I bought a set of tablet weaving cards at the Destin Spin-In, under direction from practically everyone I spoke to…"You do historical re-enactment and you’ve never heard of tablet weaving!?? Go buy a set of cards over there, right now!" So now I’m looking over the class offerings at Gulf Wars  and notice that although I’ll miss the beginner’s class early in the week, I could make the intermediate class on the weekend.  Thing is, if I wasn’t knitting the last of an advanced shawl for Unwind, in the midst of spring garden prep and planting, finishing up some more … Continue reading Tablet Weaving

Shelly at Gaia’s Garden gave me a great idea for a demo piece. She described once seeing a sampler, woven out of many colored threads, each with an attached herb packet that was labeled with the scientific name and info about the plant.  I think this is a fabulous idea, particularly as I can add to it as I go along, and since it’d be soft, it’s not as fragile or cumbersome to pack as a board would be, but I could pin it up anywhere.  Thanks for the idea, Shelly! Continue reading Plant Dyes – Demo Piece

I had a question from Jessica about how to teach yourself to spin. I learned from a woman who, when I commented aloud about a drop spindle kit, "but this doesn’t seem like the sort of thing you can learn from a book", piped up that she would show me.  I don’t think it took more than a couple minutes for me to get the hang of spin/park/draft/travel.  (Thanks, Michelle!)  Now I can do it without parking, which is what you need to handle wheel spinning. However, Jessica doesn’t seem to have the luxury of a spinning teacher in person.  … Continue reading Teach yourself to spin

that had nothing to do with bicycles or gyms.  (Geez.) I taught a drop spindle class at Unwind last Saturday to 6-7? enthusiastic students.  They all did very well, and Sara and I even got a bit of fanmail feedback afterwards.  I’d like to teach some more, but the next one is scheduled on the same day as Festival on the Green, so Sara will take the next one on her own.  I’m going to create a handout for her about the historical aspects, and it occurred to me that such an item would be Very Useful for me to … Continue reading Spinning class

Ann commented in a previous post that the cigar box chakra wheel accessible from the Wikipedia entry was invented by Gandhi, and kindly sent me pictures of older versions of a spindle wheel.  I repeat my offer – if anyone wants to make me something like these, I will exchange fruit of my talents with you. Ann also suggested the following books, some of which I can afford now, and the others I’ll put on my BookMooch wishlist. Spinning Wheels, Spinners, and Spinning by Patricia Baines Linen: Hand Spinning and Weaving , ibid (really want to see this one) Flax … Continue reading Spindle Spinning Wheels, part 2

This is the sort of spindle wheel that Europe imported from Persia/India around 1300.  I don’t think the voluminous folds of the houpelande (c. 1400) would have been as affordable without it.  Here’s a PDF of how to make one out of a cigar box. OFFER: If any woodworking person would make me such a functioning device, I will happily make them a knit garment, such as the Hooded Mantle pattern, in the color of his/her choice.  Or how about a t-tunic?  (Realize I’m not up to cambric shirts, yet, folks.) I want one of these for all future spinning … Continue reading Charkha spinning wheel

I bought a set of 25 cards at the Destin Spin-In for card weaving, mostly because, when I said that I was interested in historical renactment, everyone seemed to say, "So you card weave?"  It’s also apparently called tablet weaving. Here’s some instructions I might follow, from Earth Knack: Stone Age Skills for the 21st Century. Here’s a software pattern generator. With a pattern gallery: Here’s a page about it, with very nice photos. Here’s more, with photos of looms that hold the warp. Here’s a String Page. Continue reading Card Weaving