Weaving on stick loom and hairpin lace tool

Yesterday, I reviewed Jane Patrick’s wonderful book: Time To Weave.

In ‘Time To Weave’, she has a project (with variations) that uses a peg or stick loom.

She made her weaving sticks by cutting lengths of aluminum tubing.

I was pleased to see that she had included the stick loom in the book, as it’s a small loom that has lots of creative potential.

Seeing her version of the stick loom reminded me that it was something that I had been exploring about a year or so ago.

So, I went and dug out my version of the stick loom.

(Well, to be perfectly honest, I tore the studio apart, because I could only find half of it.

The search for the other half was VERY rewarding so it was a big win-win, even though I had a minor fit at not being able to find it at first).

Anyhow, I found it (and some other really good stuff) and all is well….

I am a dyed in the wool ‘gadgeteer’…

and I am fascinated by the potential of

working in a ‘cross currents’ kind of way….

using a tool in multiple ways to create

interesting textiles.

One little tool that is a great multi-tasker is the Clover Hairpin Lace Tool, with 6 extra pegs or pins, for a total of 9 pins or sticks…

(Yes, I know, there are only 6 pins in the photo…. the other 3 are in the box)    I know that someone would look at the photo and scratch their head, thinking: Um, can’t Noreen count to 6? Why is she talking about 9 pins? 

Okay, now that that is settled…

To buy it with all 9 pins, go to Lacis.com

and  type ‘ Stick Loom LF 82 ‘

into their search box.

They are the only vendor that

I have seen with the full 9 pins.

Joann’s has a 3 pin version.

Lacis also has the more usual stick loom with dowels.

Basically, the stick loom holds warp strands, as tails, and you weave the weft on the sticks,

then slide it off the sticks and down onto the tails.

I am working on a set of placemats, and am playing with different ways of trimming the edges.

It struck me that stick loom woven bands would be a great way to finish an edge, so I decided to experiment.

Years ago, I wove with a bunch of darning needles

held together as a stick loom.

I thought… hey! I have 6 plastic weaving needles….

why don’t I try weaving with them?

So I cut lengths of warp strands

and threaded them into the needles.

and filled them up with weaving….

It seemed like a good idea at the time….

but…

the great big eyes

on the needles

turned it

into a very bad idea.

Erg.

I had to squeeeeeeeeeeeee, honk and

scrape to get the weft off the needles.

So… scratch the plastic weaving needles with big eyes. One of them has a nice slender eye. The weft slipped off it lickety split. The others clung to the weft like there was no tomorrow.

Darning needles with inline eyes work great especially if you can find somewhat longish ones.  But for now….

It’s back to working

with the Clover Hairpin Lace loom.

This time with just 3 pins,

as I only want the woven band

to be about an inch wide.

Insert the warp strands

into the eye of the pin,

bring the ends together and

tie a knot. Repeat across.

Now, go back and forth, under over the pins, weaving yarn onto them until you have a couple of inches woven.

Then, pull the pins

out of the base,

and slide the weaving down

the tails of warp,

until you have all the

weaving slipped down

off the pins.

Insert the pins back into the holes in the base.

Tug the warp ends

gently to bring

the weaving to the base.

And there you go…

carry on for the desired

length of your

band.

When you are done, tie or braid the ends.

Voila! a nifty woven band on the stick loom!