Card tricks

Ever woven with cards? 

At the Kings County Fiber Festival in October, a member of the New York Guild of Handweavers asked me if I could do card weaving. I offered to donate cards to the cause, but that wasn't what she was looking for. She wanted someone who could help teach card weaving in a guild workshop. I agreed to help.

Card weaving, also known as tablet weaving depending on where you live, produces decorative bands and requires little in the way of equipment. For those interested in in the dynamics of weaving, card weaving offers entry to the craft for very little investment. Weavers can make their own cards from sturdy cardboard, but they are very inexpensive. Halcyon, for example, offers 12 four-hole weaving for $4.

Historically rich

Inge Dam workshop example, MAFA2015

According to Margarita Gleba in her book, Textile Production in Pre-Roman Italy, and cited on Wikipedia, card/tablet weaving goes back at least to the eighth century BCE in early Iron Age Europe. Historically the technique was used to create starting and/or selvedge bands, to weave decorative bands onto existing textiles and to create freestanding narrow work.

Wool, linen, silk and gold and silver threads were traditionally used as threads, but there are no restrictions. Thread types and size of thread is up to the weaver. 

At its most basic level, card weaving isn't difficult and the simplest designs make beautiful belts, straps and clothing decorations. Of course, added complexity provides more intricate and beautiful designs. 

Lest you consider card weaving to be a craft of times past, consider how modern fiber artists are using the techniques--and be inspired. Master weaver and textile designer Inge Dam, for example, incorporates the cards into her loom-woven fabrics. The results are spectacular. The example at right shows a card woven band in the middle of fabric. (The cards are barely visible behind the reed in the heddle space.)

How it works

Weaving with cards/tablets combines twisting threads with securing the weaving through a shed, which is produced when the cards are turned. It's the twisted threads that add luminescence to bands woven with certain threads.

Learning the technique was a requisite in my City and Guilds of London Institute course at what is now London Metropolitan University. I still have the cards along with samples and directions as well as a definitive book on the subject, The Techniques of Tablet Weaving by Peter Collingwood.

But no investment in books is required to start these days. Online, The Loomy Bin and The Earth Guild, among others, provide clear and concise directions from setting up the cards to devising a way to tension the threads and to finishing the weaving. The Loomy Bin has excellent visuals.

A collection of finished card woven bands

I used my inkle loom for tensioning a test warp of 5/2 red and green cotton on 24 cards. It worked just fine, so I threaded a set of 16 square four-holed cards for the workshop. 

As an afterthought, I  thought I'd be able to use the six-sided six-holed card set by threading four threads on opposites. It seemed like a good idea--but it wasn't. Although the shed was fine on half the turns, the other half were bad. It worked, but on the messy sheds, I needed to pick up the threads on each card. I don't recommend it.

Color works

Fox Paws, detail of five color interaction

...or not

It all started with a scarf. The scarf, which was hanging across the aisle from the Coopworth booth at Maryland Sheep and Wool, was tantalizing for one main reason: I couldn't figure out how the design was achieved in knitting. I just couldn't 'see' it. Thanks to Kris, I was gifted the pattern and could figure it out.

The design is a popular one--Fox Paws by Xandy Peters. And it is very clever. Based on multiple increases--7, 9 and 11 stitches--and equivalent decreases, the resulting pattern is reminiscent of intricate Eastern designs. But the cleverness doesn't stop there. The five-color design rotates across several pattern sets to add depth and interest.

Five color combo

The color combination used in the pattern aren't colors I wear. Rather, I envisioned colors typical to oriental carpets. Heavy on dark blue with touches of rose, burgundy, lighter blue and gold. The pattern uses Knit Picks' Palette 100% wool, fingering weight yarn, which comes in a mind-boggling range of 150 colors. And very affordable.

Combining five colors can be tricky. It may be absolutely true that colors can't be selected from online images, but what if there is no alternative? Many people do not live near a local yarn store (LYS) that stocks a wide range of colors. 

I accepted the downside and ordered eight balls. I played with them in my hand and settled on five that worked together. And then I started knitting.

First five colors

I wasn't happy. And a larger swatch didn't make it better. In fact, the more I knit, the more I disliked it. And when I found myself planning to over dye it, I stopped. I knit for pleasure and I certainly wasn't enjoying this process. 

Setting aside the partially knit shawl, I planned colors again. The problem wasn't really the colors. It was the equal dominance of each color due to the rotation of colors. Colors that add dimension in a carpet looked garish in larger sections.

Five colors, more balanced

I was pleased with two of my starting colors--navy and burgundy--and kept them in the mix.  I added a neutral heather with a touch of gold, a muted rose and a purplish blue. Four of the five colors were heathers. I cast on and loved the combination. (The colors used are documented on Ravelry.)

Knowing how the colors were moving, I planned the first plain knit space (most of the piece is garter stitch) but realized while knitting that I wanted to plan the ending colors, too. Another thing to keep in mind to keep the colors balanced from end to end.

Notes on knitting

Due to the large number of increases and decreases, the math for the repeats didn't make sense on my first read. I asked Xandy about it and she replied, "At first, markers seem helpful, but I actually recommend that people place them in the even rows and remove them in the odd rows while counting to make sure they have the right numbers. This way you won’t have to do the confusing movements between shaping rows."

I preferred to leave the markers on all rows, both even and odd. Yes, I needed to move the markers in many of the rows, but I knew that, for example, if I had three stitches before the marker and in an increase or decrease row, I was spot on. The markers kept me on target.

Fox Paws, as a scarf

Size. Some people commenting on the pattern, which is identified as a shawl or wrap, thought the width too wide. It isn't for a shawl or wrap. The finished width of my first piece is 18 inches. I wanted a scarf, so I simply omitted one repeat to do three repeats instead of four. My scarf is 13 inches wide and 72 inches long (and didn't quite finish the balls of yarn.)

Do note: This is not a quick knit! But the final result is worth the effort.

Ahrens & Violette No. 00129

Ahrens & Violette loom, No. 00129

I hit the weaver's lottery!

I've owned four floor looms to date and have experience weaving with jack, counterbalance, and countermarch mechanisms--but I have none--zero, nill, nada, zilch--experience with a dobby loom. Of course, I know of them. I know people who own them. One has just never come across  my path. Until now.

Last month at a guild meeting, an AVL dobby loom was posted as a giveaway. It was free because it was missing key components--namely, the dobby bars. The loom belonged to Sara Henderson, a long-time member and librarian of the Jockey Hollow Weavers. Her family was prepared to put it on the curb and, in the meantime, was offering it free to anyone who would haul it away. 

Ahrens & Violette loom identification

I said yes. Then I went home wondered what I'd gotten myself into. And then I contacted AVL Looms. Bob Kruger responded immediately. Yes, the dobby bars could be purchased and the company sells parts to older looms. I felt a little better about the acquisition. But still, this loom was sight-unseen. I knew about the dobby bars, but what else was missing--or wrong? Still, I was excited at the prospect. 

Before we headed out to pick up the loom, we studied the manual, which is available online from AVL, and I asked members of AVL groups on Weavolution and Ravelry for advice. Following their suggestions, we assembled tools and prepared for a complicated disassembly. 

All round bests for my new-to-me loom

1. Condition. Overall, the Ahrens & Violette loom is in excellent shape. The well-made loom pre-dates the company's name change from Ahrens & Violette Looms Inc. to AVL Looms so is commonly known as a pre-AVL loom. 

AVL Loom's Bob Kruger estimates the loom was made between 1980 and 1982. The number, which is on the brass plate on the castle, identifies it as number 00129. 

2. Provenance. As suggested, the loom came from a school. Specifically, F.I.T. (Fashion Institute of Technology) in NYC. The inventory label from the New York Board of Education is still attached to the castle. There is also a stamped number on the dobby base: 86400H, but I have no idea what that means. 

3. Transport. The Weavolution and Ravelry AVL communities were awesome and provided excellent suggestions for tools and how-to disassemble. Another best: We didn't have to! It fit (just) in the back of our Ford Ranger pickup with cabover.

4. Bench. One wasn't in the original photo so I expected to need one. I don't. The bench was in the bathroom. And it's a beauty!

5. Shuttle. In a box of leftover weaving tools that we left  with was a shuttle--and not just any shuttle. It is the original end-feed tensioned hand shuttle. It still has the Ahrens & Violette label and its inventory number, stamped on the bottom, is the same as that stamped on the loom, '20.'

Dobby bars, extra pegs and pirns

And the best of the best?

In the last 'look' for weaving bits before the estate clearance people came, Maurice found the dobby bars! They were in an Easter basket, along with an extra bag of pegs and two pirns for the shuttle. Up on a shelf, they'd been hiding in plain sight.

The challenging part now is figuring out the mechanism and returning the loom to working order. So far, each day brings at least one new 'Ah-ha' moment. And the clever man who discovered the dobby bars just keeps figuring out things. 

There is definitely more to come.

Spinning wheels

Spinning to learn. Spinning for fun.

My wheel with Corriedale yarn on the bobbin

Several months ago, I signed up for a two-day spinning workshop in Southern New Jersey. It sounded like a lovely way to decompress from a family wedding planned for the prior weekend. It was.

Although I've been spinning for years (and years and years), I am not a great spinner. I can spin. I like to spin, but it's not my sole focus. I tend to spin a little a lot of days and my resulting yarn is  "so-so." OK. Not great. So I'm always interested in improving my skills.

Third Star planned two workshops--weaving with Karen Donde and spinning with Beth Smith. I did Karen's workshop last fall--the exact one--so signed up for spinning. I knew of Beth Smith and had recently used her scouring method to process a fleece. (Heads up: She is on the roster at the MidAtlantic Fiber Association's 2017 conference next summer.)

Beth Smith wearing one of her many crowns

What a fun learning weekend! I did more with the fleece from a greater number of different sheep breeds than I ever have. We prepped--hand carded, combed, teased and flicked. We spun from roving, combed tops, locks, and milled roving in short forward draw, supported long draw and unsupported long draw. I learned....a  lot.

Happy 40th Anniversary!

The Guild was celebrating their fortieth anniversary with the workshops, but they also included public outreach in the mix. On Saturday evening, they held a celebration dinner, made a marbleized silk scarf and mounted an exhibit of guild members' creations. I loved their show and took a couple of photos (below).

Third Star Fibre Artists Guild Show and Sale: ( L) Various guild members. (R) Annette Devitt's work.

Extreme views

From the ordinary to the extraordinary

L. Ralph Lauren pantsuit, 2013. R. British mess jackets

The two exhibits currently a the Museum at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) in New York couldn't be more different. One focuses on the influence of uniforms--school, sports, military, service industry--on mainstream fashion. The other focuses on one woman's collection of high-end couture fashion.

Both are excellent. And both are free.

Fashion inspired by the ordinary

The Uniformity exhibit, which is in the Fashion & Textile Gallery on the main floor, opens with two  British military "mess dress" jackets c. 1900. The  elaborate braid and soutache patterns, which once served as protection in hand-to-hand combat, continue to inspire contemporary fashion designers. One example is seen below in garments by Yves St. Laurent and Ralph Lauren.

L. Yves St. Laurent, 1967. R. Perry Ellis, 1983

With a focus on four categories of uniforms--military, work, school, and sports--the exhibit provides examples and detailed information to show direct relationships between uniforms and fashion. 

According to signage, Yves Saint Laurent began experimenting with military elements in the mid-60's. Re-appropriating the naval peacoat, his navy blue, double-breasted jacket became one of his signature styles. On a very personal note, his 1967 ensemble (left) is remarkably like the navy blue dress and jacket I made for my going-away suit (remember those?) in.....1967!

Most viewers will be familiar with each and every uniform as well as its vestige in modern interpretation. I think the personal connections make this an engaging show and well worth a visit. 

Uniformity runs through November 19, 2016.

Fashion as unique creations

Distinctly different and on the opposite end of anything derived from lowly uniforms are the extraordinary fashions from the wardrobe of Élisabeth de Caraman-Chimay, the Countess Greffulhe (1860–1952). The exhibit, Proust's Muse: The Countess Greffulhe, is in FIT's Special Exhibitions Gallery. 

Based on a Paris exhibition organized by Olivier Saillard, director of the Palais Galliera, Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris, which is the repository of the countess's wardrobe, this exhibit is a collaboration of Saillard and Dr. Valerie Steele, director and chief curator of The Museum at FIT.

Unfortunately, no photos are permitted in the exhibit so you'll have to make a trip to personally drool over the truly spectacular garments.

Proust's Muse: The Countess Greffulhe runs through January 7, 2017.

Can't possibly make it in person? Check out the museum's online virtual tours at Uniformity and Proust's Muse: The Countess Greffulhe.

Saturday in Brooklyn

Celebrating five years of friends and fiber

River Valley Farm's paper sheep took shelter from the rain

This was the fifth year for the Kings County Fiber Festival. Held in Park Slope in  Brooklyn, N.Y. on the Saturday of Columbus Day weekend the festival is now a part of family history. Son Steven connected Maxine de Gouttes, organizer of the event and then owner of Stitch Therapy knitting shop in Brooklyn, with his sister Kris of Winter's Past Farm who became part of the first group to participate in the festival.

Each year, more people attend the festival and there are more group activities at the historic Old Stone House in the park. The park is also the site of a children's playground so the area buzzes with activity.

Spin City spinners and weavers
practice for competition

It's here that the Spin City Shawl Team does a practice run for Rhinebeck's Sheep to Shawl competitions. Unfortunately, I'll miss not only the competition, but the group in full costume when they go head-to-head with other sheep-to-shawl teams from the region. (Few things interfere with fiber festivals, but this one takes precedence over everything else. My son is getting married.)

Knitting with hands

Also at the Old Stone House was a large group learning to knit without needles. Lion Brand Yarn donated the yarn--and bags to hold the creations. People of all ages took advantage of the opportunity and some made some pretty large shawls!

Winter's Past Farm booth ready for business

Most of the day was just about perfect for being outdoors. It was cloudy but comfortable until about 3 p.m., when it started to drizzle. Not enough to bail but enough that we needed to make the booth into a three-sided plastic cocoon. By the time it was raining steadily, it was time to pack up. 

It was all great fun!

Warp to weave

Where to begin?

There has been a Weavers' Study Group in The South Jersey Guild of Spinners and Handweavers off and on for years but there was concern that enthusiasm was flagging. The community is great. Study and growth, not so much. 

The study group leader, Helena, and I wondered why. To find out, we surveyed guild members who had indicated interest in weaving. We wanted buy-in and we wanted to know what the weavers wanted to do. And to help plan a program, we also wanted to know what kind of equipment is in use? What are the levels of expertise? What are  comfort levels reading a draft and warping a loom? And what kind of project are members most interested in pursuing?

As expected, we found a wide range of interests, equipment and abilities. So where to start?  Several people didn't feel comfortable reading a draft or warping a loom by themselves and certain, we settled on a program that started with the basics--reading a draft and warping a loom. A weaver can't do one without the other. 

Weaving Basics: Warp to Weave

The resulting program started with drafts and progressed through warping a loom. Helena  walked everyone through reading a draft. She included both commonly found types of drafts, American and Swedish. Then we moved on to warping.

We talked about nitty-gritty preparations ranging from how to calculate uptake, etc. through winding a warp, tying a cross, and securing the warp. And as we talked, we did it. 

An interesting point of discussion centered on calculations and was a repeat of a conversation between Helena and me: How to calculate for take-up and shrinkage in a project's width. For years, I've simply added about 15 percent. Online calculators such as Weavolution also use what I'm calling 'the add-on' amount. But another way of calculating the width is to consider the desired width as 85 percent of the total, which would calculate take-up and shrinkage by dividing the total width by 0.85. 

The numbers don't differ a great deal on smaller items, but on a wider piece could be significant. Of course, these calculations aren't necessary if the diligent weaver has made a sample and processed it. Raise your hand if you always do that. I didn't think so.

When it comes to warping a loom, several participants seemed relieved that the process is not an 'either/or.' In fact, there is only one absolute to warping a loom and that is to maintain control of the threads until they're threaded and beamed. 

Personal preference guides whether to warp back-to-front or front-to-back, too. Experienced weavers more commonly start at the back of the loom but that doesn't mean starting at the front is wrong. It's not. 

Shoelaces!

As weavers share, each of us constantly picks up tips or a little trick to make the job easier. For me, it was shoelaces. Tying them on the front beam and using them as connectors makes it easy to adjust tension. Great tip. Thank you, Helena. (Click here to see how one weaver explains it.)

We moved on to demonstrate warping the loom. I had an undressed loom and a wound warp and Helena had brought a loom that was mostly warped so we could move from the getting it on the back beam to threading.

If you're in the South Jersey are, join us on the first Saturday of each month. And if not, look for a guild near you.

Click to access the Warp to Weave handout, which also has links to online resources, including one to a video on warping a loom back-to-front.