A New Look at an Old Craft
Weaving for the Ages
For thousands of years weaving was the single most efficient way to produce cloth. From the lowliest of rough fabrics, like burlap, to the finest of silks, such as the intricately woven silk kimonos of the geishas, all were produced on looms. Today hand weaving is no longer a necessary craft, but in most cases it has become a pastime, an art and a ritual imbued with a meditation-like series of repetitious movements. A peaceful feeling accompanies weaving. For anyone wanting a vacation from the stress of modern life, escape is as close as the nearest loom.
Choosing a Loom
When it comes to choosing a loom, my philosophy is simple: First, determine your needs—what and how often you will weave—as well as your budget. Countless types of looms are available, most of which are relatively easy to operate. One word of advice: Be sure to try the loom before you buy it. You will want one that is comfortable for you. And whenever possible arrange for a weaving lesson from the person selling you the loom.
Tip: You can comb craigslist or your local classifieds for bargain loom deals. But take an experienced weaver with you before committing to a sale. Also, you can check local community centers for weaving classes—often they have looms available for member use.
Starting a Friendship Blanket
If you are a beginner, my best advice is to select an easy first project. I’ve seen many a new weaver grow frustrated when working on a project that is beyond his or her ability. Remember, you have to walk before you can run.
The friendship blankets Della and her weaving group made for the hospital nursery are a perfect example of an easy project for a beginner. If you think of quilt making and adapt its principles to weaving, this can be made on any loom, from the most simple—such as a frame loom—to the most advanced—such as a computerized loom. Woven friendship blankets are different from most other friendship crafts in one way: Instead of squares, the pieces assembled together generally are strips. This is because weavers make yardage rather than pieces.
However, rules can occasionally be broken (weavers are rebels!). A young weaving student I recently met was working with a frame loom and rather than make the standard long strips, she made squares, just like a quilt. She had to finish the raw edges of each square by weaving them back into the fabric. After completion, the effect was lovely. And each square was so easy and quick that she developed a love of the craft. When I last spoke to her, she was working on a set of place mats—a good moderate-level project that is great for gifting.
Tip: The easiest way to make a frame loom is to go through your attic, find an old picture frame, pop out the glass and voilà! you have a loom.
Assembling Your Friendship Blanket
Important: When you assemble your blanket, you must use the same material as you did to weave your fabric—cotton yarn with cotton weaving, acrylic with acrylic, and so on. My advice is to start with an easy yarn, something with plenty of stretch.
Tip: Although linen is lovely, it has less stretch than most other yarns and therefore is more challenging for a novice.
However you decide to make your friendship blankets, in strips or in squares, the trick to assembling is to lay your pieces on a flat surface, making sure the corners of your blanket are at perfect 180-degree angles. There are a few points to think about:
1. Decide whether you will crochet your pieces together or sew them. Whichever technique you are more comfortable with, the steps remain the same.
2. Make sure your strips are side by side (all the same length within one quarter inch) before you begin.
3. Before assembling, consider putting a row of single crochet along the strips, using the same color used for the strips. This is in no way necessary; it’s just another way to embellish your design. Also, the seams will be that much less visible when using a matching color. Edging a large number of strips can be a time-consuming task, though, so you might prefer to assemble without edging, using an assembly method like a single-crochet join, which would become a part of the design.
4. If you assemble without edging, consider using a contrasting color when connecting your blanket, the same one throughout. This could be a nice added decoration to your work.
5. You can sew strips together with wrong sides facing, or right sides facing, depending on the look you want. You could also alternate wrong side, right side for a different look. Lay the strips side by side and work the stitches on top where you can actually see what is happening as you go.
6. Line your stitches up. If you crocheted or sewed three stitches in your corners, you might begin with the center stitch of each strip to assemble. Also, if your strips were done at different times, or are made of pieces contributed by different people, you may have to adjust for larger or smaller pieces. You might have to skip a stitch in some places or put two stitches in another. Skipping a stitch may leave a hole in your piece, so you want to avoid this as much as possible. Try to get your strips to line up for a pleasing finishing effect. I find it helpful to use the joining between strips as a guide, so they are not off center. If you yourself are edging each strip, you can count the stitches and keep the same number on every strip before you get to the assembly.
7. Once your blanket is assembled, you will want to machine-wash it. Washing will shrink and tighten the material.
Tip: Throwing some color-absorbing sheets into the wash will stop the colors from ruining anything else you’ve added to the load.
8. Lay the blanket flat to dry. Finish with a quick ironing and your blanket will be ready to use and enjoy for years to come.
About the Author
Carol Ann Martin is an author and former television personality who divides her time between San Diego and the Canadian coast. She lives with her husband and an ever-expanding collection of dogs. When she is not writing, Carol Ann enjoys baking and beekeeping.
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