Patchwork weaving is a term used by the team at WeaveKnitIt.co.uk to describe their use of fabric made on pin looms: combining the units into larger pieces in a similar way to piecing together fabric in traditional patchwork. The results are stunning, often reminiscent of tweeds. We met the Weaveknitit team at the Waltham Abbey Wool Fair in January this year and I was so inspired by their results that I took the opportunity of a trip to Derbyshire to take a workshop with them in their lovely studio in Ambergate. Here I learned to use square and triangle looms and had a chance to see more of their work. Here they have used a diamond-shaped loom to create stars and tumbling blocks for a large blanket. You can also make garments or accessories. For example, large triangular looms can be used to make a shawl with just 3 blocks. Pin loom weaving itself is not a new process. The only tools needed are a loom made of a stout wooden frame with small nails or pins inserted along each edge at regular intervals, a hook such as a crochet hook to aid with weaving the wider portions and a large-holed tapestry needle to use when joining pieces. In this case we were weaving diagonally across each loom. You start with yarn laid across the widest part of the loom and then feed the yarn in a loop from one side to the other, securing your yarn on the pins as you reach each side. When working diagonally the warp and weft are formed as you work, with no need to create the warp first, and you can usually cover most of the loom with just your fingers doing the weaving, using a hook when the fabric is at its widest. It is a great way to make really good use of ends of skeins and with hand-spun yarn, in particular, you can showcase the beauty of the yarn with the nature of the weaving process creating symmetrical designs in each block. Each block is quick to construct and very satisfying.
Deb Cunningham Comments are closed.
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