... like another hole in my head

Guess what I'm learning to do.



This is inkle weaving. Yes, I needed another fiber arts hobby. No, really, I did. There's no such thing as 'too many' fiber arts hobbies.

Several years ago I got interested in learning one of two SCA-popular weaving techniques - inkle weaving, or tablet (card) weaving. I chose tablet weaving, I think because there were fewer limitations on what you could weave. I also know that inkle looms were expensive ($60 or more), but a tablet weaving loom I could - and did - make myself.

Fewer limitations also means far more complex to learn. I had some mildly limited luck with my beginning tablet weaving, but also earned myself a high level of frustration, and put all of my tablet weaving supplies away for a long while - I hadn't given up, but I just wasn't ready to tackle it again any time soon.

The Dread Reverend was cleaning out some stuff from his former residence this weekend, and brought home an inkle loom. The only thing missing on it was the tensioning bar, which he easily made in his woodshop. I decided this was cool, I'd like to try this. I did some research online, found some crochet cotton I had in my stash, and set to work.

Here's what I've gotten done so far.



The right edge is just a tiny bit wonky because I wasn't pulling my weft thread as tight on that side as on the left. Just needs a bit of practice.

I really like this! It was far simpler to set up this loom for inkle weaving than it ever was to set up a tablet weaving loom. While the designs in plain inkle weaving may be somewhat more limited than in tablet weaving, it's still weaving, and you can still make quite nice, colorful designs. Progress ensues very quickly. It's my new little addiction.

There are more advanced techniques - "pick up" weaving - which enables one to make more complex patterns. That's nice. I'll try that some day soon. But not immediately. I learned my lesson from tablet weaving - trying to jump ahead to the advanced techniques too fast, before I'd mastered the basics, is partly what killed my interest in tablet weaving, at least temporarily, a few years ago. I'd still like to try it again some day, but ... not just yet.

So I'm content to produce nice little bands of inkle weaving for the time being ... I'm already studying how to make my own designs. Yes, that is (again) what messed up my tablet weaving, but tablet weaving is far more complex than this. I spent most of yesterday evening studying how patterns translate to the finished band design in inkle weaving, and it's not nearly as complex. There are only two pattern rows to work with in any plain weaving design - two rows are all you have to 'design' when making up your own pattern, then those two rows just repeat ... kind of hard to screw up. I'm sure that by studying some already existing patterns, and paying attention, I can begin to create some simple patterns of my own soon.

This stuff will be great for trim on garb, because it's light and thin, and flexible for sewing around necklines, etc. And even if my patterns aren't the most complex things in the world, I can choose my own colors.

Ahhh ... string, made into things. What could be better?