap loom would be neat skill to add to my repetoire.

If you had any 100% beginner friendly educational material on the rigid heddle loom for me to orient myself with, that would be awesome!

If I get the chance to use the loom before I get a teacher then I want to not break the machine as I teach myself >.<

#ask #answered #weaving #rigid heddle loom #backstrap loom

[twelvewp]

Woman employing a 'backstrap loom' for tension in weaving. Taltemiche, Guatemala.

June, 1995

Ektachrome 100

#loom #backstrap #woman #weaving #cooperative #taltemiche #guatemala

[bismuthburnsblue]

aside from my loki woes, ive been reteaching myself tablet weaving!!

#i was jst dicking around n getting a feel for it here #and testing my janky ass loom set up #but im pretty happy!!!!! #i picked it up for angelas ribbons so i think next im gonna try a double face sample of that #i would Love to do it in the correct colours but for now ill stick to alternating just to figure patterns n shit #ill need to figure outa better set up for that; too #im just tied between two chairs here- i think i want a weighted set up to do the lengths i need for angela #tablet weaving #card weaving #again. i was just playing around i know its not like. great in places #last time i tried i tried backstrap and i just found my tension was all sorts of off so this is already better for me

[drelmurn]

Part 2, llamas Boogaloo! The Ace version of these fine llamas! Not quite sure I like how the middle is turning out, the reverse colors mean there's some funky looking parts where the colors change, but it looks mostly okay ad I weave more, so I'm optimistic!

Patterns once again from Laverne Waddington's backstrap weaving website.

#ace #ace pride #asexuality #weaving #backstrap weaving #double weave #backstrap loom

[calendae-creations]

Holy shit y'all, it's turning out so pretty! Gonna switch to a black primary weft for the next one, but keep the silver for the pattern weft. I think I'll be able to get three bookmarks out of this warp. 2 and a keychain at the very least.

Like my art? Want to see more, buy my textiles or jewelry, or commission something? Check out my ko-fi page and shop, or message me here on tumblr!

#weaving #supplementary weft #WIP #backstrap weaving #fiber art