Warped Weekend
Looking for a way to use up some odds and ends of handspun? Why not weave a scarf!!
My handspun was dyed in rather vivid colours using food colouring and other commercial dyes. There was not enough of it to make into mittens or a hat, but the perfect amount for the weft of a scarf. I chose a black warp (Cascade 100% wool), which toned down the other colours quite a bit.
shuttle
I chose to do a plain tabby (over and under) weave to show off the colours of the weft. I love watching how the colours blend into each other, and how there is no real pattern, but since it was all from the same dye lot it all blends anyway. My loom is a Leclerc 4 shaft table loom. I got it second hand a few years ago, and have made a few scarves and placemats.
To start weaving, I’d recommend contacting your local weaver’s and spinners guild and asking about their class schedule. If you are interested in simple weaving you can consider a rigid heddle loom or knitters loom. This allows you to lift and lower selected threads to create the weave structure. There is only one heddle/shaft that you manually raise/lower.
 rigid heddle loom |
 table loom |
For more complex patterns, a 4 shaft table loom offers more variety in patterns. Depending on how the loom is threaded, more complex patterns are available. The heddles/shafts are raised and lowered by pushing the levers on the right side of the frame. These looms often cost more money, but if you check craig’s list, kijiji or e-bay you can get a good deal on a used loom.
