You can download this class handout by clicking this sentence.
Beginning Double-Faced Tablet Weaving
Taught by Temair ingen
Muiredaich at Pennsic on 8/1/18
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A card woven fabric is generally called a warp-faced
fabric because the warp is the dominant thread in such a material. The weft show only slightly, and usually it
is just at the edge of the material.
Once in a while it does show other places in the fabric, but usually not
enough to affect the fabric. In such a
fabric, the weft or cross threads serve primarily as a binder. These fabrics are incredibly strong
lengthwise, because they are created by the twisting of the threads on each
card together as one thread.
Materials:
à
Cards or
Tablets:
Cards come in a number of shapes and sizes. They can be square, triangular or hexagon
shaped and usually vary from 2 to 6 inches in width with 3.5” being the most
common. Generally, the larger the cards,
the wider the opening is where your weft threads have to pass through. Make sure that you use cards that are all the
same size. You can purchase cards
without rounded corners or with. Rounded
corners catch your threads less and maneuver better. You will also notice that the cards have a
hole punched in each corner. On 3.5”
cards, the holes in the 4 corners are usually ¼” to 3/8” in diameter and about
½” or ¾” from the edges and have smooth edges. If you decide to make your own cards, it is
important not to get the holes too close to the edges or the warp will tangle
as you turn the cards. Cards can be made
out of any hard, thin material. If the cards are too thick, it will affect your
weaving and make it difficult to turn them as a single unit.
Each square card has 4 holes labeled A-B-C-D beginning at the top right
and proceeding clockwise. The top of the
card is the edge labeled "D-A". You can number the cards consecutively to make
threading and knowing which cards to turn easier. Many commercial cards come colored along each
side for this reason.
Example Card
à
Shuttles:
- Bobbin or boat shuttles are too large for the shed we will be
making. If you decide to use a larger
loom and a lot of cards, then a boat shuttle may be more appropriate.
- Stick shuttles are most commonly used for card weaving. A simple shuttle can be made by using a
wooden ruler. If there is a metal edge,
pull it out, then cut indentations into the two ends for the weft thread.
The shuttle should have some kind of tapered edge to use as a
beater. If not, you will need some kind
of a tapered edge beater to beat the weft threads tightly together in the warp.
PintrestPintrest
Pintrestà
Loom:
It is important that tension be maintained in order to get a neat edge
and you must be able to “advance” your work.
Many people start out clamping their work to a stationary object such as
a chair or table. You can use a
“backstrap” loom which utilizes a belt and a wooden dowel. You will find many people prefer an inkle
loom or a box card weaving loom. The
looms we’re using today are simple PVC pipe looms with clamps to hold our work. Get creative!
à
Thread:
There are so many yarns and threads that you can use. Crochet thread is a common thread to start
with because it comes in a large variety of sizes and colors and is easy to
work with (no felting or pilling). You
can use cotton, linen, wool, silk, ramie, jute and other threads. What you use will depend greatly on what you
are making, the size you are making and what the final use of the fabric will
be. Larger threads are easier to use and
go faster, but the finer threads produce a beautiful fabric and can be more
“period”. When recreating certain
patterns, take into consideration what it will be attached to, if it will be a
daily wear or special occasion outfit, and the type of cleaning that will be
required.
A general rule of thumb is to use the same size thread for your warp as your weft. Slightly finer is OK, but if your weft is too heavy, it can affect the edges and the fabric may become lumpy. While varying the weft can be a cool effect it is also good to keep in mind that the pattern effects will be lengthened or shortened by varying the thread sizes. Also be sure that the colors you choose produce the effect you want. Many colors that look great on a cone will blend together somewhat when woven. To see how the colors work together take a strand of each color you would like to use and twist them lightly together. If you see the swirl pattern distinctly then you will see the finished pattern, if the colors are hard to tell apart then your pattern will be very subtle. Either style is valid and can be lovely, but this way you can be sure you will like the effect before you start to weave.
Warping:
How you warp your threads will depend on the type of tensioner or loom
you are using and the pattern.
à Threaded-In Warp: Each card is tied off individually, meaning it can take longer to prepare and be more challenging to keep the tension even, but can create lovely and intricate patterns with little effort. This method is great for stylized florals, knot work, or animals, and is very common in Viking tablet weaving. The more intricate the colors used, the more likely you will have to use this method.
à Continuous Warp: The various cards are not tied off individually but instead are 4 single long threads with a single knot. This allows for a faster warp and easier time managing tension while warping. This method is excellent for geometric patterns (stripes, diagonal lines, chevrons) and later Medieval patterns. This is a super-fast way to warp an inkle loom for simple double-faced weaving.
Threading and Pattern Reading:
Patterns are dependent upon two things: color choice and the manner or
sequence in which you turn the cards.
While this class is more of a hands-on quick-start to get you
comfortable with simple designs and turning, here’s a brief overview of threading
and pattern reading:
From Pintrest
Threading the cards correctly can be a difficult task in the more complex
patterns. A ‘Z’ threaded card will
appear to have the threads go into the front or printed side of the card and
come out the back or blank side of the card.
An ‘S’ threaded card will appear to have the threads go into the back or
blank side of the card and come out the front or printed side of the card.
To Thread the Cards:
Hold card #1 so that the writing faces to your left and thread the card
with the colors indicated on the pattern grid. Thread from the side with the
writing. Pull the threads through about 12 inches and then tie the 4 threads
together (or tie them to the loom if you are using one). If not using a loom,
then tie all the threads into a bundle once the cards are all threaded.
Once the cards have been threaded, you need to comb the warp. Pick up the
cards and gently pull them through to the other end of the warp, untangling any
snags as you go. Be careful not to pull the cards all the way off the threads
at the other end. If using a loom, now is the time to secure the other ends,
otherwise tie this end in a knot like you did the first end.
If you are tying your warp to stationary objects (like a pair of
"C" clamps on a board or table or between yourself and a door knob)
tie a string around each knot and use that to secure the warp to the object.
The shed is the open space created by the threads between the holes. Turn
the cards as one unit a quarter turn. See how the shed changes? This is how you
create different patterns by turning the cards in different directions.
The weft thread is the thread that passes back and forth through the shed
after each rotation of the cards.
Draft patterns will usually have 4 rows labeled A, B, C, D or 1, 2, 3,
4. Each letter represents a single
thread of warp. So, the top letter
represents the color you place in the letter A hole, the second from the top
goes into the B hole, etc. The arrow
direction at the top tells you if the card will be threaded from front to
back. The numbers along the bottom
indicate the number of cards you need for the pattern.
So for our draft pattern here:
Card 1 is white in A B C & D with the cards threaded ‘Z’. Card 2 is all black with the cards also
threaded ‘Z’.
|
|
Z |
Z |
Z |
Z |
Z |
Z |
Z |
Z |
Z |
|
A |
W |
B |
W |
B |
W |
B |
W |
B |
W |
|
B |
W |
B |
W |
B |
W |
B |
W |
B |
W |
|
C |
W |
B |
W |
B |
W |
B |
W |
B |
W |
|
D |
W |
B |
W |
B |
W |
B |
W |
B |
W |
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
Using a white weft and turning the cards ¼ turn forward all the time, you will get a striped or box effect. NOTE: Use an odd number of cards (so you have matching white edges) and continue alternating B & W to get the width you need. Usually the pattern will say what colors the B & W stand for – in our draft the B can be black or blue and the W white.
If you choose to do this pattern, you would build up a lot of twist in the warp strings if you did not reverse your turning direction occasionally. In order to switch between moving forwards and backwards with this pattern without disrupting the pattern wait until you have woven the first half of the strip (one turn) and then immediately reverse direction. This will keep the stripes the same size. The other advantage to reversing the pattern is that it prevents too much twist from building up along the rest of your warp.
If you were going to weave an entire piece in this pattern by turning it exclusively forward I would recommend changing the threading pattern somewhat, either by threading the pattern half S half Z (SSSSSZZZZZ or reversed), alternating (SZSZSZSZSZ), or another variation (SSZZSSZZSS). If an entire band is threaded all in one direction and turned forward or backwards exclusively it can make the finished piece tend to twist somewhat.
4. Adding a New
Weft Thread
If you are making a short band (garters) you may complete an entire project using the single weft thread that you start with on your shuttle. However, for longer projects you will need to be able to switch weft threads. Do this by removing the weft from the shuttle, leaving 4-8 inches at the end of your old weft thread out the side of your band after passing through the shed but before you turn the deck. Now rewind your shuttle with the new weft thread and pass it through in the same direction of the old weft. Turn the cards once. Now bring back the old weft thread by hand as well as the new weft thread on the shuttle together. Trim the old weft thread so that the tail is within the width of the band and not hanging out. Turn the cards. You can now weave as normal with the new weft.
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Economy card weaving looms for the class:
These are
the PVC looms I made at Pennsic just for this class. I used 1/2" PVC pipe - 2 pieces 24", 4 pieces 6" and 2 pieces 4", all cut with hack saw plus
eight elbow pieces. I then used PVC glues to make them a bit stronger. The
cost was around $15/loom at the time.
I bought and cut all the pieces ahead of time and put them together at
Pennsic to save space during transportation.
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Notes:
All pictures found on Pinterest (except the looms in front of my tent). Pinterest in fascinating and a bane of my existence. I rarely seem to be able to follow a picture off the site and get to the original article. So with that said, pictures marked with “Pinterest” are not my pictures, I make no claim to them, if the original owner is known and wants them removed from the handout, please contact me and it will be done immediately.
Links:
Guntram's Tabletweaving Page http://www.guntram.co.za/tabletweaving/index.htm This is an incredible website for patterns, as well as
other information on card-weaving.
“Cardweaving Made Easy” at The Renaissance
Tailor http://www.renaissancetailor.com/demos_cardweaving.htm This
page has a lovely guide to a simple and pretty threaded in pattern.
The Cardweaving Riff http://www.earthguild.com/products/riff/rcdweave.htm This has instructions for people looking to use the backstrap method to card weave without a loom.
“How to Card-Weave Letters, Numbers, or Designs” at Elena’s Threads https://sites.google.com/site/elenasthreads/card-weaving/double-faced-handout This is Elena’s handout on how to perform double-faced weaving to create letters, runes, or images. The pattern page to accompany it is https://sites.google.com/site/elenasthreads/card-weaving/my-card-weaving-patterns
Books:
Atwater, Mary Meigs. Byways in Hand Weaving MacMillian, 1954.
Collingwood, Peter. The Techniques of Tablet Weaving. Robin and Russ Handweavers, 1982. This is generally considered to be one of the most comprehensive books on historical tablet weaving and includes pattern diagrams for many period patterns
Crockett, Candace. Card Weaving. Loveland, Co: Interweave Press 1973/1991 This is designed more as an introduction to card weaving but does include period images as well as modern designs for a variety of patterns and weaving styles.
Crowfoot, Elisabeth et. al. Textiles and Clothing c.
1150-c. 1450. Medieval Finds from Excavations in London, 4. London: HMSO,
1992.
Katz, Ruth J. Card Weaving Van Nostrand Reinhold, Co. 1977.
Russell, Elfleda. Off Loom Weaving Little Brown & Co, 1975
Snow, Marjorie and William. Step by Step Tablet Weaving Golden Press 1973.
Spies, Nancy. Ecclesiastical Pomp and Circumstance Arelate Studio, Jarrettsville, Maryland 21084, 2000.
Other Resources:
Pine Box Traders - Warping http://www.rocknbead.com/wshed/cardwarppics.htm The page is designed by a merchant who sells lovely looms, but this specific link provides pictures and instructions on how to warp an inkle or card loom using the continuous warp method.
SCA Card-Weaving Yahoo Group https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/SCA-Card-Weaving/info This in an excellent group with many knowledgeable, friendly people and excellent resources in their links and files.
Contact Info:
Temair ingen Muiredaich can be contacted on
Facebook or via e-mail at temairmuiredaich@gmail.com
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