{week 5} weaving

I do so wish I had a delicious stash of yarn in all colours, textures and styles just begging to be woven into a beautiful piece of art.

But as you know, fibre isn’t really my thing and I can’t knit or crochet despite trying both last year. So I had to pop out and buy lots of yummy yarn today in the local craft store ready for this week’s craft: weaving.

I also raided my ribbon boxes and pulled out a few lengths of ribbon and some hessian string.

To weave, without a fancy loom, all you need is a piece of cardboard, a ruler and some scissors. Cut slots every 1/4 inch at both ends. Choose one of the yarns to be the ‘warp’ threads and wrap it around the cardboard from one end to the other in the slots, securing the ends on the back with some masking tape to keep them out of the way.

Then it’s weaving time.

This may well be easier with a tapestry needle as suggested in this weaving tutorial but I used just my fingers to weave the ‘weft’ yarn alternating over and under the warp threads. Take the thread around the back and then repeat but alternate the over and under – in other words if you started with the thread going over in your last row now start with it going under. Push the threads up to the top as you go.

Leave a few inches of tail yarn when you finish with each. Keep going, mix up your yarns and ribbons however the whim takes you, and enjoy the soothing rhythm of weaving.

When you’re finished, follow the instructions here to tie off the ends and cut the threads off the loom.

I haven’t decided what to do with the finished piece yet, what do you think? My husband suggested framing it.

So, have you done any weaving this week or any other fibre crafts? You can comment here, on Twitter (using the hashtag #52crafts52weeks), or upload it to Facebook or Flickr. Or you can add it via the link tool below.

Flashback: week 5 in year 1 was all about felt.