If you’ve been itching to try your hands at a new hobby, why not give weaving a try?
This centuries-old craft is surprisingly straightforward to learn and not only can the finished results be beautiful, it’s just the sort of soothing and calming thing to do in front of the telly. Tara’s showing you how to get started and the techniques involved in creating a stunning wall hanging.
If you’ve been dying to make your own textural weave and don’t want to spend five hours sitting down to make one then this is the one for you! Using chunky yarns and these specific stitches, you can fill your loom in less than half the time it usually takes to make a medium wall hanging. This design can easily be customized to fit with your home’s colours.
Gather your supplies
- 64 x 19mm x 1.8m pine
- String
- Chunky yarn
- Textured yarn
You’ll also need
Drill; hammer; ruler; marking pen; nails; needle-nose pliers; wide-tooth comb
Here’s how
Step 1
Cut 4 lengths of timber using a saw to make a rectangular frame. Position ends on long sides and join using a drill and 2 screws in each corner, checking for square as you go.
TIP: Predrill a pilot hole so you don’t split the timber when screwing pieces together.
Step 2
Use a ruler to mark every 10mm in a straight line on the loom top and base (short ends of frame) with a marker pen. Use needle-nose pliers to hold nails in place while you hammer them into the frame.
Step 3
To create your warp, tie a knot around the first nail in the upper corner with string. Then, keeping tension in the string, take it down to the first nail at the base of the loom, wrap around first and second nail, take back to top of loom and around second and third nail.
Step 4
Go back down to base and wrap around the third and fourth nail. Keeping the same tension, repeat until loom is strung, then knot string at the last nail on base. Cut string with a 4cm tail.
Step 5
At loom base on left outer warp, make a half-hitch knot. Pick up warp with middle finger, hook string around your pointer finger and bring over top of warp and under so it comes under the loop created. Then take string over and under each warp to other side.
Step 6
Come back, going over and under warps, using a comb to help you. Weave several rows. This is the weft.
Step 7
For rya knots (tassels at weave base), work out fringe length and double it. Cut about 5 lengths of 12 ply yarn, and take under 2 warps with centre at back. Pass both lengths behind warps and bring through centre underneath head of knot. Carefully pull into position. For next rya knot, pick up adjoining 2 warps. Continue along base. Push rya knots down with comb. Trim tassels straight or on an angle.
Step 8
For basic weaving, hitch on yarn of choice. With your fingers, pick up every second warp and feed weft under. Create a hill with weft and push down. Leave weft loose so you don’t weave too tight and edges start to pull in.
Step 9
Four soumak (braided) weaving, tuck end of yarn of choice between outer and next warp with a 10cm tail on back. Skip 2 warps, then wrap yarn over top and around fourth warp. Continue and you’ll see a stair-step pattern. Gently push down to rest on rya knots. At end, wrap yarn around outer warp twice to build up height for next row. Continue soumak and it will slant in opposite direction, creating braided pattern. Tuck tail around outer warp and go over, under and behind. Trim to 10cm.
Step 10
Add more basic weaving, soumak and rya knots to weaving, finishing with a section of basic. Snip warp strings at base; tie off.
Step 11
Cut warp strings at loom top and tie off, then tie over dowel.
You might also like:
How to make a woven table runner
How to revamp your old woven baskets
Tara meets weaving wonder Natalie Miller
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