yarnworker

Yarnworker's Winter 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. 

This is the second time we will tackle twill. In a previous weave-along, we explored how to pick-up any twill in front of the heddle to create borders. In this version, the School Patrons voted to weave the Tweed and Twill Pillow Cover from Handwoven Home. 

This oversized pillow was designed for serious lounging. The fabric is a 1/3 twill woven with two heddles in a hearty wool to create a classic tweed fabric for a pillow cover. 

I’ll offer some adaptations for using a single heddle, which is best used to weave a narrower version of the project. The pattern is highly adaptable in width, length, and sett. During registration week, I will offer you a few tips on modifying the project. 

The finishing on this fabric highlights two of my personal loves about the woven form—decorative seams and showy fringe. A bonus with this finishing approach is the majority of your selvedges are going to be encased in decorative stitching, so you don’t have to worry that much about making them tidy. The wrapped fringe makes the finish smoother than knotting.

Experience Level

This weave-along is designed for an advanced beginner. I assume that you have already woven a few projects, can warp your loom without assistance, have a basic understanding of weaving terminology, and are ready for a challenge.

The Pattern

Tweed and Twill Pillow Cover from Handwoven Home (affiliate link). You need the book to refer to the full pattern. Available in softcover or as a Kindle edition (affiliate link). The education portion of the weave-along is totally free, but my publisher would frown on me if I posted the pattern. If you are adventurous, the techniques shown here could be adapted to the materials you have on hand without needing a specific pattern. 

Equipment

As written, you need a rigid-heddle loom with at least a 23” weaving width, two 5-dent rigid-heddle reeds, 2 stick shuttles, a pick-up stick at least 25’’ long, preferably over 1” wide. Optional: 25” rod or stick. Single heddle option will use a single 5-dent rigid-heddle, 2 heddle rods, 2 shuttles, and a pick-up stick. The single heddle version is recommended for narrower widths.

This pattern is easily adaptable to your available weaving width and heddle options. Check out the information during registration week for more information about yarn selection, heddle size, and project adaptations. 

I personally find the 5-dent heddles very versatile, and they provide a beginner-friendly way to get started using two heddles because you can really see the interlacement and the fabric works up quickly. We used the same set-up for the Hudson Bay Inspired Throw Weave-Along if you have a big throw on your project list.

Yarn

The original pattern uses Fancy Tiger Crafts Heirloom Romney, a breed-specific wool from a shop and producer I greatly respect. 

Since I wrote Handwoven Home, I’ve re-discovered a Suffolk yarn that I’ve long had my eye on using in a project, and it would also work up well in this format. I worked with Gist Yarn & Fiber and Mountain Meadow Wool to create yarn bundles for pre-sale for this weave-along. We had to get our order in early to get enough yarn dyed for the project. There are a limited number of bundles left and you can also order individual skeins. Patrons will receive a small discount off of the large bundle; check out this post for details.

Yarn Amounts

Large pillow as written is 21.5 x 21.5 inch pillow with an 8” flap, you will need 520 yds (475 m) in green for warp and 285 yds (261 m) in yellow for weft of a 2-ply bulky-weight or heavy worsted wool, 800 yds (732 m)/lb.

For those who only have 15-inch looms, you could weave a small 12 x 12 inch version using approximately 230 yds warp and 90 yds weft.

In general, weaving with two heddles creates a bit more loom waste than a single heddle. The pattern allows for 24” of loom waste, some of which is used for the fringe.  If this is your first time working with two heddles, you may want to add additional warp length to give yourself a bit of cushion. 

Also the Suffolk yarn I’m recommending has more bounce than the Romney yarn used in the pattern. See handout in registration materials for more information.

Schedule

January 29: Registration link available, welcome information, tips on selecting yarns and modifying the pattern, and getting ready to warp.

February 5: Warp

February 12: Weave

February 19: Finish

February 26: Show and Share!

Don’t worry if you can’t stick to this schedule. There is no getting behind. 

I host the weave-alongs at the Yarnworker School of Weaving, a community-funded, virtual classroom for rigid-heddle weavers.

As long as you are registered pre-2021, you have access 24/7 to this information for as long as you like. 

After 2021: They are free until 30 days after the conclusion of the weave-along. 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