yarnworker

Yarnworker's Spring 2020 weave-along has concluded. Thanks to all for weaving along! 

You are welcome to register for a small fee, review all the material, and see the questions that have been asked and answered, although I won't be answering any new questions.

Please join us for a future weave-along. They are free while active and always free for patrons of the Yarnworker School who have access to a private forum for ongoing questions.

Here is more information about this weave-along. 

Weave-Along Info

Fulled fabrics are so much fun. You get all the joy of weaving without worry, then throw the fabric in the washing machine to shrink it. Taken to its extreme the yarns fuse into felt-like fabric. 

The resulting cloth can be used in any way your imagination takes you—wearables, accessories, stuffed animals*, sachets, pincushions, coasters, trivets, ornaments, soft sculptures, travel mug sleeves, patchwork blankets, etc.

Spring brings shearing season, so it seems like a perfect time to dive into wool and wool-like fibers. If you are allergic to sheep’s wool, fulling works with a wide variety of other protein fibers such as llama, alpaca, Angora, and the like. We will be weaving a set of coasters that allow you to get a taste for the great potential of this technique.

Read on for the who, what, when, and where. 

WHO

This weave-along is appropriate for beginners. I assume you know how to warp your loom and are familiar with basic weaving terminology.

WHAT

We will weave a set of 4-inch coasters. I’ll provide a pattern for a set of coasters along with fulling and finishing tips. I’ll also share other ways you can use this technique to create a variety of projects. 

There is no cost to register for the weave-alongs while they are active and you have free access to the information until we start the next weave-along. After that time, you will either need to pay a small fee or become a Patrons to gain continued access to this and all previous weave-alongs.

Equipment

Rigid-heddle loom with at least an 8" weaving width; 8-dent rigid heddle; 1 shuttle.

Yarn

2 colors of worsted- or DK-weight non-superwash wool (wool that will shrink in the wash). I’ll be using Brown Sheep Prairie Spun for demonstration. 

Warp Yardage 100 yd (about 50 yd of 2 different colors)

Weft Yardage 80 yd (same or multiple colors, each coaster uses about 15 yds of weft)

This is a great opportunity to use up some of your partial balls of yarn. Although I won’t be covering colorwork specifically, you can mix your colors in warp and weft for different effects. 

This technique is dependent on the miraculous properties of wool. I understand that there are folks who prefer not to work with wool or have sensitivities to wool and other protein fibers. In this one case, there isn’t really a good alternative to create this project. 

WHEN

Registration gets underway April 14, 2021. Hop on the Yarnworker mailing list to be emailed the link directly when it is ready. Patrons will always get notifications first.

Schedule 

April 14: Registration and pattern link available, welcome information, tips on selecting yarns and modifying the pattern.

April 21: Warp

April 28: Weave

May 5: Finish

May 12: Share!

WHERE

I host the weave-alongs at the Yarnworker School of Weaving, a community-funded, virtual classroom for rigid-heddle weavers. There is no charge for the weave-alongs, and the pattern is offered on a name-your-price offering. For more information about the Yarnworker Weave-Alongs and School, check out this FAQ.

A big shout out to all the Patrons who keep these weave-alongs going. Patron producers get a vote in what we weave next.

Heddles Up!

Liz

*These types of projects are not appropriate for babies or toddlers.