Well, we had a new course, called 'entwined' (a two week course) which i got through the sign up system (you log onto the website they provide you and be fast enough to get the course of your choice by opting for it before the seats for that particular course run out). Entwined, ended up being a weaving and knitting course.
As such, i can't say that i'm interested in textiles - i mean, i do love braiding (friendship bands <3), but i wasn't exactly sure about the whole 'textile' department. This course gave me an insight into what the textile department is - not 'just' fabric, but something that can be a whole lot more, that we can take it as far as we want to and not just stop where most do - when you learn the basics.
So, textiles is a whole lot more than what i'll be touching up on, but it does give you a general gist of where we're heading if we wanted to go in for textiles.
The class had been divided in 2 and i was part of the knitting section, while the other half was part of the weaving section.
I admit that i was dreading it... you see, a few years back, my grandmom used to knit regularly and i was often curious as to what she was doing. i could never quite get the hang of it though... i used to mess up either the steps of the loops would slip out of the needles.
What i learnt then was that we would be working on a 'round loom'. These are some examples:
This was the second loom we made - from an embroidery ring into which we drilled holes and fitted screws. after we covered the screws with tape, we could use it, however, it was extremely uncomfortable to use since the screws did not have a flat surface - making it hard to make the 'stitches' (i will explain it below).
This was the third loom i made. the increase in the number of 'pegs' (the ice-cream sticks) was to make a 'finished product. the increase in the number of pegs helps decrease the number of gaps between your stitches, meaning that you can make a product that looks like a hand made product at stores. this loom has 64 pegs, which i used to make a hat.
This was the first loom i made and the loom i'm most comfortable with. I realized then that some thing you should keep in mind while making a hand made loom is that
1: It fits comfortably in your hand and lap.
2: The 'pegs' should be a smooth flat surface to aid the removal or manipulation of thread.
3: The top of the pegs should preferably be smooth so that the thread does not get caught
4: the loom 'frame' should not bend or break when you apply slight pressure during manipulation of thread.
These are some of the more commonly used stitches in most products (from shawls to shrugs and even gloves) :
This one is called the E- stitch:
Note that when you begin, you start clockwise unless the tutorial your following asks you to do otherwise.
First, you take your 'working thread' (the thread connected to your ball of yarn or wool) and loop it around the first peg starting from the back as in the image.
The most important thing to remember is that when making you 'new' loop using the working thread, the loop should always be above the old loop or the existing loop.
When you complete this loop, you continue by winding it around the second peg.
You continue to loop your working thread around your pegs until you return to your starting peg (make sure you loop around your starting peg as well and that each peg has only two loops).
After this, you use a 'crochet' needle or a yarn needle (it'll be your best friend if you work a lot) and pick up the 'old' loop or the existing loop and pull it over the new loop you made.
Note that after you have placed you old loop over your new loop (the old loop will now be disconnected from the peg) you will need to finish the whole round and repeat the process from the beginning.
This is a product i made solely using the E-stitch:
The tassels at the end are not something that i made by 'fraying the edges' they're made by taking cut up pieces of thread and tying them or knotting them at the end of the shawl.
Photo credit: Mini Shibu
This one is called the U-stitch:
This stitch is really simple and one of my favorites, since it makes the entire product 'compact' (very little spaces between the lines of stitches and the stitches themselves).
You take your working thread and place it above your old loop. Using your yarn/crochet needle, you pick up the old loop and pull it above the thread (so that the old loop had no more association with the peg), you will then notice that because of how the old loop was pulled off the peg, over the working thread that was placed, a loop had formed by itself. To make it neat and compact, you simply need to tug/pull on the working thread lightly.
This is a product i'm currently making using the U-stitch:
Photo credit: Mini Shibu
The stitch as you can see, is a bit more compact than the E stitch.
This next stitch is called the Purl stitch:
This stitch is a little complicated, in terms of execution, but otherwise very simple.
Take your working thread under your old loop and make sure to hold it there. Then take your yarn/crochet needle and put it under the old loop and reach for the working thread below. Once you have your working thread, you simply pull it up and out of the old loop.
Once you do so, you will have 2 loops - one of the peg and one in the loop. you pick up both the loops over the peg (so that it has no association with the peg anymore) and once done make sure to place the new loop (the loop that was withing the old loop) onto the peg.
To make the stitch neat, you simply tug/pull on your working thread.
This stitch is called the Half-stitch:
This stitch is used only when you require to 'backtrack' or continue anti clockwise on your loom.
You take your working thread behind and in front of the peg where you need to start going anti clockwise.
Make sure that this remains above your old loop. Once your working thread is in place, you pull the old loop over the working thread and the peg (so it no longer has any relation to the peg) and pull you working string so that the stitch is neat. You will notice that upon completion your working thread will now face the anticlockwise direction, in which case you've done it correctly.
This hat is a product i made using the E-stitch, Purl-stitch, U-stitch and 'Rib stitch' on the 64 peg loom:
Photo credit: Mini Shibu
Note: The rib stitch I've used has a pattern: 2 pegs E-stitch followed by 2 pegs purl-stitch for six rows.
This and more was all done during the first week. The following week we began basketry, after a bit of weaving, after which we prepared for the exhibition.
This is the basics of how to weave (note that you can use just about ANY material):
For these steps i used chart paper cut to 1.5 cm strips.
The vertical strips is called the 'warp' while the horizontal strips are called the weft.
In order to weave, one must use the weft in an alternative up down pattern. You can begin with either up down or down up, however, one must note that when beginning the second strip, it must be the opposite of what was done with the previous strip.
Note that one can make several patterns, it's just that you sequence will change.
And, as i said before you can use different materials, so i used leather, from which i am planning to make a clutch.
These are the 2 pieces (in basketry) that i made:
This was the exhibition piece i had made...
And these are some things some of my class mates had done:
As such, i can't say that i'm interested in textiles - i mean, i do love braiding (friendship bands <3), but i wasn't exactly sure about the whole 'textile' department. This course gave me an insight into what the textile department is - not 'just' fabric, but something that can be a whole lot more, that we can take it as far as we want to and not just stop where most do - when you learn the basics.
So, textiles is a whole lot more than what i'll be touching up on, but it does give you a general gist of where we're heading if we wanted to go in for textiles.
The class had been divided in 2 and i was part of the knitting section, while the other half was part of the weaving section.
I admit that i was dreading it... you see, a few years back, my grandmom used to knit regularly and i was often curious as to what she was doing. i could never quite get the hang of it though... i used to mess up either the steps of the loops would slip out of the needles.
What i learnt then was that we would be working on a 'round loom'. These are some examples:
This was the second loom we made - from an embroidery ring into which we drilled holes and fitted screws. after we covered the screws with tape, we could use it, however, it was extremely uncomfortable to use since the screws did not have a flat surface - making it hard to make the 'stitches' (i will explain it below).
This was the third loom i made. the increase in the number of 'pegs' (the ice-cream sticks) was to make a 'finished product. the increase in the number of pegs helps decrease the number of gaps between your stitches, meaning that you can make a product that looks like a hand made product at stores. this loom has 64 pegs, which i used to make a hat.
1: It fits comfortably in your hand and lap.
2: The 'pegs' should be a smooth flat surface to aid the removal or manipulation of thread.
3: The top of the pegs should preferably be smooth so that the thread does not get caught
4: the loom 'frame' should not bend or break when you apply slight pressure during manipulation of thread.
These are some of the more commonly used stitches in most products (from shawls to shrugs and even gloves) :
This one is called the E- stitch:
Note that when you begin, you start clockwise unless the tutorial your following asks you to do otherwise.
First, you take your 'working thread' (the thread connected to your ball of yarn or wool) and loop it around the first peg starting from the back as in the image.The most important thing to remember is that when making you 'new' loop using the working thread, the loop should always be above the old loop or the existing loop.
When you complete this loop, you continue by winding it around the second peg.
After this, you use a 'crochet' needle or a yarn needle (it'll be your best friend if you work a lot) and pick up the 'old' loop or the existing loop and pull it over the new loop you made.
This is a product i made solely using the E-stitch:
Photo credit: Mini Shibu
This one is called the U-stitch:
You take your working thread and place it above your old loop. Using your yarn/crochet needle, you pick up the old loop and pull it above the thread (so that the old loop had no more association with the peg), you will then notice that because of how the old loop was pulled off the peg, over the working thread that was placed, a loop had formed by itself. To make it neat and compact, you simply need to tug/pull on the working thread lightly.
This is a product i'm currently making using the U-stitch:
Photo credit: Mini Shibu
The stitch as you can see, is a bit more compact than the E stitch.
This next stitch is called the Purl stitch:
Take your working thread under your old loop and make sure to hold it there. Then take your yarn/crochet needle and put it under the old loop and reach for the working thread below. Once you have your working thread, you simply pull it up and out of the old loop.
To make the stitch neat, you simply tug/pull on your working thread.
This stitch is called the Half-stitch:
This stitch is used only when you require to 'backtrack' or continue anti clockwise on your loom.
You take your working thread behind and in front of the peg where you need to start going anti clockwise.
Make sure that this remains above your old loop. Once your working thread is in place, you pull the old loop over the working thread and the peg (so it no longer has any relation to the peg) and pull you working string so that the stitch is neat. You will notice that upon completion your working thread will now face the anticlockwise direction, in which case you've done it correctly.
This hat is a product i made using the E-stitch, Purl-stitch, U-stitch and 'Rib stitch' on the 64 peg loom:
Photo credit: Mini Shibu
Note: The rib stitch I've used has a pattern: 2 pegs E-stitch followed by 2 pegs purl-stitch for six rows.
This and more was all done during the first week. The following week we began basketry, after a bit of weaving, after which we prepared for the exhibition.
This is the basics of how to weave (note that you can use just about ANY material):
For these steps i used chart paper cut to 1.5 cm strips.
In order to weave, one must use the weft in an alternative up down pattern. You can begin with either up down or down up, however, one must note that when beginning the second strip, it must be the opposite of what was done with the previous strip.
And, as i said before you can use different materials, so i used leather, from which i am planning to make a clutch.
These are the 2 pieces (in basketry) that i made:
This was the exhibition piece i had made...
And these are some things some of my class mates had done:
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