If you’ve been reading the blog for a while you know I’ve covered a lot of different weaving techniques. Today I wanted to point out some of the techniques that are really great and could come in handy at some point in your weaving. Some techniques can help you add to your weaves when you think you’re stuck, and others are different ways to weave that can help you grow your skills. They might even give you an idea for a new weave. These are techniques that you may have missed:
Weaving with Mohair
Mohair starts with the angora goat. This goat has long and silky hair that is spun up with wool to make mohair yarn. If you’ve ever seen this yarn, you know that it is “furry” and really likes to grab. But it’s also really light and strong. Also, since it has so much grab to it, you can weave a really airy form. I gave it a try once, using mohair for both my warp and my weft. The process was harder then I expected, because the threads didn’t just slide through like I’m used to. But in the end it made a really interesting weave. This is a great thing to try if you’re feeling burnt out and want something new to add to your weaving. Also I wove with just mohair, but you can always use mohair along with other fibers like wool and cotton. I have more details on my process here.
Add Faux Warp Fringe
I came about this technique, when I decided that I liked my weave upside down better then right-side up. The problem was I had extra warp on the bottom of the weave, but not at the top. To change this I added a faux warp fringe to my weave. It’s actually really easy to do, plus the best part is I have used this again with a weave that I made on my smallest loom. The length of the loom is only 5 inches. I wove a weave and wanted it to have a warp fringe, but the weave took up most of the 5 inches of space. So I just added a faux warp fringe, which you can see here. It really made the weave look different (and better in my opinion). If you want to see all the steps to adding a faux fringe, I have them here.
Adding Rya Knots After the Fact
This is another handy technique. Have you ever finished a weave, taken it off the loom, only to find that it looks like something is missing? This has happened to me twice and both times I found that adding some rya knots fixed a weave that was just too “flat” looking once I hung it on the wall. If it sounds hard to add rya knots to an already finished weave, it’s not. It’s actually a little easier, because the weave’s structure is all built up, so you just put the rya knots where you want them. I have more details on how to do this here.
Stick Weaving
Have you tried stick weaving yet? Now that the whether is getting nice, there are plenty of places to look for sticks. Weaving on sticks is pretty fun because it’s a challenge to fit the area that the stick gives you. You have to be a little more flexible in your design. Also I find that the stick makes a really nice frame for the weave. This is another great break for your brain when you’re feeling burnt out on your normal weaving. I have steps on how to warp up a stick and weave on it here.
Sideways Weaves
Have you seen weaves that are woven top to bottom, but then hung sideways? Or maybe you have seen then, but didn’t realize that the process was that simple? I like sideways weaving because it makes you think of your weave differently. You’re weaving in one direction, but planning for the weave to hang in a different direction. Also I find that the finished design is a bit of a surprise. Here is my post on making a sideways weave.
Have you tried any of these techniques? Did any of them help you with a weave you were stuck on? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Happy Weaving!
Kate
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