Weaving Techniques
Weaving
Weaving is an all-embracing experience and involves many senses - tactile (touching and manipulating the yarns and fabrics), auditory (the rhythmic sounds the loom makes); visual (the patterns and textures created); and olfactory (smell of the yarns). The process of weaving gives satisfaction, and allows to refocus energy and transform feelings, such as grief, into an active, fulfilling and transforming practice. Quiet, repetitive movements, clear stages of progression, connection of each consecutive steps provide a weaver with comfort, peace and sense of achievement. When weaving, one needs to be present in the moment, focused on the task at hand and anticipate next steps.
Weaving is a mindful exercise, a healing process.
Double Weave
Double weave is a structure whereas multiple layers of cloth are woven simultaneously. Both layers, one on top, one on the back of the cloth, have their own warp and could share, or have different, weft yarns. Double weave can produce fabrics that are double in width, fabrics that are reversible, and, depending on the sett, fabrics that are thick and have insulating qualities. This technique offers a possibility to create a 3-dimensional cloth with pockets, folds and multiple layers. This method of weaving is slower than weaving a single cloth, and demands more focus and attention from the weaver who ultimately creates 2 sets of fabrics at the same time, without being able to see the surface of one of them while weaving. Double weave process is subject to mathematical rules, which, once understood, allow for construction of complex double cloths.
Pockets
A pocket is created by interchanging the position of the face and the back of the cloth at regular intervals leading to a creation of horizontal pockets. By adding blocks in the design of the cloth, the pockets can be of a different width horizontally and vertically and of different weave structures.
Pleats
Double weave structure allows for horizontal pleats to be woven into the fabric. Threads in one of two (or more) warps are used to create pleats while the other warp forms the ground cloth. The tension of two warps has to be controlled separately - so the warps must be wound on different beams.
Cramming and Spacing
This effect refers to the density of the cloth. Spacing the threads results in open, gauze-like fabrics. Cramming is achieved by a denser sett of threads and creates tight and compact texture.
Floats
A float is a warp or weft thread which doesn’t interlace with the next adjacent yarn but is passing over two or more yarns. A warp float is a result of a warp thread passing over two or more weft threads and a weft float is created by the weft thread passing over two or more warp ends.
