Card weaving by Veacesav Filimon

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS To Larry Duke, a superb artist and graphic designer, who did the illustrations. To Leslie Wolcott Meyer of The Electronic Page, who created and refined the pattern drafts and graphs. To Dale Kistemaker, whose photographic expertise, advice, and careful work was invaluable. With the exception of those supplied by museums, he developed and printed most of the photographs. To Jose Gaspar Vibal for his good cheer, and for the many hours he spent threading cards and working on samples. I would like to thank San Francisco State University for a grant that underwrote the cost of photographs, illustrations, and graphs, and to my colleagues for their intellectual support. To the many people who contributed information, photographs, and advice, including Helen Durbin, Helen Pope, Donna Armstrong, Anne Blinks, Lillian Elliott, Gail Manners, Kay Sekimachi, Jackie Wollenberg, Ron Meyer, Nancy Harvey, Peter Collingwood, and Noemi Speiser. My students were enthusiastic supporters of the project and contributed to the publication, particularly the instructional part, in many ways. More than anything else, they kept me sane and alive. To Interweave Press and Deborah Robson, who responded immediately and enthusiastically to this publication. I am most grateful to the following institutions for making their collections available for research and reproduction: University Museum of National Antiquities, Oslo; Liverpool Museum, Liverpool; Museum of Ethnology, Hamburg; National Museum, Denmark; Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C; the Victoria and Albert Museum, London; the Leicestershire Museums, Leicester, England; Stadtische Kunstsammlungen, Augsburg; Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto; Historical Museum, Bern; Cora Ginsberg Collection, New York. My special thanks go to Theodore Kroeber, who encouraged and supported this project, was helpful in every aspect of the manuscript preparation, and who showed great patience. All weavings and photographs are by the author unless otherwise noted.

CONTENTS 1. A HISTORY OF CARD WEAVING Card Weaving: An Explanation Patterns in Card Weaving The Origins and Distribution of Card Weaving Traditional Tools and Materials Card Weaving in Ancient Egypt Card Weaving in Scandinavia Card Weaving in Medieval Europe The Rediscovery of Card Weaving Card Weaving in Asia and the Middle East Card Weaving Today

7 9 9 10 10 11 12 14 18 19 20

2. TOOLS AND MATERIALS

3. THE BASIC TECHNIQUE Sample Band A List of Materials The Pattern Draft Threading Direction Colors Warping Instructions Numbering the Cards Threading the Cards Combing the Warp Threads The Weft Thread Securing the Warp Turning the Cards Weaving Warp Twist . , Shifting the Weaving Starting a New Weft Thread Repairing a Broken Warp Thread Pattern Variations Controlling the Weft Thread Finishing Problems and Mistakes in Weaving

31 32 32 33 33 33 34 35 35 37 37 37 38 39 44 45 45 46 46 48 48 49

4. PATTERN DRAFTING AND DESIGNING Defining the Space Designing the Pattern Selecting Colors Threading the Cards Alternate Threading Sample Band Bâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Alternately Threaded Borders

51 52 52 53 55 60 62

Elongating Design Elements Thick and Thin Yarns Variations 5. PATTERN DRAFTS

63 63 65 67

6. DARK AND LIGHT PATTERNING Sample Band C Pattern #1—Horizontal Stripes Pattern #2—Diagonal Stripes Pattern #3—Chevrons Pattern #4—Double-Faced Weave Pattern #5—Double Weave Pattern #6—Broad Diagonals In Conclusion

83 84 86 87 88 91 96 98 102

7. STRUCTURAL TECHNIQUES Shifting Cards Decreasing and Increasing Warp Threads Varying the Warp Threads Supplemental Wefts Tubular Weaving Slits and Loops Curves and Angles

103 104 106 107 108 110 114 115

8. FINISHING Twisting the Fringe Wrapping Four-Strand Braiding Tying the Half-Knot and the Square Knot Making Tassels Sewing Strips Together

119 120 120 122 123 125 126

9. EXPANDING CARD WEAVING Tension Control Working between Dowels Tension Knot Using a Loom for Tension Free-Form or Open-Ended Card Weaving Warp Twisting Cards in Combination with Loom Weaving Conclusion

129 130 130 131 132 135 136 137 138

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

139

SUPPLIERS

140

INDEX

141

] - ] . A sixteenth-century French tapestry in Rheims Cathedral, showing a card weaving in progress with six-holed cards strung between two columns. (Courtesy of the Board of Trustees of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. No. 49452.)

A History of Card Weaving

ARD WEAVING IS an ancient craft in which simple cards, or flat tablets, form the "loom". Yarns are threaded through holes in a set of cards or flat tablets. These cards are rotated to create patterns in the weaving. Card weaving has traditionally been used for making strong, narrow, decorative bands. In China, card weaving was used to make reins, bridles, and saddle girths. Nomadic tribes in Turkey used long card-woven bands to tie, suspend, and attach a variety of items. In

1-2. A card weaver near Kutais, Caucasus (USSR), after a sketch done by M. Barteb in 1897. The weaver, working on a circular warp, moves the warp around as the weaving progresses. Tension is maintained by the pegs and the weavers knee. A comb spaces the warp threads and helps maintain the width of the weaving.

northern Africa, card weavers in local markets wove valuables into belts. The monks of Burma wore card-woven girdles that were red on one side and yellow on the other. In Bulgaria, the traditional peasant costume includes a card-woven sash 20 to 27 feet long in bold patterns that wraps several times around the waist. In Yugoslavia, woolen card-woven bands with long fringes were used to trim aprons. In Greece, the red garters of the national costume were card woven. Bands with inscriptions were used as love tokens in Iceland and Persia. Almost without exception, the bands from the past were narrow, strong, and decorative. Card weaving developed and continues to exist in widely scattered parts of the world. It has remained basically unchanged over two thousand years, is easy to learn, and requires little equipment. Nonetheless, it is a sophisticated craft capable of producing complex weaves and woven struc-

1-3. A red, white, blue, and black camel strap from Turkey in tightly twisted wool yarn. Dyed, unspun goat-hair tassels are attached to the fringe with four-strand braids. Twentieth century. (Author's collection.)

tures unachievable with any other technique. The simplicity and the relative ease of working with the cards, the complexity and variety of patterns, the full texture and beauty of the woven fabric, and its rich history all make card weaving a uniquely rewarding and gratifying activity. Today, as in the past, people who love intricacy in pattern and structure are drawn to card weaving. CARD WEAVING: AN EXPLANATION In loom weaving, the longitudinal threads, or warp, pass through harnesses that alternately raise and lower them in fixed sequences, forming a shed, or space, through which to pass the weft thread. In card weaving, the shed is created by turning or rotating the cards, usually as a unit. The cards can be any shape or size, but today most are square, about 4 inches by 4 inches, with a hole in each corner. Once the cards are threaded, with the warp threads passed through the card holes and anchored for tension at each end, the "loom" is ready. (This process is described in detail in Chapter 3.) At any point during weaving, cards can be individually turned to put warp threads in different relationships. Card weaving produces a warp-faced fabric. The threads that are visible in the completed weaving are the warp (longitudinal) threads that were originally threaded through the card holes. The weft thread simply binds the warp threads in place and is hidden in the weaving. Each rotation, or turn, of the cards brings new warp threads to the surface and forms a new shed through which the weft will pass. The threads that go through the holes in each card twist around each other as the cards are rotated. This spiraling of the warp threads is characteristic ofâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and unique toâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;card weaving. It forms an important element of the technique, relating it directly to braiding and cordmaking (just as the use of the weft thread and shedding mechanism relate it to loom weaving). The direction in which the warp threads twist, to the right or to the left, is determined by the way individual cards are threaded and by the direction the cards are turned. Much of the unique beauty of card weaving is the result of these twists in the structure of the fabric. When scholars study ancient textiles, they look for three elements as evidence of card weaving: (1) the presence of cards, (2) warp twisting in the fabric, and (3) reversal lines which happen on both surfaces of the fabric when the direction in which the cards were turned changes. PATTERNS IN CARD WEAVING Card weaving is capable of producing an infinite variety of complex patterns. An amazing amount of change and complexity is possible within a single band. Patterns can be predetermined by plotting them on a grid indicating the arrangement of color, right or left threading, and the turning sequence (explained in Chapters 4 and 5). Once weaving begins, the weaver can create new textures and new patterns by simply shifting the positions of individual cards or by changing the turning sequence. The modern card weaver can create new designs, or use traditional patterns that

were first woven hundreds or even thousands of years ago. Once the pattern is determined and the cards are threaded, the weaving goes very quickly. Many card weavers get a special pleasure from the knowledge that in each turn of the cards there is creative potential. THE ORIGINS AND DISTRIBUTION OF CARD WEAVING Evidence of early card weaving has been found in North Africa, Egypt, Europe, Asia, and Iceland. Ancient card weavings have been found in northern Europe and the East, but it is impossible to say where or by whom card weaving was invented. The earliest known card comes from a fourthcentury B.C. Spanish grave. There are also strong indications that card weaving has a long and varied history in Russia and China. Card weaving may have been practiced for many thousands of years, and may have been brought from the East through Rome to western and northern Europe. Archaeological evidence of card weaving in Scandinavia is not as old as the earliest known card weavings, but is rich and varied and especially interesting since it shows a continuous development from the simple to the complex. Scholars working at the beginning of the twentieth century thought they had traced the development to early Egypt, but their deductions are now disputed. Whether from Egypt, Scandinavia, or the East, card weaving spread throughout Europe and was in wide popular use through the sixteenth century. There is, however, no evidence that it existed historically in Australia, the Americas, or South Africa. TRADITIONAL TOOLS AND MATERIALS The techniques, colors, patterns, materials, and cards differ from one geographical area to the next, depending on available materials and on tradition. Cards have been found made of stone, wood, bone, horn, tortoiseshell, ivory, fish skin, parchment, leather, and even of playing cards. The size, number, and placement of holes, as well as the shape of the cards,

1-4. A set of eight-holed leather cards with threads, weaving, comb, and shuttle intact. It was collected in Kashmir early in the twentieth century. The worn holes are an indication that the cards were used many times. (Courtesy of the Leicestershire Museums, Leicester, England.)

vary. The materials used for weaving range from coarse handspun wool and hair yarns to linen, silk, and even spun gold. Fine wool and cotton threads have always been widely used. Brocading was done using gold and silver threads, and in some cases, human hair. In Europe, card weaving began as a peasant craft, but also became a highly sophisticated court pastime after about A.D. 800. Many of the old card-woven textiles, particularly those from the Middle Ages, are incredibly intricate. Some bands made of fine silk threads display inscriptions and decorative motifs, and required hundreds of cards. Such intricate bands were often woven on cards no more than 2 inches square. CARD WEAVING IN ANCIENT EGYPT The Egyptians have frequently been credited with the invention and development of card weaving. In 1916, van Gennep and Jequier published a beautiful and influential book which presented their argument that card weaving was invented by the Egyptians before the year 4000 B.C. and was highly developed by the year 2000 B.C. Their premises are highly questionable: their arguments are convincing only if one is willing to accept a number of assumptions. Their position depends upon the recurrence in ancient Egyptian statuary and paintings of designs such as the chevron and the zigzag, patterns which are frequently associated with card weaving. Van Gennep's argument also depends upon his belief that the girdle of Rameses III, an incredible piece of weaving 17 feet long, presently in excellent condition, and firmly dated from near 1200 B.C., was card woven. Unfortunately, this is unlikely. None of the characteristics unique to card weaving is present in the weaving (van Gennep never saw or examined the piece, but worked from photographs). Nevertheless, van Gennep and Jequier presented evidence strong enough at the time to create a controversy that still endures. No cards have been found in Egypt dating earlier than the Coptic period (twenty-five wooden, four-holed tablets were found in the Gayet excavations at Antinoe from the fourth and fifth centuries A.D.). Loom

J -5. Facsimiles of designs found on Egyptian statuary from the eighteenth dynasty. Early twentieth-century scholars felt that such designs indicated that card weaving existed in ancient Egypt.

1-6. The so-called girdle of Rameses 111 (1200 B.C.j from Egypt. It is 17 feet long and woven in blue, red, yellow, green, and natural linen. The width tapers from 5 inches to 2 inches by decreasing warp threads in the center. The number of warp threads varies from 272 to 340 per inch. The fabric is connected with Rameses 111 on the basis of an ink inscription on the weaving. Experts have agreed on the structure as double weave, but they have not agreed on the weaving technique. The consensus at this point is that it is not card woven. (Courtesy of the Liverpool Museum.)

i -7. An Egyptian band in wool and linen from the seventh to tenth century AD. (Courtesy of the Board of Trustees of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. No. 1535.)

implements and drawings of looms from earlier times have been found, but no evidence of cards or of card looms has surfaced. Three narrow linen bands dating from the twenty-second dynasty (945-745 B.C.) were cited by van Gennep and Jequier as the oldest known card weavings. These were originally part of the Graf collection in Vienna and are no longer available for study. Peter Collingwood, in his careful examination of the existing evidence and reconstructions, questions the van Gennep and Jequier conclusions that the pieces were card woven. Considering the wealth of textiles recovered from Egypt, card-woven pieces are very few, and those pieces found are unsophisticated. CARD WEAVING IN SCANDINAVIA In Scandinavia, card weaving can be traced back to the Celtic Bronze Age, with the earliest findings in the second century A.D. Bronze-Age cardwoven strips were used to bind and space the warp threads on the vertical warp-weighted loom then in common use. In these early pieces, a cardwoven strip with dangling weft threads was stretched across the top of the loom; the long weft threads hung vertically and were weighted, becoming warps. The finished loom-woven fabric would then have a narrow cardwoven band along one margin, and would have as warp threads the

1-8. A drawing of the warp-weighted loom in use in ancient Scandinavia. A card-woven band across the top of the warp was sometimes used to bind and space the loom warp (illustration after H. Ling Roth, Ancient Egyptian and Greek Looms).

well-spaced weft threads from the narrow card-woven band. Fabrics of this sort are known to have existed in Norway as early as the third century A.D. These card-woven borders were apparently always an important aesthetic part of the fabric and not merely a technical means of creating or spacing warp threads. In later Scandinavian loom weavings, card-woven borders, often very intricate, were woven separately and sewn onto finished textiles.

1-9. Two wooden cards from the later Celtic Iron Age found in Denmark. They belong to the cart find from the Dejhjerg Bog. (Courtesy of the National Museum, Denmark.)

The earliest known cards from this area are two wooden tablets, each with four holes, found in Denmark and dating from the early Iron Age. The greatest treasures, however, come from the Oseberg ship find in Norway, dated about A.D. 850. A tablet loom with fifty-two threaded cards, a partially woven band, and a number of other card-woven bands, some with diagonal patterns and others with brocading, were found at Oseberg.

I-10. A complete loom with fifty-two wooden tablets, found in the tomb of Queen Asa. This is part of the Oseberg ship find from A.D. 850 (Norway). The partially finished band was found along with other card-woven bands, some with brocaded patterns and diagonal pattern weaves. (Courtesy of the University Museum of National Antiquities, Oslo, Norway.)

I'll. Sectkms of a band from Snartemo, Norway, in red, yellow, green, and blue wool: Hogebostad, sixth century. The image is created by allowing some warp threads to float during weaving. (Courtesy of the University Museum of National Antiquities, Oslo, Norway. No. 26001. Photo: Smedstad.)

Archaeological discoveries from the Viking trading center of Birka in Sweden revealed a number of technically sophisticated card-woven bands from A.D. 800-975. Some of the bands are brocaded in gold, others are of pure silk, and some are a combination of linen and silk.

1-12. A card weaving from the Roman Iron Age (third century A.D.) found at Donbaek, North Jutland, Denmark. The card weaving, which required 150 cards, formed the border of a cloak. The weft of the card weaving continues as weft in the ordinary weave. (Courtesy of the National Museum, Denmark.)

CARD WEAVING IN MEDIEVAL EUROPE Archaeological remains indicate that card weaving has been known in western Europe from Roman times. It existed primarily as a peasant craft, using natural, undyed wools. Trade with the East, particularly after the eighth century, brought silk, and very probably, fine card weavings, to the court of Charlemagne and to other European trade and cultural centers. Textiles preserved from the Middle Ages indicate that card weaving rapidly

J -13. Detail showing the beginning and end of the girdle of Witgarius, a fine example of card weaving from ninth-century Germany. Silk is wrapped with gold to form a supplemental weft brocading thread on a red silk ground. The letters and eagles stand out against the gold-brocaded background. From southern Germany, A.D. 860-76. (Courtesy of the Stddtische Kunstsammlungen, Augsburg. DM. 111.I.)

1-14- The back side of the girdle of Witgarius. (Courtesy of the Stddtische Kunstsammlungen, Augsburg.)

became a highly refined craft, even of court ladies, who were able to afford very fine silk in combination with gold and silver threads. Frequently, these pieces were used as trim on church vestments, as bands or seals for precious documents, or as trim on court clothing. Bands were sometimes prepared as special gifts commemorating important occasions or events. While we have no doubt that card-woven bands were commonly used on less precious garments, few of this type have survived. A cingulum, or girdle, dedicated to Bishop Witgarius of Augsburg, dated A.D. 870, is the earliest extant card weaving from medieval Europe. This remarkable belt is worked in red silk with gold brocading, and has a

2-15. Detail of a red silk band with narrow green edgings from southern Germany, woven in the ninth or tenth century. The inscription, composed of Roman capitals, is created by turning some cards in one direction and some in the other. The structural difference creates a clearly defined pattern, even though only a single color is used. This way of working is described in Chapter 4. (Courtesy of the Stddtische Kunstsammlungen, Augsburg. DM. 111.2.)

J-J6. Front and back details of a silk stole, showing white images on a blue-and-brownstriped ground on one side with reversed colors on the other side. The stole is woven in the double-faced 3/1 broken-twill structure, an extremely intricate technique described in detail, with many other photographs, in Peter

Collingwood's The Techniques of Tablet Weaving. Between motifs are small intervening areas in simple double-faced weave (explained in Chapter 6). Along the edges of the central band are separate card-woven sections in plain stripes. These borders are joined to the central part with surprisingly rough stitches. The stole and its companion maniple belong to the Church of St. Dor^ot, AXIQXT., B^algiunv, tkssa ecc^djJM-

tical vestments are thought to date from the twelfth century. (Photos: Noemi Speiser.)

beautiful inscription done in Roman capitals. The piece displays refined craftsmanship and technical mastery. Another exceptional card weaving from this period is the Augsburg piece from southern Germany. The weaving is done in one color, a fine red silk, with the inscription formed entirely through structural manipulation. Card weaving continued in Europe after the Middle Ages, but it had passed its period of greatest sophistication, and its "rediscovery" in the late nineteenth century came only after serious archaeological and academic study.

1 -17. A twelfth-century Islamic card weaving. The green, red, white, and black band is silk with gold brocading, and is presumably Sicilian or German. The photograph shows the back. The center is red and white in double-faced weave. The brocading is on the other side. (Courtesy of the Board of Trustees of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.)

1-18. Front. A French ecclesiastical card weaving from the twelfth century. The warp is silk with gold and silver brocading and gold embroidery. (Courtesy of the Board of Trustees of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. No. 76051.) Back. (Courtesy of the Board of Trustees of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. No. 76052.)

I-19. A maniple in silk and gold threads, probably Sicilian, dating from the early thirteenth century. (Courtesy of the Board of Trustees of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. No. 27914.)

THE REDISCOVERY OF CARD WEAVING For the Western world, interest in card weaving was renewed toward the end of the nineteenth century by a German scholar, Margarethe LehmannFilhes. This rediscovery was sparked by the great surge of interest in archaeological studies, stimulated by the successes of Schliemann and others during the latter part of the nineteenth century. Hjalmar Stolpe, an anthropologist, found a bone card or tablet at Birka, Sweden, in 1873. This added greatly to the interest, as did the recording in the 1880s of card weaving in India (by Reuleaux) and in Bukhara (by Knapp). At this time, Margarethe Lehmann-Filhes began a serious study of Icelandic card weaving. To understand the weaving, she actually reconstructed the techniques. She developed plain-weave, double-faced, and double-weave bands. Her investigations opened the door to an understanding of the history and widespread distribution of card weaving, as well as its technical aspects. Tablets and cards that had long collected dust on museum shelves were suddenly identified as weaving tools. Only then was it realized that card weaving had not only a full and rich history, but was still being practiced in widely separated parts of the world. Her interest led to the publication in 1901 of Ueber Brettchenweberei, in which she described and explained card weaving. Popular magazines ran articles, serious literature was published, museums presented special exhibitions, and card-weaving 18

collections were established. As scholars exchanged information, it was established that card weaving was still going on in isolated areas in Japan, China, Tibet, India, Burma, India, Syria, Palestine, North Africa, Turkey, Greece, and Scandinavia. CARD WEAVING IN ASIA AND THE MIDDLE EAST Card weaving has been an ongoing craft in Asia and the Middle East since its origins. Card weaving came to Burma and the surrounding area of Southeast Asia from China and India, and it penetrated to the Himalayan countries from northern India. Card weavings are still made for export from these areas. Japanese card weavings are notable for their plain weave and simple patterns, very often in heavy, lustrous silk. The most exciting card weavings from China are heavy, stiff, functional bands for saddle girths, done in zigzag patterns and woven with six-holed cards. In Burma, card weaving has been closely related to religion. Monks' belts and special bands with religious inscriptions have been produced for centuries. Card weaving has flourished in widely separated parts of the East and Middle East, and bands and belts are even now being woven in several Eastern, Middle Eastern, and North African countries. 1-20. A stole with silk warp, probably Sicilian, dating from the thirteenth century. It is brown silk with gold and green brocading. The weft brocading which creates the pattern shows on the front and back of the band. (Courtesy of the Board of Trustees of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. No. 64501.)

CARD WEAVING TODAY Card weaving was introduced into the United States by Mary Meigs Atwater in the 1920s. She and others popularized the craft among American weavers, but only considerably later (in the 1960s) did weavers such as Lillian Elliot, Robert Cranford, and Kay Sekimachi begin to gain national attention with card-woven tapestries and hangings. Many universities here and in Europe teach the technique as part of their textile curriculum. The simplicity of the tools and the intricacies possible with the technique continue to intrigue weavers. Card weaving does not lend itself to mechanization and is outside the development of production weaving. Mary Meigs Atwater aptly referred to it as a "byway" in handweaving. As far as we know, card weaving did not precede loom weaving. It was used and developed by cultures that already had a strong history of and sensitivity to woven fabric. It is a fascinating, complex technique that challenges the mind and hand, and appeals in particular to sophisticated weavers. A few artists have chosen it as a primary means of aesthetic expression, many explore it purely for technical mastery, and still others use it simply as a means for weaving that involves simple tools.

1-21. A garter inscribed "Jerusalem, 1649". This is one of many inscribed garters from the Near East that appeared during the seventeenth century. They were probably made and sold as tourist items. They are generally card woven and bear the word Jerusalem along with names and dates (although one was found with the word Smirna, indicating that not all were from Jerusalem). The band has a looped end and was woven with paired cards in the double-faced technique. (Cora Ginsberg Collection, New York. Photo: Milton Sonday. Photo courtesy of Peter Collingwood.)

1-22. An exceptionally large piece of card weaving consisting of three silk strips. Each section required about 350 cards. Intricate, subtle patterns contrast with large designs produced by double-faced weaving. Human figures, lions, crosses, and various symbolic objects are depicted. The textile is a mystery in many respects. Scholars now believe that it was woven for a church built in Gondar (northwestern Ethiopia) by Yasu the Great shortly after 1680, or fry Empress Mentwab in the early eighteenth century. It is known that the piece was part of the booty taken by the British in 1866 in Abyssinia. Originally, there was a pair of card-woven silk curtains. At the time, one of the curtains was divided into four parts (one of these parts is in the British Museum). The other member of the pair, shown here, ultimately went, intact, to the Royal Ontario Museum. The piece is exceptional because of its size, complexity, and rich imagery. (Gift of General George W. Sweny, from the estate of Colonel George A. Sweny; courtesy of the Textile Department, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto. No. 922.26.1.)

1-23. Detail of the Gondar tapestry. (Gift of General George W. Sweny, from the estate of Colonel George A. Sweny; courtesy of the Textile Department, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto.)

1-24- Detail of the Gondar tapestry. (Gift of General George W. Sweny, from the estate of Colonel George A. Sweny; courtesy of the Textile Department, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto.)

Scholars continue to find and analyze special pieces such as the Gondar tapestry, in the textile collection at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, and the silk stole in the Church of St. Donat, Arlon, Belgium. These examinations increase our knowledge technically, culturally, and aesthetically.

J -25. A nineteenth-century Persian band. The double'faced silk band in red and white serves as a shoulder strap for a gunpowder flask. Between the decorative images are three inscriptions: "Be Blest", "Be Happy", "Be Mighty". (Courtesy of the Historical Museum, Bern. MW800. Photo: S. Rebsamen.)

Since the turn of the century, there have been a number of books and articles published on card weaving in many different languages. In particular, Peter Collingwood's book, The Techniques of Tablet Weaving, published in 1982, is a wonderful, scholarly compilation of all available information. It is the ideal source book for the serious student.

2-1. The materials and tools for card weaving. Yarn and cards are necessities; four-holed cards are versatile and most readily available. Cclamps are convenient for preparing the warp and for anchoring the weaving. A belt shuttle is useful for holding the weft yarn and for beating it into place. A rubber band is used to secure the cards.

ToolsandMaterials

HE TOOLS AND equipment needed for card weaving are very simple: cards and yarn. Two C-clamps are handy in measuring the warp threads before the cards are threaded, and a small belt shuttle is helpful during the weaving process, but neither is absolutely necessary.

CARDS Although cards of different shapes and with varied numbers of holes can be used, four-holed square cards are the easiest to work with and in most cases give the best results. A single weaving might require as few as four 25

2-2. A four-holed square card, shown actual size. The hole in the center is rarely used. This is the most popular and functional card for card weaving. It is the most convenient to handle and makes a large, clear weaving shed.

2-3. A three-holed triangular card, shown actual size. Triangular cards are tricky to handle and do not have the design potential of square cards. They produce a different woven structure, which has only been minimally investigated.

2-4. A six-holed hexagonal card, shown actual size. Six-holed cards have a greater design potential than four-holed cards, but they are difficult to keep in order and they make a very thick band.

cards or as many as several hundred. The sample pattern band in Chapter 3 requires ten cards. The bands discussed in Chapters 4 and 5 require from ten to sixty-five each. With only a few exceptions, the weavings pictured in this book were produced with four-holed square cards. Additional cards can be purchased at minimal cost (see page 140), or you can make your own, using poster board or medium-weight cardboard. The cards illustrated here are shown actual size and may be used as patterns. Keep in mind that cards can be made in any size or shape, and with any number of holes. Only three examples are shown here. Cards should be stiff enough to hold their shape and not buckle during turning. If the cards are too thick, however, a group of them becomes bulky, heavy, and difficult to work with. Corners should be slightly rounded so that they do not catch the warp threads as the cards turn. Holes can be either drilled or punched. Some manufactured cards have a hole in the center of each card. Traditionally, this was used to carry an extra warp thread that remained hidden in the center of the weaving. These threads increased the thickness, stiffness, and strength of the fabric. Today, a dowel or a thread is occasionally placed through the central holes of a pack of cards to keep the cards in

order, but otherwise such holes are seldom used. The holes on just one sideâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the "face" sideâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;of each card are lettered clockwise (A, B, C, D). This aids the weaver in threading a specific pattern. Many weavers prefer to work without a pattern, ignoring the letters. WARP YARNS The warp threads go through the card holes and are anchored at each end. The width of the band will depend on the number of cards and the weight of the warp threads. These threads must be strong and relatively smooth. Weak threads will shred and break as the cards move back and forth. As the cards turn, the packed threads must pass by each other. Fuzzy threads catch and hold and prevent shifting. For best results, beginners should use only a few cards and a mediumweight plied yarn in wool or cotton. Weaving yarns are recommended; they have relatively little stretch and are available in a wide range of qualities, colors, materials, and weights. The experienced card weaver can work with a truly wide range of materials, but this ability comes only with practice and sensitivity. Linen and silk work up beautifully in card weaving but should be used only after the process has become familiar. Some of the heavier, more resistant fibers, such as jute and sisal, can be enjoyable to

2'5. Five bands woven with the same number of cards and using the same pattern. Only the materials are different. The size of the yarn and the texture greatly change the image. From left Wright, the materials are silk, wool, jute, raffia, and telephone wire.

work and experiment with, have great potential for wall hangings, and usually dye well. Synthetic materials such as wire, rope, monofilament, and plastic cord are exciting and dimensional but require experience and special consideration. The color of the warp threads is very important. Since card-woven bands are warp-faced, the weft is not visible and the pattern shows primarily as a result of contrasting colors in the warp threads. WEFT YARNS Any weaving results from the interlacing of a weft thread with the warp threads. In card weaving, the weft thread goes through the shed or open space formed by each turn of the cards. It pulls the warp threads together and holds them in place. Because card weaving is warp-faced, the weft will be hidden in the weaving, showing only on the edges. If the weft thread is the same color as the warp threads that go through the outside or border cards, it will not be noticeable. Usually the weft is the same material as the warp. If the warp threads are bulky, a lighter-weight weft will pack down more easily and not make bumps along the edges. A thicker band can be made by using a heavier weft. Sometimes, other threads or materials may be inserted along with the weft thread to create a fringe on one or both sides. Sticks, rods, bones, beads, feathers, and many other materials may be laid in with the weft thread to add to the texture, color, and dimensionality of the weaving. SHUTTLES The weft thread can be wound into a butterfly and carried through the shed quite easily for most weaving. Once through, it is beaten into place with a kitchen knife, ruler, or bare fingers. Many weavers prefer a small belt shuttle that both holds the weft thread and helps in the beating. A good belt shuttle is smooth, well rounded, and free of rough spots that might snag the yarn. The shuttle shown is one example. Traditionally, to make very sturdy bands, heavy beaters were used to pound the weft tightly into place.

2-7. Two views of a belt shuttle made of hardwood. The edge is tapered, as indicated, so it will function well as a beater. After the weft thread is wound on the shuttle, the end is drawn through the hok. This prevents accidental unwinding.

2-6. Winding the weft thread into a butterfly. The end that is first placed around the thumb is the end that begins the weaving. The other end secures the butterfly.

2-8. Traditionally, heavy beaters were used by card weavers. Sometimes they had lead inserts to add weight; sometimes they were made entirely of metal.

C-CLAMPS Because the warp threads in a card weaving are usually all the same length, some means must be found to conveniently measure many warp threads at once. One widely used method is to attach two C-clamps securely to a bench or table and then wrap the appropriate number of threads around them. This allows for flexibility in determining the length of the warp and assures uniform tension. C-clamps may also be used as anchor points during weaving. Other methods for preparing warps and creating tension are discussed later. Once you have completed your first weavings, you can move on to more complex ways of working.

2-9. A card-weaving "loom" from Hara S'rira, Djerba Island, Tunisia. The date is uncertain. The cards are suspended in the middle; at each end is a device for winding up the warp. A comb which spaces the warp threads is suspended from the weaving. In the past, card weavers frequently used a comb or spreader to space and separate warp threads. The comb helps maintain weaving width and makes turning easier. The comb shown has a removable peg across the top. (Courtesy of the Museum of Ethnology, Hamburg.)

3-1. Sample Band A.

The Basic Technique

HE FIRST TWO chapters of this book acquainted you with the history, appearance, and tools of card weaving. This chapter shows you how to weave a sample band using a set pattern. If you are a beginner, it is important to follow the directions for each step very carefully. Later chapters will show you how to create your own designs and how to weave in more sophisticated ways. Your first card weaving will be the most difficult one, so give yourself time to work carefully.

SAMPLE BAND A If you follow each step in this chapter, you will weave a band very much like the one shown at the beginning of this chapter. The design is bold and distinct, and the pattern is particularly easy to follow. The weaving requires just ten cards, an easy number for the beginning card weaver to work with. The primary objective of this chapter is to teach a system. You will learn the mechanics of the weaving process and how the weaving relates to the pattern draft so that with each turn of the cards you know exactly what to expect. Such factors as how the cards are threaded, which direction the cards face, and what card edge is used as the reversal point will change the weaving dramatically. If you follow the system outlined in this chapter, all future chapters will fall into place. If you are a beginner who is unfamiliar with other weaving techniques, you may have to work through Sample Band A a couple of times to fully understand the complexities of the system. Be sure to read the captions as well as the text.

3-2. A card weaving in progress.

LIST OF MATERIALS These are the basic materials you will need for weaving Sample Band A (cards, shuttles, and appropriate yarns are discussed in Chapter 2). 1. 10 square four-holed cards (the holes lettered A, B, C, and D). 2. 40 warp yarns in 3 contrasting colors (16 dark, 10 medium, 14 light), each 2 yards long. A 3/2 mercerized cotton yarn works well. 3. Dark thread for the weft (about a 2-inch ball of yarn, wound into a butterfly or on a shuttle). 4- A rubber band. 5. Shuttle (optional). 6. 2 C-clamps (optional). 32

THE PATTERN DRAFT The pattern draft for Sample Band A gives all the information necessary for threading the cards. Each of the numbers across the bottom represents an individual card (ten cards are needed). The letters A, B, C, and D on the left-hand side of the diagram represent the lettered holes in the cards. Each hole in each card will have its own thread, and each of these threads is represented as a square in the pattern draft. The pattern draft shows what color thread goes through each hole. Card 5, for example, has a medium color thread through hole A, a dark color through hole B, a light color through hole C, and a light color through hole D. The arrows at the bottom indicate the direction the threads should take as they go through the card holes.

3-3. The pattern draft for Sample Band A.

THREADING DIRECTION The direction the threads take through the card holes is very important. The front, or lettered side, of the card should always be considered the left-hand side, or the side that will face to the weaver's left during weaving. The unlettered side is the back, or right-hand side. The direction of the arrow on the pattern draft tells you from which side to thread each card. An arrow pointing to the right on the diagram means that you thread the card from left to right (front to back), and an arrow pointing to the left means that you thread the card from right to left (back to front). The pattern draft for Sample Band A calls for all cards to be threaded from left to right, or from front to back. If an individual card does not have all holes threaded from the same direction, the card will not turn. You will find a more detailed discussion of threading in Chapter 4COLORS In card weaving, the threads that show, or those that make up the pattern, are the warp threads. The arrangement of colors in your warp, then, determines the design. The more the colors contrast, whether by color or 33

3'4- When you thread the card from the front (lettered side) to the back, you are threading from left to right (the arrow on the pattern draft points from left to right â&#x20AC;&#x201D;>).

3-5. When you thread the card from back (unlettered side) to front, you are threading from right to left (the arrow on the pattern draft points from right to left <â&#x20AC;&#x201D;). During weaving, the lettered sides of the cards always face to the weaver's left.

intensity, the more obvious the woven pattern will be. Strongly contrasting colors are generally best for the beginning weaver. Sample Band A calls for three colors labeled dark, medium, and light. WARPING INSTRUCTIONS To weave Sample Band A, you will need 40 warp threads; 16 dark, 10 medium, and 14 light, each about 2 yards long (length can vary). In calculating the length of warp, keep in mind that there is waste at the beginning and end and some take-up in the weaving. When you approach the far end, at a certain point there will not be enough room to turn the cards and weave. The amount of warp wastage will also depend on the weight of the yarns. Heavier yarns require longer lengths.

3-6. Measuring warp threads on a weaver's warping board.

3-7. Measuring warp threads between Cclamps.

It is important that all warp strands be the same length, and the best way to achieve this is to wrap the warp around two stationary objects. A weaver's warping board is ideal, but two C-clamps attached to a bench or table, adjusted to the right distance and anchored securely, will work well. The 2-yard warp for Sample Band A can be made by attaching two C-clamps on a table 1 yard apart. Make a circular warp and cut once at the beginning end. Do each color group separately, so that you have three bundles of threads. If you are working with very long warps or threads that tangle easily, make the warp for each card separately. NUMBERING THE CARDS Take the number of cards to be used in the weaving (ten cards for Sample Band A). Then number the cards lightly in pencil (so they can be reused) consecutively by placing a numeral at the top of each card between letters D and A. THREADING THE CARDS

3-8. The weaving cards numbered in sequence between holes D and A.

As you begin to thread the cards, have them stacked in front of you with card 1 on the top. The pattern draft tells you what color-value thread goes through each hole, and the arrows at the bottom of the pattern draft show you which direction the threads go through each card. The draft for Sample Band A shows that card 1 requires a dark thread through each hole; card 2 takes light threads through holes A, B, and C, and a medium thread through hole D. In this pattern draft, all the arrows point to the right, which means that you thread all the cards from front to back (left to right). Begin by holding card 1 so that it faces to your left. Separate the appropriate four threads from the thread bundles and thread one through each hole. Take each thread from the front or lettered side of the card through to the back. Pull the four threads through for about 10 inches and knot the four ends together. Then place card 1 face down. Thread card 2, knot its four ends together, and place it face down on top of card 1. Thread and stack card 3 in the same way, and so on with all the cards. Coloring the top edge (holes D and A) of each card with a felt tip marker will make it easier to see when a card is incorrectly aligned.

3-9. The cards are threaded, beginning with card I, and then placed face down on the table.

When all the cards have been threaded and are face down before you, slip a rubber band over the threads and around the cards. The rubber band secures the cards whenever you are not weaving or combing the threads. Now, take the knotted warp threads, tie them firmly into one overhand knot, loop a separate cord around the knot, and tie the cord to a fixed object: a furniture leg, doorknob, or sturdy hook. It is important that the lettered sides of the cards face toward the left.

3-10. Take an 18-inch length of strong cord, fold it in half, and loop the center as shown. Take this loop over the end knot of your warp threads. Use the cord to tie the warp to an anchor point.

COMBING THE WARP THREADS Before you start weaving, the warp threads must be "combed". To do this, slip the rubber band from the cards and start moving the cards away from the anchor point toward the unknotted end of the warp. Hold and move the cards together as a loose bundle. As the warp threads slip through the holes in the cards, they will be combed and put in order. If you jiggle the cards and separate the threads with your fingers, the cards should move along and slide over the warp threads quite easily. If you stop, slip the rubber band around the cards to keep them in order and together.

3'J I. After the knot has been secured to an anchor point, slide the rubber band off, and move the cards along the warp. Cards should face to the weaver's left.

Pull the cards to within 10 inches of the unknotted end of the warp (be careful not to pull the cards off the threads). The front or lettered sides of the cards should be facing to your left. Hold the unknotted warp ends firmly together, make sure that all the threads are in order and under equal tension, and then knot the ends in one knot as you did with the other end. THE WEFT THREAD The weft thread is the weaving thread. It holds the warp threads together and does not show on the finished piece except along the edges. It is usually best for the weft to be the same color as the threads going through the first and last cards in the stack. Otherwise, it will appear as irregular spots along the edge of the finished weaving. The weft thread can be the same yarn as the warp. In the case of Sample Band A, the first and last cards are threaded with dark threads, so you should use a dark weft. Wind the weft thread onto a flat shuttle or into a butterfly so that it can be passed easily through the shed. During weaving, the weft should be firmly beaten into place with your fingers, the flat side of a table knife, the tapered edge of a desk ruler, or the edge of a shuttle (see Chapter 2). Traditionally, very heavy beaters were used, even on fine silk weavings. SECURING THE WARP With both ends of the warp knotted, the threads smooth and even, and one end anchored firmly, you are ready to secure the other end to your waist.

Loop a separate cord around the knot as you did at the other end and then tie the cord to a belt. Before you get "tied down", be sure that your pattern draft and weft thread are within easy reach. Some weavers prefer to remain free of the weaving by stretching the warp between two stationary objects. Since there is take-up in the weaving, at least one of the anchor points needs to be adjustable.

3-12. A card weaving worked between two C-clamps.

Check that the cards all face left, are threaded properly, are numerically consecutive from card 1 (on the left), and that D-A edges are in the top position. Also, remove the rubber band from the cards so they will turn. Tension should be firm, but not too tight. TURNING THE CARDS Turn the cards together one quarter turn toward your body. Slide the cards back and forth to open the shed. The shed is the open space formed between the threads going through the top holes and the threads going through the bottom holes. After each turn of the cards, the weft thread is brought through this opening. Now, try a quarter-turn away from your body, again

3 '14- The weaving shed is the open space formed between the threads going through the top holes and the threads going through the bottom holes.

3-13. Turning the cards toward your body. The thumbs are placed on the top back, the fingers on the bottom.

3-15. Turning the cards away from your body. The thumbs are on the top front, the fingers on the bottom.

testing the shed. Hold the cards loosely but firmly and turn them as a unit. As you turn the cards, a slight jiggle will help move them into place. If an individual card does not turn or seems stubborn, make certain that it is threaded properly. Keep in mind that each "turn" is really only a quarter turn of the cards. WEAVING Before you start weaving, read through the rest of this chapter to get an idea of

how the weaving will develop. When you are ready to start weaving, begin with holes D-A in the top position. This is the beginning point of the pattern, and is sometimes referred to as the neutral position, since turning reversals for conventional weaving are made here. If they are not in the top position, turn the cards to put them there. When you begin, the threads are bunched together. It will take about eight rows to spread the threads and establish the width of the weaving. At this point, the pattern will begin to show clearly. The spreading will happen more quickly if you use a heavier weft thread for the first few rows (this can be pulled out when the weaving is completed). To begin weaving, slip the weft thread through the shed between the cards and your body, with the loose end hanging about 6 inches out of the shed. Turn the cards as a group one turn toward your body, bring the weft

3-16. The cards, the warp threads, and the weaving shed in relation to the weaver.

3'17. The first eight turns of the cards. After each turn, the weaver clears the shed, passes the weft thread through the shed, and beats the weft firmly into place before making the next turn.

I. Neutral err beginning position. Holes D and A are at the top.lt is in this position that the weft thread is first passed through the cleared shed.

2. The first turn toward your body brings hole C to the top; holes C and D are now on top. This row of weaving is equivalent to the D row that is represented on the pattern draft. Whenever you are turning the cards toward your body, the row that shows up on the top face of the weaving consists of the threads that go through the holes on top closest to the body. This is confusing, as two sets of holes are on top, in this case C andD. The C threads are hidden under the D threads and will appear on the next turn, if the next turn is toward the body.

3. The second turn toward your body. Holes B and C are now on top. This row of weaving is equivalent to the C row represented on the pattern draft.

4. The third turn toward your body. Holes A and B are now on top. This row of weaving is equivalent to the B row.

5. The fourth turn toward your body. Holes D and A are now on top. This row of weaving is equivalent to the A row. At this point you have made four quarter-turns, D-A is back on top, and the four rows of the pattern draft have been completed.

6. The first turn away from your body. Holes A and B are now on top. As soon as you reverse the turning direction of the cards, the pattern and the directional twisting of the threads reverse. When the cards are turning away from the body, it is the set of threads on top in the holes away from the body that shows on the surface of the weaving, in this case the A set of threads. Because you just had the A threads up on the last turn, they remain up on this turn. A separate row does not register on the top of the weaving, just an elongation of the previous row. This is called a reversal line. Whenever a reverse is made, the structure of the weaving changes. You will notice that the weft thread goes around the edges in a different way at this point.

7. The second turn away from your body. Holes B and C are now on top. This row of weaving is equivalent to the B row on the pattern draft.

8. The third turn away from your body. Holes C and D are now on top. This row of weaving is equivalent to the C row.

9. The fourth turn away from your body. This turn brings D-A again to the top and represents in the weaving the D row on the pattern draft. To achieve the full pattern, continue in this manner: four turns toward, four turns away.

through the new shed, and then turn the cards another turn toward your body, again slipping the weft through, and so on. You should give the cards a quarter turn toward the body four times in all, each time passing the weft through the newly created shed. At this point, the D-A edge is again on top. Now, do the same series of turns in the opposite direction. Turn the cards four quarter-turns away from your body, passing the weft thread through the shed each time (D-A will again be at the top). After each turn

of the cards, the shed will open cleanly if the cards are pulled toward you, then pushed away. Notice the elongation in the pattern that occurs each time you reverse turning directions.

3-J8. A graphic view of the weaving after the first eight turns. Rows 1 through 4 were created when the cards were turned toward the weaver's body, rows 5 through 8 when the cards were turned away from the weaver's body. This image represents the full pattern.

3-19. A close-up of Sample Band A, showing the woven image created by turning four turns toward and four turns away from the body. Compare the woven fabric to the graph. The first four rows show distinctly. When the reversal is made, row 4, the A row, duplicates. In the weaving this creates an elongation of the A threads rather than a separate, distinct row. Wherever there isareversal in the turning direction of the cards, this occurs.

After you have woven for a short while, you will be able to recognize at any time which way the next turn of the cards should go. As you weave Sample Band A, you will find that as you turn the cards toward you, a design emerges, and as you turn the cards away the mirror image appears. The complete pattern is eight quarter-turnsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;four toward and four away. As you proceed, notice that the pattern is a box structure outlined in the light color. The light color also links the boxes. On the first turn, the light color comes up in the center with the medium color on each side. The second turn brings all light threads up, and the third turn brings dark threads up in the center with light threads at each edge. Turn four brings up a medium center with a dark edge and then a light edge. The dark border (cards 1 and 10) always frames the very edge of each row. As you turn the cards toward your body, the box opens, and all the threads slant to the right. As you turn them away, the box closes, and the threads slant to the left. If this is your first weaving you may feel overwhelmed. If you pay attention to your craftsmanship, you lose the pattern; if you pay attention 43

to which way the cards should turn, you forget to pull your weft properly. To simplify the process, try turning continuously in one direction for a number of turns before reversing. This requires less concentration, makes for nice, neat edges, and gives you the opportunity to pay close attention to working the weft thread.

repeats the first four rows over and over: 1234,

3-21. Turning continuously away from the body repeats the second four rows over and over:

1234,1234 . . . orDCBA, DCBA.

5678, 5678, 5678 . . . or ABCD, ABCD.

3'20. Turning continuously toward the body

WARP TWIST When the cards turn, each set of four warp threads twists around itself on both sides of the cards. As you weave, this twist is woven in and becomes part of the fabric structure and an important design element. As you turn the cards toward you or away from you, the threads on the far side of the cards twist and untwist. If you do not turn the cards as many times in one direction as in the other, the twists will begin to distort the threads on the far side and make it difficult to turn the cards. When this happens, you must

3-22. Asa card turns around and around, the four threads that go through the holes twist on both sides of the card. This twist is woven into the fabric at the weaver's end. The threads between the cards and the anchor point will continue to twist until the cards are turned in the opposite direction. This change of direction reverses the pattern as well as the twist.

either reverse the turning direction of the cards (this reverses the twisting direction) or untie the anchored end of the warp and comb out the twists. It is possible to move the twists back a long way by taking each card individually and putting your finger between the top and bottom threads on the far side of it and pushing the twist back. Done one card at a time, the twist is quite easy to shift. SHIFTING THE WEAVING As you work, the weaving will appear between your body and the cards. As the weaving continues, you will have to lean forward. When this becomes uncomfortable, release the weaving (for it is now a weaving, not a bundle of warp threads) from your body, and bring it over and under your belt. Using a tapestry needle (or pin of appropriate size), pin the top to the bottom.

3-23. As the weaving increases in length and you need to move closer to the anchor point, snip or untie the cord that attaches it to your belt, and bring the weaving around the belt as shown. Insert a pin or tapestry needle through the two layers to secure the weaving.

STARTING A NEW WEFT THREAD If you run out of weft thread, simply overlap a new thread over the old in a shed. Once the weaving is completed, the loose ends can be cut flush with the edges of the weaving.

3-24. A new weft thread overlapping the old one.

REPAIRING A BROKEN WARP THREAD There are two ways to repair a broken warp thread. If the end protruding from the weaving is long enough, use a secure knot to attach a new warp strand to the broken thread. Tie the knot as close to the woven area as possible. Thread the new warp strand properly through the card and carry it along to the anchor point, adjust the tension, and tie. If the warp thread breaks within the weaving, pin a new warp thread in place as shown in Figure 3-25and continue weaving. When the weaving is completed, pull the pin and use a needle or crochet hook to weave the end back into the piece. You can avoid broken warp strands by choosing strong threads and by being gentle with them when you begin to weave. Yarn sometimes comes from the factory with knotsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;avoid using knotted lengths in your warp, as the cards will work the knots loose.

3-25. Replacing a warp thread broken and lost in the weaving. Secure the far end of the new thread at the knot, thread through the card, adjust the tension, and wind the thread figureeight style around a pin inserted in the weaving until it holds.

PATTERN VARIATIONS Many different pattern variations can be achieved by using different reversal points. Try reversing with B-C on top or C-D. This will create a different sequence of rows, and a new pattern. Another way of working which can be very effective is to turn five or six rows before reversing, and then to turn the same number of rows in the opposite direction.

4 turns toward

4 turns away

3-26. A woven example of Figure 3-27. 4 turns toward

3-27. The graphed image of Sample Band A using B-C as the reversal point and turning four turns toward and four away.

Using B-C as reversal point

4 turns toward

4 turns away

3-28. A woven example of Figure 3-29. 4 turns toward 3-29. The graphed image of Sample Band A usingC-D as the reversalpoint and turning four turns toward and four away.

Using C-D as reversal point

5 turns toward

5 turns away

3-30. A woven example of Figure 3-31. 5 turns toward

Using D-A as the reversal point and turning five toward and five away

3-31. The graphed image of Sample Band A using D-A as the reversal point and turning five turns toward and five away.

6 turns toward

6 turns away

3-32. A woven example of Figure 3-33,

6 turns toward

3-33. The graphed image of Sample Band A using D-A as the reversal point and turning six turns toward and six away.

Using D-A as the reversal point and turning six toward and six away

CONTROLLING THE WEFT THREAD There is a feeling for card weaving that comes with practice, with sensitivity to the materials, and with respect for the importance of good craftsmanship. As you weave, pull the weft thread tightly enough that it goes smoothly into the next shed, but not so tightly that it cramps the edges or causes the middle area of the weaving to bunch up. The weft thread binds the warp threads together and keeps the weaving flat and the edges straight. It should pull the warp threads close enough together that they cover the weft. It is most important that the weft go around the edges neatly and snugly. The weft thread should be beaten firmly into place immediately after it has been placed in its new shed. As the process of turning and shifting the cards will loosen the weft, give it a little tug before bringing it through the next shed. FINISHING Continue weaving until the sample is long enough or the cards are too close to the knot to turn. Untie the knot or cut it off, slip the cards off, and trim the fringe. Card weaving is tight and dense enough that no special precautions need be taken to avoid unraveling. When you slip the band from your waist, you will be holding the completed weaving. You will notice that the band does not lie completely flat, but turns up on one edge and then the

other. This comes from the warp twist that is woven into the fabric. Since all the cards are threaded in one direction, the threads all twist either one way or the other, depending on which direction the cards turn. This creates a torque in the fabric which is particularly noticeable when the cards are turned continuously in one direction for many rows. After you finish, press the weaving with a steam iron. This will settle the threads and help flatten the band. PROBLEMS AND MISTAKES IN WEAVING Clearing the shed. For a good shed, the warp threads must be under strong and even tension. Slide the cards once toward you and once away in a smooth, easy movement. Frantic or harsh movement will tend to shred the warp. The cards should be worked as a unit, and must be "square", not uneven. Always insert the weft close to the cards where the shed is largest. If you have a sticky warp or are working with many cards and the shed is hard to find, use a flat, smooth bar tapered on each end (it could be plastic, wood, or metal) to insert through the shed and turn on edge. If this is tapered on one long edge, it can also be used to beat the weft firmly into place. Turning the cards. As you turn the cards, beware of loose tension, of cards too tightly packed together, and of individual cards incorrectly threaded. Cards turn most easily on smooth threads, less easily on threads that are thick or fuzzy. Weft loops under the weaving. When you examine your weaving you might find loops of thread which run from one selvedge to the other on the back side. During weaving, especially on your first effort, it is very easy to drop the weft thread and, after picking it up, insert it from the wrong side, leaving a loop of thread underneath. This can be corrected by snipping the loop in the middle and reweaving the ends with a needle or crochet hook. Floating warp threads. You might find warp threads (that seem exceptionally long) floating on the top and bottom surface of your weaving. If you look closely you will probably see that in between is a woven section, but some threads did not catch. During weaving, you probably turned one turn one direction and then one the other direction, back and forth for a number of rows, so that two sets of holes created a woven center, the threads through one set of holes floated on the top, and the threads through the other set of holes floated on the bottom. This way of working is sometimes used to create a design element. Mistakes in weaving. Most card-weaving errors occur as a result of incorrect turning or of inaccurate threading. Always be doubly certain that the correct color is threaded through the right hole in each card. As you gain experience, you will work more accurately and confidently. As a beginner, you probably will not notice a mistake until you have woven several rows beyond it. If you make a mistake on your first weaving, do not worry. Try to identify the cause and continue weaving. Taking out a woven section to get at an error can be very frustrating and can sometimes cause even greater problems. When you must take out a section, you will

essentially be weaving backward (or unweaving). To do this, turn the border card on the side from which the weft protrudes in such a way as to open the shed and free the weft thread. Use this border card as a guide, and follow by moving all the remaining cards into the position of the guide border card. Threads often become very firmly entwined during weaving, so removing the weft thread can in some cases, especially with wool, require considerable force.

4-1 â&#x20AC;˘ Two sections of a band based on Figure 4-3 m silk and cotton.

PatternDraftingandDesigning

HERE ARE MANY approaches to visualizing and creating patterns for card weaving. The method described in this chapter involves working out the pattern, color, and threading direction on graph paper. A description of how the weaving is set up, how cards are turned, and how the weaving relates to the pattern draft is contained in Chapter 3. You will need to understand that information fully.

4-2. The design space defined for a pattern draft. The letters A, B, C, and D down the left-hand side represent the lettered holes on a square card. Each of the numbers I through 12 across the bottom represents an individual card. Each horizontal row represents one row of weaving.

DEFINING THE SPACE The blank grid shown here illustrates the design space for a weaving that would require twelve four-holed cards. The letters A, B, C, and D represent the card holes; each number across the bottom represents an individual card. Each square on the grid represents the point at which a warp thread will show on the surface of the completed weaving. There are forty-eight squares in the grid, just as there are a total of forty-eight holes in the twelve cards being used, and forty-eight warp threads in the weaving. The design area becomes wider or narrower depending on the number of cards, but remains only four rows high no matter how many cards you use (assuming that you are using cards with four holes). Graph paper is not the only way to record designs. In an article on card weaving in Anatolia, Lenore Kosswig describes pattern books made from felt squares. Each page in the book represents a card. Yarns are taken through the corners with a needle, indicating color and threading direction. The yarns are held in place by the fuzzy hairs of the felt. No doubt there will soon be computer programs designed especially for card weavers that duplicate the rows and various combinations, so that many rows, perhaps an entire band with complex variations, can be quickly visualized and printed.

4-3. A simple two-color design formed by filling in part of the design area.

DESIGNING THE PATTERN If you limit your pattern to twelve cards, you will have a design area as indicated by this grid to work with. The squares may be filled in with symbols that represent a complex pattern of many colors, or simpler designs may be developed with just two or three colors. The filled-in grid shows a very simple two-color, half-diamond design. 52

The weaving from this pattern can involve the simple four toward, four away turning of the cards, or it can incorporate a repetition or series of repetitions of any design element. The simple triangular, two-color design shown in Figure 4-3 is shown again in Figure 4-4 as it would appear if the cards were turned four turns toward the weaver, four turns away, and then eight turns toward the weaver. The woven design can be changed greatly by alternating or supplementing the regular four-turn series with one, two, three, five, or more turns before reversing. The series of turns may also be erratic, with three forward, five back, and so forth. It is also possible to turn some cards one way and others in the opposing direction. The pattern draft shows which color of thread goes through each card hole. To help you see the pattern and color arrangement, you can indicate different colors by symbols or by coloring in squares with colored pencils or felt-tip markers.

4-4. A graphed illustration of how the design in Figure 4-3 will appear after sixteen rows of weaving when the cards are turned in the following sequence: four turns toward the body, four away, and eight toward. The sequence of rows is based on beginning with the letters D-A on the top as described in Chapter 3. Detail of a weaving done from the pattern draft.

SELECTING COLORS There are no strict rules for using colors, but a few comments may be helpful. Strongly contrasting colors allow the pattern to show clearly and therefore are easiest for the beginner to use. In some weavings, the pattern created by the woven structure is emphasized by using only one color. Many weavers think of their designs in terms of light, medium, and dark values. A strong dark area can be divided into many dark colors which, while maintaining the dark shape, add variety and complexity. Begin with colors you like; if the colors arranged in a pattern turn out to be unsatisfactory, play with the design by turning the cards in various directions. Sometimes, a pattern that is turned four toward and four away 53

will be rounded and bland, but when turned continuously in one direction it will take on definition and become directional and vibrant. Always watch the bottom surface of the weaving, since unexpectedly attractive patterns that are quite different from the top patterns often appear there.

4-5. The pattern draft for Sample Band A (Chapter 3) was used for each of these bands. The same colors are used in each band but in different positions.

4-6. The back of the bands shown in Figure 4-5.

The placement of color can change the appearance of a pattern in almost any design. Figures 4-5 and 4-6 show how the different placement of color, light and dark in particular, can affect the pattern in one design (this is the same pattern used for Sample Band A in Chapter 3). Figure 4-7 shows the simple two-color pattern found in Figure 4-3 complicated by the addition of many colors and more cards. The main shape is evident in the

4'7. Considerably less complicated than it first appears, this is basically the same pattern as given in Figure 4-3 but with five symbols, each of which stands for a separate color.

center half-diamond. This shape is followed with different-colored lines paralleling the primary design element. The resulting pattern, if the cards are turned in the typical four forward, four back sequence, will be a pattern of diamonds within diamonds. Bands woven from this pattern draft are shown in 4-8.

4-8. A weaving produced from the pattern draft shown in Figure 4-7.

THREADING THE CARDS The direction of the twist that each card creates in its four warp threads is an important element of the design and texture of the finished weaving. It is determined by the direction from which the warp threads enter the card. Arrows at the bottom of the pattern draft indicate the threading direction. All four holes on each card must be threaded from the same direction, but each card may be threaded from either left or right, regardless of how the other cards are threaded. (For more information about threading, refer to the section titled Threading in Chapter 3.) Before you begin to weave, check your cards. The threads that go through each card should go through in the same direction as indicated by the arrows. A mixed threading direction in one card will prevent the card from turning. If one of your cards seems particularly unruly, check the threading direction. 55

If a pattern has only horizontal and vertical lines, the cards can be threaded either all one way or all the other way. If a pattern has oblique angles, as in Figure 4-3 and 4-7, the woven pattern can change radically depending on how it is threaded. Figure 4-10 shows three different ways of threading the same pattern. Figures 4-11 and 4-12 show the woven results. The threading direction determines whether a line that angles obliquely in the pattern will be smooth or broken. The graph in Figure 4-10 indicates how each thread will angle during weaving if threaded according to the arrows. Notice that the threads angle one way when the cards are turned toward the body and just the opposite when turned away. Oblique angles can be threaded to give a smooth line or a broken line, and these elements can be very important in the design. If the angles are threaded to

4-9. An individual card must be threaded either to the left or to the right. Before you start to weave, look down at your cards; the threads should travel through the hole in the direction indicated by the arrow on the pattern graph. The card shown here on the left is threaded to the left (<r-), the card on the right is threaded to the right

J. This threading produces a broken-angled design.

2. This threading produces a smooth-angled design.

4-10. These graphs show three possible ways of arranging and threading one basic pattern. Figure 4-11 shows how each of these threading arrangements will look when woven.

3. This threading produces a smooth-angled design on the left side of the weaving and a broken angle on the right.

4-11. These cotton bands, each I inch wide, are woven samples of the graphed patterns in Figure 4-10. Pattern 1 is on the left and Pattern 3 is on the right.

4'12. The back of the bands shown in Figure 4-11.

be smooth on the surface, they will be broken on the underneath or back side. Compare the weavings in Figure 4-11 with their back sides, shown in Figure 4-12. At the point during weaving where the threading direction is changed (between cards 6 and 7 on the graphs in Figure 4-10), the weft thread, which usually remains hidden in the weaving, will show on the woven surface as a short horizontal bar. It will appear every eight rows on the top surface if the cards are turned four turns toward the body and four away (see Figures 4-13 and 4-14). If the cards are turned continuously in one direction, the weft bar will not appear at all. Each time there is a change in the turning direction combined with a change in the threading direction, a space will open, exposing the weft thread either on the top or the bottom of the weaving. This small, horizontal bar can be an important design element, and the color and weight of the weft might be chosen with this in mind.

4-13. The individual threads in card weaving twist to the right or left depending on the direction from which the cards are threaded and on the direction in which they are turned. This way of drafting a pattern shows how the threads will angle as the cards are turned four turns toward the body and four turns away. Cards I through 6 are threaded to the left and will angle to the left (in the same direction the pattern angles) when the cards are turned toward the body. Cards 7 through 12 are threaded to the right and will angle to the right. Changing the turning direction mirrors the pattern and reverses the twisting direction.

4-14- A silk band, 2 inches wide, in a pattern that combines angles and horizontal lines. The short bars of the weft thread show every eight rows in the center of the weaving (at the apex of the diamond) as a result of the change in threading direction and the change in turning direction. When the cards are turned continuously in one direction, the weft bar does not show.

4-15. Pattern draft for the weaving shown in Figure 4-14.

Many patterns that could be threaded all one way, such as Sample Band A in Chapter 3, take on a different look when threaded in other ways. Also notice that the twining or twisting that comes from the cards influences the twist in the thread (the twist that has been imparted during spinning and plying). The twist created by the cards will either increase or decrease this original twist. As a result, textural differences will occur and create patterns, even when only one color is used.

4-16. Sample Band A from Chapter 3 woven with three different threading arrangements. In the band on the right, all the cards are threaded in one direction. In the middle band, half the cards are threaded in one direction, the other half in the other. In the left band, threading alternates.

4-17. The pattern in this monochromatic silk band comes from changes in threading direction and turning direction. For the beginning and end of the bands, the cards were arranged in alternate threading. During weaving, turning reversals were done at one-inch intervals, ere' ating definite horizontal lines. For the central section of the weaving, the 80 cards were divided into five groups of 16 cards each. The cards were flipped (discussed in Chapter 6). One group was threaded one way and the adjacent group the other way. During weaving, turning reversals were done at approximately one-inch intervals, resulting in a checkerboard pattern.

ALTERNATE THREADING In the first example (on the left in Figure 4-16), the threading direction alternates from one card to the next; one card is threaded one way, the next the other. In alternate threading, the woven structure has a very different look from the card weavings examined so far. The surface structure has the appearance of knitting. In addition to the visual design factor, alternate threading produces a balanced weave and therefore a flat fabric.

4-18. When cards are threaded in pairs, one in one direction and the next in the opposite (alternate threading), the weaving (when the cards are turned continuously in one direction) has the appearance of knitting.

Traditionally, alternate threading was used on a series of border cards on each side of the pattern cards to balance the twist and flatten the band. The border cards were turned continuously in one direction to avoid reversals while the pattern cards were turned to create designs. As you saw earlier, each time the turning direction is reversed, the weft thread shows. With alternate or paired threading, it will show between every two thread groups. This can be used successfully as a design element, as shown in Figures 4-19 and 4-20. When used as a border treatment, frequent reversals can be distracting and unattractive. While weaving Sample Band A, you probably noticed that when you reversed turning directions, the weft thread showed differently on the edges at that point. Since the pattern creates a mirror image, there is a repeat of the previous row and an elongation. This spreads the warps a little and creates a bulge at the edge. If you turn the

cards continuously in one direction, there are no reverses and no elongations and the weft goes around the edge tightly and neatly every single row. Ideally, for the smoothest edge, the border cards would be alternately threaded and turned continuously in one direction and the center (pattern) cards would turn and reverse to create the pattern.

4-19. This band, woven of waxed linen thread, is all one color. The structure and pattern come from alternate threading. The cards were turned seven rows before reversing. The reversals show clearly and the exposed weft thread is especially obvious.

4'20. In this pattern the twenty cards are alternately threaded, using white cotton threads in the center with two border cards on each side in red. The weft thread is red and is clearly visible as dark against light at the reversals.

SAMPLE BAND Bâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Alternately Threaded Borders Once you have the basics of cardweaving down, it is easy to take advantage of borders that are alternately threaded. Thread a series of border cards on each side alternately; then thread the pattern section and place it in the center. (Use the pattern graphed in Figure 4-22 or one of your own making.) When you begin weaving, push the border cards farther along on the warp and keep the center, pattern cards closer to your body. Turn the border cards

4-22. Graph for Sample Band B.

4-21. A bird's-eye view of separating the cards into groups for turning in different directions. The border cards will turn continuously in one direction to make tight, neat edges, and the center pattern cards will turn according to the design.

4-23. Detail of Sample Band B woven in mercerized cotton.

continuously in one direction and the pattern cards in whatever sequence you desire. After a quarter turn of each group, clear the shed, and pass the weft. At some point, the yarns in the border cards will become so severely twisted that they will interfere with turning the cards. It is possible to insert your finger on the other side of each card through the shed and push the twist back (this usually has to be done one card at a time), but sooner or later you will have to reverse the turning direction of the border cards. In a length in which pattern cards reverse many times, the border cards will reverse only a few times. Another solution is to untie and release the warp threads at the far anchor point, untwist each group of four threads, and then reestablish tension. This takes time and must be done carefully. If the

4'24- A 3-inch-wide band woven in alternate threading with thick, nubbly yarns arranged in stripes next to silk stripes. The thin, smooth silk areas in black emphasize the texture of the heavier, multicolored rayon yarns.

tension is uneven, it will show in the weaving. Other solutions to the twisting problem are described in Chapter 9. ELONGATING DESIGN ELEMENTS After you've tried weaving four toward and four away, or turning the cards continuously one way and then the other, the next challenge is to modify the design motifs by trying shorter turning sequences. For instance, you can elongate sections of the pattern by turning two turns toward and two away, over and over. This repeats two of the four pattern rows. Figures 4-24 and 4-25 show how this can be done with Sample Band A. Since the cards do not make a full rotation, twining does not occur, and the surface of the fabric has the appearance of plain weave.

4-25. B;y turning two turns toward and two away, part of a pattern can be elongated. This detail shows how the box image from Sample Band A (Chapter 3) can be elongated by repeating rows A and B.

4-26. If rows C and D are repeated, the boxes in Sample Band A can be spaced more widely apart.

THICK AND THIN YARNS By varying the weight and texture of yarns, very simple, beautiful bands that emphasize the quality and nature of the yarns can be produced. For example, a number of cards repeating the pattern of two cards in alternate threading with heavy yarns in one color next to two or more cards alternately threaded in thin yarns of another color produces an elegant band. The weft thread can also vary. If the weft is thicker than the warp, the band will be sturdier, and the pattern elongated. A thinner weft will

tend to compact bulky yarns, especially if they are soft. You can use a heavier weft thread of an entirely different color from that of the threads in the edge cards. This will give a dot pattern along the edge which looks like a series of beads. Two weft threads can be used, passing in opposite directions. This is sometimes used to make a neater edge, and sometimes as a decorative element. VARIATIONS As you can see, completing the pattern draft is only the beginning. Once the cards are threaded and weaving begins, you can change and elaborate the design by turning the cards in different sequences, by turning individual cards, and by working in the many other ways shown throughout this book. The variations possible with different-shaped cards, with holes in special positions, and with weaving sheds at different points, give rise to infinite variations and many special adaptations. Another way to change the pattern is to leave sections unwoven. The dense warp gives bulk and solidity to fringes and unwoven sections. The cards can be simply shifted along the warp, leaving open sections, or, if you want each set of four warp threads twisted, the cards can be turned many times in one direction without bringing the weft thread across. Draw the cards close to the weaving after every few turns to condense and emphasize the twist.

4-27. Many variations can be created by using different kinds of cards and making the weaving shed in different places. A few possibilities are shown here.

4-28. Another effective design element is to interspace woven and unwoven sections. This small piece (10 inches try 10 inches) in fine silk is composed of a series of twelve bands, assembled in a traditional kimono shape. (Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Kroll.)

5-1. Bands based on the "ram's horn" (Pattern Draft 12).

PatternDrafts

N THIS CHAPTER, you will find a number of pattern drafts along with descriptions and photographs of bands that were woven from them. After working through Chapters 3 and 4, studying these bands will give a fuller understanding of how the pattern draft relates to the woven image and of some of the complexities possible. The patterns shown in this chapter were chosen for their variety and aesthetic potential. Many factors affect the final appearance of each card-woven band: placement of color, kind and weight of yarn, and most important, turning sequence. The initial pattern draft is an exciting design tool, but it is only the beginning. Along with each pattern draft is a legend indicating the number of warp threads needed for each color and a brief discussion of how the woven pattern was formed. When specific colors are given, they correspond to the legend, starting with the darkest color. Do not feel restricted to the materials or colors listed, or to the position of a particular color within a weaving. Use the drafts as inspiration.

Pattern Draft 1.

5-2. The. 2-inch-wide band woven from Pattern Draft 1 is of tightly spun, plied wool in black, red, and white. The pattern is a series of three half-diamonds outlined in black on a white ground. The border threads are red, and red warp threads appear in the centers of the halfdiamonds. The red weft thread, which does not show in the black-and-white photograph, is an important part of the design, appearing whenever there is a reversal. The beginning and end of the band are woven with the usual four turns toward the body and four away. The middle section shows the results of turning the cards arbitrarily out of the usual sequence (five toward, two away, etc.). When the cards turn continuously in one direction the black halfdiamonds become zigzags with red tip extensions.

5-3. A detail of the midsection.

Pattern Draft 2.

5-4. This band, woven in silk, elaborates on Sample Band A from Chapter 3. The box shape is wider and rounded on the sides. The pattern is not quite symmetrical. In the detail shown, the sequence of turns is the conventional four toward and four away.

Pattern Draft 3.

5-5. Three sections of a band woven from Pattern Draft 3; the image is very directional when the cards are turned continuously in one direction. When the cards are turned four toward and four away, the shapes connect and soften. Random turning breaks the pattern up even more. The bold, light shapes that work along the edges contrast with the smaller, subtler shapes in the center.

Pattern Draft 4.

5-6. Two sections of a contemporary cardwoven band from Syria. The warp consists of synthetic fibers, and the weft is a heavier cotton cord. The weaving is tightly packed, producing a stiff band. There is only one reversal, in the center of the band. The wide blue section in the center in paired threading is especially effective.

Pattern Draft 5.

5-7. This band is made of a natural, plied, roughly spun goat-hair in black and white. The heavy, coarse materials spread the pattern. The simple dark lines on the white ground emphasize the materials. The cards are turned conventionally, four toward and four away.

Pattern Draft 6.

5-8. Turn the cards continuously in one direction to produce this fretwork pattern. It makes an excellent border pattern. It can also be split and a different pattern can be added to the center. The yarns used here are silk and cotton.

Pattern Draft 7.

5-9. For the pattern at the top of the band, turn the cards four toward and four away. The image at the bottom was created by turning the cards continuously toward. This pattern makes a good edge or border pattern when split, cards 1 through 10 on one side and 11 through 20 on the other.

Pattern Draft 8.

5-10. This pattern is composed of a number of small patterns separated by stripes. Although simple, it is quite beautiful. The cards are turned continuously in one direction. Two sections of the band are shown.

Pattern Draft 9.

5-11. This pattern combines circles, horizontal lines, and vertical lines. The cards are turned four toward and four away.

Pattern Draft 10.

5-\2. This band is bas ed on an Egyptian pattern detailed in Mary Meigs Atwater's book, Byways in Handweaving. Woven in 3/2 mercerized cotton, it is 4Vi inches wide. Turning consists of four toward and four away. The offset pattern works very well and shows only in the four-four turning sequence. The four border cards on each side can be turned continuously in one direction to give a firm, neat edge.

Pattern Draft 11.

5-13. This pattern was taken from a Turkish band purchased by the author more than twenty years ago. The original is shown in color on page 125. This band is woven in 3/2 mercerized cotton.The main pattern image (two diamonds separated by a bar) involves a turning sequence of five toward and five away beginning with A-B m the top position. The five border cards on each side turn continuously in one direction. If the cards in the center are turned continuously in one direction, half-diamonds appear.

Pattern Draft 12.

Notice the reversal on the upper part of the band. I drew a line across at that point and compared the four rows of weaving with the pattern draft. This gave me a starting point. My first attempt to weave the pattern indicated that individual cards were turned to extend part of the pattern. After many attempts, I came up with the following sequence for creating this pattern.

5-14- The band on the left is a more complicated Turkish band, and is shown in color on page 67. It is duplicated on the right in 3/2 mercerized cotton. Exactly how the pattern was woven remained a mystery to me for many years. The shape and repeats are such that the images cannot be made with a normal turning sequence (such as 4-4, 5-5, or all in one direction). I began my sleuthing by drafting the pattern.

Start the weaving by turning continuously toward you for a while and then away, to see the basic pattern and to establish the weaving. End with D-A on the top and bring the weft through. Separate the cards by sliding3,4, 5— 8, 9, JO—13, 14, 15—18, 19, 20 along the warp away from you. Notice the pattern: two cards near, three away, two near, three away, two near, three away, two near, three away, two near. Turn the cards near you (the sets of twos) away from your body. Turn the distant cards (the sets of threes) toward your body. After you have turned all the sets, bring the weft across. Continue in this manner until D-A is back on top (total of four turns of each set). Now turn all the cards (keep groups separate) four turns away. These eight turns create the image and are repeated over and over in the example shown. To reverse the image do the same actions, but reverse the turning directions. Begin by turning all the cards four turns toward, then separate the cards and turn the sets of twos toward and the sets of threes away. It takes a while to get used to the system and to see clearly how the patterns dovetail. In the course of getting the angles right, you will probably come up with some interesting variations. This is an exceptionally beautiful image frequently referred to as the ram's-horn pattern. It is a wonderful example of how inventive weavers develop and refine a pattern.

Pattern Draft 13.

5'16. This band was set up to shift and interlace woven sections during weaving. The forty cards for the pattern were set up in groups of ten cards each. The yarn is a 5/2 mercerized cotton, and the band is 2VA inches wide at its widest point. Notice that each section has border cards of similar colors. As the sections shift, there will always be an appropriate color at the edge. In the weaving shown, the cards were turned continuously in one direction and then in the other. Reversals were arranged to occur in the middle of the flat-weave sections. In the beginning all the cards were worked together and turned toward the body for 6 inches. The four groups were then split and woven separately with individual weft threads (each section 2 inches long). It is easier to complete one section before going on to the next. Push the cards that you are not turning back on the threads out of the way. If you slightly lift the group you are working with after turning, it will be clear which warp threads to include. As you finish weaving each group, make sure the letters on the cards match so that your pattern will be even.

After all the sections have been woven, loosen the tension and interlace them by lifting one over another. Turn all the cards as a unit and resume weaving with a single weft thread. As weaving continues, tighten warp tension. Inserting a rigid element like a long needle on a weft row helps to stabilize the weaving. The first few turns are trickyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;turn with one hand and hold the weaving with the other. It is important not to get the weft too tight. Measure the width near the beginning of your band and do your best to maintain this width. After the band is finished, the threads will migrate and fill out the weaving. Two elements need special attention: the length of the smaller sections and the tightness of the weft thread when full-width weaving is

resumed. The sections must be long enough to shift but not so long as to cause a lot of slack. The weft at the point at which you resume weaving after shifting must be loose enough to accommodate the full width. If it is too tight, the weaving will look strangled at that point. There will be many extra weft ends. Worry about them later. ]f you have overlapped them with ano ther weft thread, you can cut them flush when the weaving is completed. If they need special securing, draw them through another weft row with a crochet hook or needle. Picking cards up and moving them from one position to another transforms the texture and pattern of the weaving. The possibilities in this technique are discussed further in Chapter 7.

Pattern Draft 14.

5-17. This is an example of the skip-hole technique. The holes represented by the dark spaces on the pattern draft are not threaded and remain empty, causing depressions in the woven surface and exposure of the weft thread. The warp threads are all the same color to emphasize the surface texture. The band is silk and the cards were turned continuously in one direction. Varying the weight and color of the weft thread will change the appearance of the pattern.

6-1. Contemporary Tibetan belts, with images woven in the double-faced technique.

Dark and Light Patterning

HE METHOD OF card weaving explained in Chapter 4 and the patterns in Chapter 5 require working the pattern out carefully on graph paper, using as many different colors and shapes as desired and threading each card according to the graph. The method explained in this chapter is a completely different approach. Each pattern card is set up with the same color of threads, usually two dark and two light in a dark, dark, light, light sequence. And because all cards carry the same color of threads in the same order, a special, quick way of warping can be used. 83

You can use the dark/light pattern threading to create a vast array of striped angular motifs, or for linear angles, double-faced or double weave bands. Patterns are created by varying the turning sequences, by turning individual cards in systematic sequences, and by "flipping" cards to reverse the threading direction. Working this way, you can change color arrangement and threading direction at will. This simple, consistent dark/light setup allows for great design flexibility. The lettered holes and the fronts and backs of cards are no longer important and are frequently ignored. Border cards carrying the same color in each hole are frequently added to frame the pattern. Weaving Sample Band C will give you an idea of how the dark/light threads interact to give a variety of pattern and structural possibilities. All the examples illustrated, unless otherwise noted, are woven in black and white 3/2 mercerized pearl cotton.

SAMPLE BAND C The warp can be prepared as described in Chapter 4 or in a special, speedier way described here. In this method, called circular or continuous warping, the warp is wrapped, combed, threaded, and tensioned all at the same time. For this example, you will need a total of twenty cards Make two balls of dark yarn and two balls of light. Stack sixteen cards so that the holes match. Pull a dark thread through all the A holes, the second dark thread through all the B holes, a light thread through the C holes, and the second light thread through the D holes as shown in the illustration. For instructional purposes, it is helpful to have the dark threads through holes A and B. Whichever holes are used, it is important that the color sequence is dark, dark, light, light. Attach two C-clamps to a table. The distance between will be the length of the warp (and the length of the weaving minus take-up and end waste). Tie the four ends that you have just drawn through the card holes to one C-clamp. Put the four balls of yarn in a box or basket to keep them from rolling.

6-2. To wind a warp by dropping cards, use four balls of yarn, with each yam end going through one hole of each card. For Sample Band C, dark threads go through holes A and B and light threads through holes C and D. As the cards are drawn along the threads, a single card is dropped with each pass. Drop one card at the beginning, go around the second C-clamp and as you pass the first card, drop a second card, then around the first C-clamp, and immediately drop a third card.

Begin by drawing the stack of cards along the threads toward the second C-clamp. As you start, slide one card away toward the first C-clamp so that it is separated from the pack and hanging on the threads. Shift the remaining cards along the threads, around the second C-clamp and back, dropping another card near the first as you approach the first C-clamp. Each time the warp threads pass the threaded cards, another card is dropped, one on one side, then one on the other, until all the cards are individually threaded. Watch the tensionâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;it should be the same for all passes. When you complete the warping process, tie the thread ends to the first C-clamp or to the first four ends. These sixteen cards will be referred to as the pattern cards. For easy reference, number them, beginning with the card on the left. The remaining four cards will be threaded for the borders. To make a dark border, use four balls of dark yarn and thread the four cards as before. Put two of these cards threaded with dark yarn on each side, with the sixteen pattern cards in between. The cards are now threaded, the warp is combed, and the tension is established. Notice that the first two cards are at the center and the last cards are on the edges. Half the cards are threaded in one direction and half in the other.

6-3. Ultimately, the cards will be threaded half one way and half the other. This is a bird's-eye view of the threading. Continuous warping can result in a number of different threading variations, depending on how the cards are taken around the C-clamps.

Weaving can progress between the C-clamps, or one or both ends can be cut, knotted, and tied to something else. To keep the weaving from turning sideways, slide the loops off each C-clamp, run a cord through the loops, and attach this cord back to the C-clamps or other anchor points. Arrange the cards by turning them individually or in groups so that all the dark threads are in the top position. Half the cards will be threaded to the left and half to the right. To get all the cards threaded in the same direction (left to right), stand at the first C-clamp (this is where you will begin your weaving) and look down so that you can see which cards are threaded right to left. Flip them individually to change their threading

6-4. Cards can be flipped to change the threading direction. Although it is not obvious, the sequence of the threads changes when cards are flipped. This is why flipping is successful only with some patterns. This particular way of flipping is on the vertical axis. It is also possible to flip horizontally or diagonally.

direction. To flip a card, put the weaving under tension as for weaving, and turn the card on its vertical axis as shown in the illustration. It will turn only one way; this is determined by its threading direction. This will reverse the card (the card will now face in the opposite direction), reverse the threading direction, and reverse the sequential order of the threads in the card. The card can now be turned so that both dark threads are on top. Changing threading direction doesn't create color sequence problems on a dark, dark, light, light threading, but could be a problem if each of the holes were threaded with a different color. To space the threads and give a foundation for the weaving, weave four turns toward the body and four away to establish the weaving width. As you follow the instructions, always bring the weft thread through the shed opening after every quarter turn of the cards. The weft should be the same color as the border cards. Pattern Iâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;HORIZONTAL STRIPES All the dark threads and all the light threads should be lined up and all the cards threaded left to right. Turn the cards continuously in one direction for an even number of turns to produce horizontal stripes. Turn the same number of turns in the opposite direction to keep the warp from twisting. At this point of reversal, there will be a subtle change in the structure of the weave and the appearance of the pattern. Depending on where you reverse the turning direction, the stripe might widen or stay about the same. When you turn the cards toward your body, all the threads will angle or twist to the right; when you turn the cards away, they will angle to the left. Variation: Arrange the cards so that all the dark threads are on top. Flip alternate pattern cards. The weaving is now alternately threaded (as explained in Chapter 4). This arrangement is also called a paired, or one-one, threading. Weave a number of turns in one direction and then in the other. This produces horizontal stripes that look as though they have been knitted; they have a serrated edge. Because the cards are alternately threaded the weave is balanced (half the threads twisWne way and half the other) and lies flat.

6-5. Horizontal stripes take on a different appearance depending on the threading. The hot' torn image is threaded in one direction and turned in one direction. The top stripes are alternately threaded, and turned in one direction.

Pattern 2â&#x20AC;&#x201D;DIAGONAL STRIPES Now we are going to turn individual cards to create a color sequence that will weave diagonal stripes. First, flip the necessary cards, including the borders, so that all are threaded to the right. Then turn the first pattern card on the left (1) so that the dark threads are in the top position. Turn the next card (2) so the dark threads are in the away position; put card 3 in the down position, card 4 in the toward position, and so on to the end. If you were to graph this pattern, it would look like Figure 6-6. I call this arrangement notching. 6-6. This draft shows how the dark-light sequence would be arranged if drafted. Each card has two dark threads and two light threads. The direction of threading from left to right will produce a smooth angle on the weaving surface. If cards are threaded with two darks and two lights, individual cards can be turned to put the colors in the right places to produce this pattern.

With the cards in this notched arrangement, make a series of turns toward and then away, weaving after each turn. The angles should be clear and smooth. When you turn toward the body, the lines angle to the right; when you turn away, they angle to the left. If your lines are not smooth, check the underside of your weaving; you might find that the lines are smooth on the bottom side of the band. If so, and if you want the bottom image to be on the top, either change the threading direction or reverse the notching direction. 87

6-7. After setting up the threading and color for the diagonal pattern, smooth lines will form to the left when the cards are turned away, and to the right when turned toward.

6-8. The previous image showed a pattern with all the threads threaded in one direction. The image shown here results if the cards are alternately threaded. You can weave this image by flipping every other card.

6-9. With the diagonal pattern, turn the cards four toward and four away to create wavy lines.

Pattern 3â&#x20AC;&#x201D;CHEVRONS This arrangement of color and threading direction produces chevrons when the cards are turned continuously in one direction. For this pattern, we want half the cards to produce lines that angle diagonally to the right, and the other half to the left. The setup is tricky. You'll probably have to try it a couple of times before the weaving looks right. Begin by arranging the colors and threading as indicated for diagonal stripes (all cards threaded to the right and notched). To create the chevron image, you have to reverse half the cards (flipping each card reverses the threading and the notching direction): take the left half of the cards including the border cards (two border cards and eight pattern cards if you have twenty) and flip each one in turn so that the left cards are all threaded to the left. The last pattern card in the left group will be pattern card 8, and the first card in the right group will be pattern card 9. Turn all the cards in the left section simultaneously so that the dark threads in pattern card 8 are in the same position as the dark threads in pattern card 9. As card 8 is placed properly, all the other cards (1 through 7) are automatically placed as well. Now the left side mirrors the right side in threading direction and notching direction. If you turn continuously toward the body, the chevrons will begin with a point and become wider as they are wovenâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;when you turn away continuously, the chevrons become narrower as they are woven and then will come to a point. A series of diamonds can be formed by turning four turns toward and four away (begin the sequence with the point of the chevron). 88

6-10. A series of card-woven bands in fine silk. The pattern is based on the dark-tight setup and incorporates horizontal stripes, diagonal tines, chevrons, and doublefaced weave. (Plum Kimono, 9" x 7", collection James Storey)

6-11. This detail of a series of silk bands shows variations created from diagonal tines and chevrons. The basic setup is dark-light, but the light threads vary in color.

6-12. Chevrons are produced by mirroring the cards and turning continuously in one direction. Diamond shapes are formed when the turning direction is reversed. The image shown is pro' duced by turning many turns toward and then away.

6'13. This image is formed by turning the cheV' ron pattern four toward and four away; the point at which you make the turning reversal is important.

Variation: In the chevron pattern, the cards are arranged in an eight-eight arrangement. One set of eight pattern cards mirrors the other set in threading direction and notching direction. By arranging four-card units so that they mirror each other, a series of smaller chevrons can be formed. If you arrange the sixteen pattern cards in a four-four arrangement,

6-14- The previous band showed the chevron in an eight-eight arrangement. This detail shows a four-four arrangement. Each four-card section mirrors the preceding section. The detail shows one turning reversal.

6-15. The previous band showed the chevron in a four-four arrangement. This detail shows a two-two arrangement. The cards turn continuously in one direction with one reversal.

6-16. This detail also shows a two-two arrangement but with every other section offset as a unit one more notch. One reversal is shown.

6-17. This weaving expands on the previous one. The same sections are offset one more notch.

you will have two chevrons. Even smaller patterns can be formed with a two-two arrangement or a one-one arrangement. Pay attention to the threading sequence and be sure to mirror the color order. Depending on how you notch the color and whether you mirror or offset it, many different patterns can be formed. Pattern 4â&#x20AC;&#x201D;DOUBLE-FACED WEAVE In double-faced weaving, half the threads show on the bottom of the weaving and the other half on the top. The pattern consists of a series of two turns toward the body and two turns away. Position the color as shown in the illustration. If you do your turns as described here, the top will be dark and the bottom light (with the exception of the border cards, which are all dark). Arrange the cards so that they are threaded in one direction (doublefaced weaving is also frequently done using alternate threading). Place all the dark threads in the away position. The key to this turning sequence is that the two dark threads in each card are never in the bottom position at the same time. Turn 1 puts the dark threads on top, turn 2 puts the dark threads toward, turn 3 back to the top, and turn 4 away. Sometimes, when the dark threads are in the top position, it is hard to remember which direction to turn next. If you turn the wrong way, warp threads float. If you watch carefully, you can usually catch this mistake before weaving the row. Double-faced weaving can be effective when used with other patterns. It can be used to extend or elongate a design within a regular card weaving, and it can also be used to foreshorten or telescope such designs (this is reviewed in Chapter 4 under Elongating Patterns). Treat the threads as you did the dark threads in Sample Band C. The threads going through the holes that follow this pattern of movement (top, toward, top, away) will always appear on the top surface of the weaving.

6-18. In double-faced weaving, sequences of two turns in one direction and two in the other are used rather than the usual four. In this example, only the threads going through holes A and B (dark) will show on the top surface of the weaving. Notice how A and B are never in the bottom position at the same time.

6-19. A weaving in fine silk (10 inches by 10 inches) composed of several bands. The midsection of each band is woven in the double-faced technique to put the dark color on the top surface.

6-20. Detail of a silk weaving composed of a series of bands worked in double-faced weave. Cards threaded in a dark color create stripes which break up the surface.

6-21. This silk band shows how dark/light patterning can work to place very different images in the same band.

Variation: Double-faced weave is the format for many images that involve dark/light or positive/negative patterning. You can bring light threads to the surface by turning individual cards 180 degrees and thus create complex images that change row by row. This is the usual way of making letters or dates on commemorative pieces. Slight differences in the image edges occur, depending on whether you turn the cards toward or away when changing the color and at what point in the two-two turning sequence you change the color. The following method generally works. You are working along with the two-two turning sequence and ready to reverse the color on some of the cards. First bring the weft thread across, note in which direction the next turn will be, then take the cards which carry the threads you want reversed and turn them two quarter-turns in the opposite direction (this reverses the color arrangement). Then turn all the cards in the appropriate direction before inserting the next weft. To get the feeling for how this works try the following. 1. Using the double-faced structure, weave a section that is dark on top, light on bottom. After completing either row 2 or row 4 in the turning

6-22. Ulack squares worked on a white ground in the double'faced technique.

6-24- A Bulgarian woolen belt in brown, red, green, yellow, andwhite. The pattern cards are alternately threaded, and the images are formed using the double-faced technique. (Courtesy of the Museum of Ethnology, Hamburg.)

6-23. A shape worked in the double-faced technique. Individual cards are randomly turned 90 degrees to bring the bottom color to the surface.

6-25. Detail of a Persian band in black silk and silver-wrapped thread. The pattern cards are alternately threaded, giving a paired structure to the weaving. The peacock image is created with the double-faced technique. Early twentieth century. (Courtesy of the Historical Museum, Bern. MT 105.)

sequence, keep going two more turns in the same direction, weaving after each turn. This puts the light threads in position to work on top. If the light threads are in the position toward the body, turn two turns away, then two toward and continue in this manner for however long you want the white section to be on top. Alternate between dark sections and light sections until you are comfortable with changing the color. Then go on to step 2. 2. Turn half the cards 180 degrees to reverse the color on half the weaving. Since only some of the cards are turned, do not bring the weft across. Bring the weft across only when you turn all the cards as a unit Weave so that the top has dark threads on the left and light on the rightthen turn all the cards 180 degrees to reverse the color. 3. Weave a light square on a dark ground, and then a dark square on a light ground. This involves turning groups of cards 180 degrees to reverse the color (without weaving) in order to create an image. 4. Weave a triangle. This involves turning individual cards at just the right time to create smooth diagonal lines. 5. Weave a broken horizontal line. By turning cards randomly on different rows of weaving to reverse the color you can create a broken line.

Pattern #5—DOUBLE WEAVE Double weave involves two separate layers of warp and two weft threads, resulting in two separate layers of cloth. In the past, it was frequently used to weave money belts. Double weave is similar to double-faced weave—half the threads show on the top and half on the bottom—but in double weave, the layers are separated, and there are two weft shots per row of weaving. To do this, the cards are held on their points so as to create two sheds, one for each layer.

6-26. The card positions for double weaving. The cards are angled to form two weaving sheds and are rocked back and forth between two holes (in this case between A and B, to put the dark threads on top). To maintain two individual and separate layers of weaving, the same two holes must be used continuously. After each card shift, the weft thread goes through both sheds, as indicated by the arrows. The weaving produced will have two separate layers connected at the sides.

Arrange the cards so that all the dark threads are in the top position with all cards threaded in one direction. Tilt the cards so that all the A holes are on the top point. This puts the C holes on the bottom and the B and D holes in the center. This arrangement forms upper and lower sheds. Pass the weft thread through the upper shed and around through the lower shed. Now turn the cards to put the B hole on the top point. This puts the D hole in the bottom position and the A and C holes in the middle and creates new upper and lower sheds. Again, bring the weft through the upper shed and then through the lower shed. Continue weaving, moving between A and B in the top point position. This creates two separate layers of fabric that are attached at the sides. If you turn the cards to the normal position, with holes A and B on the top, you can reach into the space formed by the two layers. It is possible to insert an object into that space and then weave it in by going back to normal weaving. If at any point in double weave you change the top color and turn the cards to work C and D in the top point position, the two layers will pass by each other and be joined at that point. Double weave is more difficult to control than conventional card weaving because the sheds are smaller and harder to see. The weaving is also thicker, since there are two weft threads per row.

6-27. A double-woven scarf in three-ply wool, 4 inches wide. Except for the extreme borders, the color and design on the back of the weaving are the exact reverse of what appears on the top surface.

Variation: You can work the same images with double weave that you worked with double-faced weave. The weaving will have a different texture and appearance because of the total separation of the layers. It is also possible in double weave to use two separate weft threads so that the sides are not attached, or to use one weft thread and manipulate it so that one edge is open and the other closed. The weft thread can also be worked so that it begins at the middle on the top, goes halfway across the top shed, around the edge and through the bottom shed, and then across

6-28. A band that uses double weaving to make letters.

the top to the center. If this is done for a number of turns so that the weft never passes over center top, the weaving will have two separate layers joined at the sides with a vertical opening at the center top. Pattern 6â&#x20AC;&#x201D;BROAD DIAGONALS

6-29. Color-coding card edges is an aid to keeping track of where you are.

6-30. To weave this variation of broad diagonals, turn all the cards in one direction for two turns; then separate two cards on the left into a second group. Turn this second group in the opposite direction. After two rows of weaving, shift two more cards. Continue in this manner until all cards are in the left group. (Border cards are worked with the two adjacent pattern cards.)

This way of working is complex and rather tricky. It involves turning some cards in one direction and some in another and then, after every two turns, shifting two cards from one group to another. This technique works directionally with angled lines and is an expansion of Pattern 2. Arrange the cards as indicated in Pattern 2 (threading and notching). Now, to make life simpler, color'Code the edges of all the cards. First, make sure that everything is right by turning four turns toward the body. You should have clear lines that angle to the right. Now, with a broad-tipped blue marking pen, mark across their top edges. Then mark the away edge red, the bottom edge green, and the toward edge orange. Blue and green will always go together, and red and orange will always go together. Turn all the cards one turn toward the body: red is now up; weave. The second turn brings green up; weave. Now shift the first two pattern cards on the left (plus the two border cards) along the weft threads so that they form a separate group and turn them away from the body. Continue turning the right group toward the body. Bring the weft thread through the shed formed by the two groups. Now turn the left group away and the right group toward and weave. Turn in the same manner and weave again. Then

6-31. This variation on broad diagonals is similar to the previous illustration. As in the previous weaving, begin by turning all the cards two turns in one direction, then separate in pairs on the left after every two rows of weaving (this group turns in the opposite direction), and when all the cards are in the left group, turn all the cards for two turns. This is where this pattern differs. Separate cards by pairs on the right after every two rows of weaving and turn these in the opposing direction.

6-32. This variation on broad diagonals is like the previous illustration except that there is a reversal in the turning direction after all cards have shifted.

separate two cards from the right group and shift them to join with the left group. Continue in this manner until all the cards have been shifted from the right group to the left and do a final two rows, turning all the away cards as a unit. The basic principle is that two cards are shifted after every two turns. The shifts always happen on either green or blue, and green always shifts to green and blue to blue (you can shift on the orange-red combination and

6-33. As you play with broad diagonals, all kinds of variations are possible. You can turn in opposing directions to reverse lines at any point.

6-34. Variation using broad diagonals. In the center of this detail, the cards on the right were flipped to mirror the cards on the left (chevron pattern). The top part of the band shows what can happen when three groups of cards are worked with this arrangement.

6-35. Variation using broad diagonals. The weaving begins with the chevronsetup. Then the cards are separated into three groups, and two cards are shifted from each side of the center group on every shift row.

let blue-green be the in-between turn). One group of cards always turns one direction, the other group the other direction. Now, reverse everything. Turn all the cards toward for two turns, then separate two cards from the right (plus the two border cards) and turn them away, while turning the larger group toward. Make a note indicating which group is turning which direction. If you make a mistake, it is a little like a run in a stockingâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;it will appear on each successive row. With all the changes it is very difficult to go backward and correct a mistake. This way of working imparts a beautiful texture to the woven surface. Because groups of cards turn in opposing directions, one section will be convex and the other concave. This emphasizes the angled line that divides the parts and gives the fabric an elegant movement. Variation: There are amazing possibilities with this technique, as you have control over every individual line. You will touch on some of the possibilities by trying the following. 1. Play around with the shifting sequence. Shift on the orange-red combination.

6-36. These five examples of broad diagonals are worked with more cards and finer threads. The two bands on the right and the band on the left begin with the chevron setup. The other two bands begin with the setup for diagonal stripes.

2. Try three groups of cards. The group in the middle turns in the opposing direction from the two side groups. After every two turns, two cards from each group shift. The direction in which they shift determines the shape and line. 3. Start by arranging the cards for chevrons as in Pattern 3. Separate two cards out on the right and two on the left so that you are working three groups of cards. The center group will turn in one direction, the side groups in the other. After every two turns, shift two cards from each side of the center groupâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;two to the left group and two to the right group. To fully realize the possibilities of Variations 2 and 3, you would need more pattern cards.

6-37. lkat patterning in the light threads cangive an exciting and different look to the weaving. The strong dark lines give sharpness and direction, while the changing background color gives variety, softness, and richness. This is a detail of a wool weaving constructed from a series of bands.

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6-38. Broad diagonals used with, a larger number of cards can be very impressive. The more cards, the grander the scale.

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IN CONCLUSION This chapter touches on the variations possible with dark/light threading. It is meant as an introduction and a beginning. Feel free to improvise and expand. The complexities will become clear as you work with the technique and think through the steps. Written explanations and photographs can go only so far in clarifying the process. Have patience and be inventive.

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7'1. A card-woven band in wool with tassels integrated as supplemental wefts.

StructuralTechniques

variety of woven structures, many of which have already been discussed, can be produced with card weaving. This chapter covers more specialized techniques that can be used to change both the structure and the appearance of the weaving. Some, such as shifting cards to reposition the warp threads, weaving right angles, and forming looped ends, are unique to card weaving. Others, such as decreasing warp threads to shape the fabric, adding supplemental weft elements, and making a tube by pulling the weft thread, can be done with any kind of weaving. Because card weaving produces a dense, warp-faced fabric, all the techniques described work well and can be effective design elements. All

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of the techniques have many variations, and each will produce unique results in the hands of different weavers. SHIFTING CARDS

7-2. Shifting warp threads from one part of the weaving to another.

7-3. A detail of a wool band. Groups of cards shift from one place to another.

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Since the "loom" used for card weaving consists of a series of individually threaded cards, shifting warp threads from one part of the weaving to another is very easy. This can be done at the beginning of the weaving to change the pattern, or during weaving to create linear movement. Single cards, groups of cards, or separately woven sections can be transposed. As cards are moved, shifting warps create linear movement. The technique works best with a simple warp stripe pattern. Use a number of cards, each threaded with a single color. You can use many colors or just a few, but for a well-defined effect, the four threads that go through an individual card should be identical. Each card will then form a distinct line. The threading direction from card to card is not important because the cards can easily be flipped. Paired or alternate threading creates a balanced weave and can be very effective. Cards can be shifted over the top of other threads or under them, depending on how you want the line to flow. If all the cards are turned continuously in one direction, shifted threads work into the weaving in a smooth transition. When you are ready to make a shift (just after bringing the weft across), loosen the tension slightly, pick up a selected card (or group of cards), and move it to a new place. Turn just the shifted cards a few quarter turns (one, two, or three, depending on the nature of the yarns and the length of the shift) in the direction that the cards have been turning as a

7-4. Detail of a silk weaving composed of 44inch-wide bands in which groups of cards shift. The detail shows seven bands which have been stitched together to form a larger image.

7-5. A silk card weaving composed of fourteen ^A'inch-wide bands. At the center, each band separates into two separately woven sections. Before weaving as a unit resumes, these sections are crossed. The open spaces formed by the shifting sections become part of the design. In the top sections, groups of cards shift to further complicate the image. (Filiform #2, collection ofEnidWood.)

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of the techniques have many variations, and each will produce unique results in the hands of different weavers. SHIFTING CARDS

7-2. Shifting warp threads from one part of the weaving to another.

7-3. A detail of a wool band. Groups of cards shift from one place to another.

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7-4. Detail of a silk weaving composed of V4inch-wide bands in which groups of cards shift. The detail shows seven bands which have been stitched together to form a larger image.

7-5. A silk card weaving composed of fourteen 3/4'inch-wide bands. At the center, each band separates into two separately woven sections. Before weaving as a unit resumes, these sections are crossed. The open spaces formed by the shifting sections become part of the design. In the top sections, groups of cards shift to further complicate the image. (Filiform # 2 , collection of Enid Wood.)

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7-6. To decrease warp threads, cut the four ends that go through each card, slide the card off, and slip the threads through the shed to the other side of the weaving.

group. This twists the four threads that go through each of these cards and creates a nice tight grouping. When the cards are in their new place, turn all the cards as a unit and bring the weft across. For the next few rows of weaving, keep the tension a bit on the loose side so that the cards and threads can work in easily. Do not pull the weft thread too tight. The shift will have a tendency to pull the warp threads in, and you will have to fight a bit to keep the weaving spread out. Leave the weft a bit loose; then, when the card weaving is finished and the tension released, the warp threads will "migrate" and assume a natural, graceful curve. Before and after you shift, it is important to turn the cards continuously in one direction. A reversal at this point (just before or after the warp threads are worked in) makes a distracting bump. Turn continuously in one direction until you have to reverse, then arrange to make the reversal well spaced between card shifts. If cards are moved frequently, puckered areas will appear, creating interesting bulges and depressions. Sections of warp can be woven as individual bands and then shifted so that one goes over or under another. A complete discussion of this is found in Chapter 5 (Pattern Draft 13). When designing your pattern, keep in mind how the pattern will break up. Also, keep an eye on the border cards in each section. As the weaving divides and shifts, the border cards will change. Generally, you will want similar borders so that the weft thread will show in the same way on each edge. Shifting woven sections is especially effective with a weaving that breaks into distinct longitudinal patterns. Whether a section shifts over or under can completely change the look of a band. Crossovers can be simple and involve just two elements, or they can be complex and involve many.

DECREASING AND INCREASING WARP THREADS

7-7. Detail of a cotton band that decreases to a center point.

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An interesting way to shape a card weaving is to decrease the number of warp threads as the weaving progresses. In this technique, the warp threads to be decreased are cut near the anchor knot, the card or cards slipped off, and the resulting loose threads laid through the open shed as supplemental wefts along with the normal weft thread. The decreased warp threads extend in a group out the other side, where they can be trimmed or left as fringe. It is important for maintaining even edges to keep the regular, or structural, weft going through each shed. This manner of decreasing can be done evenly on both sides, on only one side, from the center out, or irregularly. As with the other techniques discussed in this chapter, this method works best structurally and aesthetically when the cards are turned continuously in one direction. Weavings can be expanded by adding new warp threads by half-hitching them to the weft, or changed by rethreading cards to condense and enlarge the weave.

7-8. Detail of a woolen band from Tunisia. The widely spaced warp in the center of the band combines with a heavy weft to create delicate light and dark lines. (Courtesy of the Museum of Ethnology, Hamburg. No. 13.216.3.)

VARYING THE WARP THREADS Warp threads that vary in weight and type within a weaving can add interest and texture. Many warp threads can be threaded through each hole so that a wide weaving may take only a few cards. This creates a bulky fabric which shows the characteristic texture of card weaving beautifully by greatly enlarging the design and clearly showing each turn of the cards. This method of threading can be done evenly so that each hole has the same number of threads, or it can be done unevenly, putting different numbers of threads through each hole or even leaving some holes unthreaded. By working the weft thread very loosely, you can spread out the warp threads, leaving open spaces and shaped areas. You may also pull the weft thread very tight to condense and pack the warp.

7-9. The half hitch can be used for attaching new warp threads to a weft thread. The weft can be stabilized by temporarily running a long needle next to it and securing the needle so that it does not shift.

7-10. A card'Woven hanging in one piece made of wool and sisal with braided fringe (85 inches by 34 inches). The bold pattern comes from threading large numbers of threads through each card hole. (Woven by Donna Armstrong.)

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7-11. A fine silk neckband with beaded edge. The beads were carried on a supplemental weft.

SUPPLEMENTAL WEFTS

7-12. Beads can be carried on a supplemental weft and woven in at the appropriate places in the weaving.

The regular, or structural, weft is the thread that holds the weaving together. A supplemental weft is an additional element, usually decorative, which is inserted during weaving. It might follow the structural weft with each pass, or only every once in a while. It might also be a brocading weft that floats on the surface and only follows the structural weft on the edges. Beads, charms, coins, or other objects can be integrated into a piece as weaving progresses by threading them onto a supplemental weft. This is usually a very fine thread which works right along with the regular weft. The objects slide along and are woven in at the appropriate places.

7-13. A I-inch-wide cotton band in progress with flattened copper pennies carried on a supplemental weft.

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7-14. A silk fringe with card-woven edge. The fringe is integrated into the fabric as a supplemental weft.

Additional material can easily be "laid in" with the structural weft thread as weaving progresses. There is no need to knot or tie, since the twisting of the warp threads and the tightness of the weave ensure that the material laid in, whether fleece, yarn, raffia, long feathers, or tassels, will be held securely. Fringe can be inserted to extend on one or both sides, or it can be pulled to the surface in the center of the weaving. Wefts can be extended as shown to create a fringe of spaced threads. These might be simply decorative, or designed to be worked up later into a fabric using a different textile technique. If the supplemental wefts produced in this process become warp threads, the final piece will have a

7-15. Detail of the band shown at the beginning of the chapter. The tassels were inserted during weaving.

7-16. Two ways to create fringe loops with a supplemental weft.

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7-17. Two wool caps based on Norwegian bog finds from the Bronze Age. The card-woven band was prepared with supplemental weft fringe loops. After the band was woven, it was attached to a frame with the loops hanging down. A rod was inserted through the loops so that they could be stretched taut. These threads then became warp threads that were twisted (in a technique called sprang) to form a netted structure. Finally, a cord was taken through the loops, replacing the rod, and drawn tight. A little tassel was placed at this point and marks the center back of the head. (Woven by Jackie Wollenberg.)

finished edge bordered by card weaving. The wool caps shown in Figure 7-19 are a wonderful example of how card weaving can work with the netting technique known as sprang. TUBULAR WEAVING Although it is possible to form a tube by double weaving, tubular weaving refers specifically to a tube formed by drawing together the two edges of a band woven in the regular weave. To create a tubular card weaving, begin normally with a plain shed and pass the weft thread through from right to left. On the next turn of the cards, do not bring the weft thread back through the shed from the left, but instead carry it underneath the weaving

7-18. Construct a tubular weave b)> always inserting the weft from the same side of the weaving. With each new shed, bring the weft under the weaving and through from right to left. After a number of rows, the top of the band looks normal (left), and the bottom is covered with a series of loops (center). To pull the weavinginto a tube, insert a card or dowel between the weaving and the weft loops and pull the weft, row by row, to draw the edges together (right). Start pulling at the center and work out, first in one, then in the other direction. The weft thread moves, row by row, around thi weaving to form a continuous circular construction. With each pull, the weft loop becomes longer.

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and insert it again from the right. After a while, the weaving will look normal on the top with a series of weft loops underneath. To form this band into a tube, pull the weft loops to bring the two edges of the weaving together. This can be done during weaving or after the weaving is completed. If you pull the weft as the weaving progresses, do so a few rows behind where you are working; otherwise, you will find it difficult to beat the next section. The weft thread should be a smooth yarn without any knots so that it will slide easily. You will get the best results by turning the cards continuously for as long as possible in one direction. Whether you pull the thread before or after the weaving is completed, you will find that each row has to be pulled individually. For fine threads, tweezers are very helpful. Inserting a cord or dowel between the weaving and loose weft loops will give a solid core to pull against and insure a round, smooth tube. The core size will depend on the width of the weaving. As each loop is pulled, you gain back the weft. Slowly the thread is pulled through the whole weaving, around and around.

7'19. A firm, round handle can be made with the tubular technique. The body of the bag is constructed in a netting technique called sprang.

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7'20. This band is designed as an edging for a garment. The center of the band is pulled into a tube which will go around the neck.

7-21. A necklace by the author in collaboration with metal artist Tex Gieling. Tubular card weavings in different weights of yarn taper the necklace.

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7-22. The sections of this weaving were structed as described in Figure 7-24. threads pierced the bands to compact and the fine silk bands. The weaving was pressed and flattened under glass.

conTwo hold then

7-23. A series of woolen bands constructed in the tubular technique. Each of these bands was threaded in one direction, and the cards were turned in one direction. After tension was released, the bands twisted. The weft loops were not pulled and in the finished band they float

free.

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An interesting spiral structure can be formed with this way of working. If the cards are all threaded in one direction and then continuously turned in one direction, a terrific torque builds up in the weaving. When the weaving is released, it twists around and around, and the loose weft threads (the loops underneath) create an interesting design element. SLITS AND LOOPS Vertical slits can be made by using individual weft threads for weaving groups of warp threads. These slits can be used for functional purposesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; buttonholes, openings for the head, openings for belt ends, or spaces through which to wind the weaving back on itselfâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;or as decorative elements. A woven loop or loop of loose threads can be formed at one end of the weaving by manipulating the waip in a variety of ways. The simplest is to create loose loops at one end of the warp before weaving begins. If you want a simple pattern setup, use the method of continuous warping discussed in Chapter 6. If you have a more complex, but symmetrical, pattern, try the following method. If your pattern calls for twenty cards and a warp length of 2 yards, you would normally need a total of eighty threads, each 2 yards long. To create loops at one end, cut half the number of threads

7-24. One of many ways to make a card weaving with an end loop. Thread two cards at once; then slide them apart so that they are equidistant from the center. Repeat with each successive pair of cards until all have been threaded. Work the weaving from the anchor point out, or anchor the center loops to your waist and weave normally.

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needed for each color but make each one 4 yards long. Stack cards 1 and 20 and thread them simultaneously, as shown in the illustration. Be sure that the threads travel through the cards in the appropriate direction. Then separate the cards by sliding one along the threads. Continue threading the cards in this manner (cards numbered 2 and 19 would be next) until you have ten cards on one side and ten on the other. Now bring all the cards together so that the threads form a loop at the center. Run a cord through the loop, attach this to your anchor point, and begin weaving at this end. The weft can be beaten very close to the loops so that the weaving is condensed and then gradually widens, or you can begin the weaving a little distance away and the loops can become a decorative fringe. To produce a woven loop, weave a center section first, using just ten cards. Then bring the two groups of cards together; the woven section becomes the anchor, and the weaving progresses using all twenty cards. If the tubular technique is used for the center section, the loop becomes rounded. CURVES AND ANGLES Angles and curves of varying degrees are particularly useful for shaping card weavings that will be used to trim garments. By changing the tension and pulling the weaving, it is possible to curve a band during the weaving process. This is tricky and takes practice. The concept is similar to a marching band. If the band turns to the left, the person on that side marches in place and the person on the right takes more steps in order to swing around. In weaving it's a balancing act that involves three elements: pulling the weaving, packing the weft tightly on one side and loosely on the other, and readjusting the threads at the anchor point. I begin by loosening the weaving and holding it in my hand. As I turn the cards and weave with one hand, I pull on the weaving with the other to create the new shape. A long needle (could be a thin knitting needle) inserted through the shed along

7-25. A curved band created by manipulating the tension during weaving.

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7-26. This angle was created by first weaving the band to a point. Two cards were dropped on the left side for each two rows of weaving. Then a long needle was inserted through the open shed and the right point pulled down, tension readjusted on the warp threads at the other end, cards turned individually to recreate the pattern, and normal weaving resumed.

with the weft gives leverage. I tie this needle on both sides to something rigid so I can force the weaving into the new shape (if I'm working on a loom, I tie it to the apron bar). This stabilizes and anchors the weaving, making it possible to untie the distant end and readjust the warp threads for even tension. A sharp angle can be created in a different way. Exactly how you do it will vary depending on the number of cards, the weight of the threads, and on what kind of angle you want. If you want the weaving to angle to the left, begin by bringing the weft thread across part way, so the threads of a certain number of cards are left unwoven. Shift these cards away and do not turn them. Continue in a consistent manner until the weaving comes to a point. In order to change the weaving direction you have to pull the top point of the weaving down even with the low point. Insert a long needle through the shed and pull the needle to realign the edge, anchor the needle, and then retie the warp threads at the other end so there is even tension. Before you resume weaving you may have to turn cards individually to recreate your pattern. Continue weaving, turning all the cards as a unit. When creating an angle it is also possible to pick cards back up in the same way you dropped them off, but this involves a few more tension adjustments. Any needles you insert to help manipulate the weaving can be easily pulled out later. There is another way to create an angle. Take each individual card, detach its four warp strands from the anchor point, and take the card and

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7-27. This bag incorporates some of the techniques described in this chapter. The body of the bag is loom-woven in tapestry weave. The same yarns were then used for a card-woven band that forms the strap and sides. The surface of the bag was embellished with buttons and three cardwoven bands. A four-strand braid is used as a supplemental weft for one band, and on another, tassels. (Ceremonial Bag, collection of Helen Pope.)

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threads through the shed and out the other side. Do this one or two cards at a time, then readjust the weaving, retension the threads, and begin weaving in the new direction. This technique can be learned only through experience, since the angle of the turn, the tension of the warp, and the dovetailing of the pattern are difficult to control. All are affected by the weight of the yarn and the width of the weaving.

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8-1. A cape constructed from card-woven bands. The middle back section splits at the top into two sections of weaving which travel across the shoulders. Warp ends from the other bands were brought through these sections as supplemental wefts. These same warp ends were then wrapped and the wrapped sections stitched together to form the stand-up collar.

Finishing

he prime characteristics of card weavings produced through the ages have been their strength, pliability, and durability. For the most part, card weaving has been used to produce narrow bands used as reins, bridles, saddle girths, belts, straps and all manner of trim. The rich and decorative patterns of these textiles, their strength and durability, and their very special "feel" made them ideal for functional and decorative pieces.

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8-2. Two wool bands with twisted fringes.

Card weavings, because of their tightness and intertwined density, are essentially finished when the cards are slipped off and the fringe is trimmed. A few special ways of treating dense fringes and constructing larger fabrics from narrow bands are given in this chapter. These techniques may be combined or developed further; the possibilities are endless.

8-3. A twisted fringe.

TWISTING THE FRINGE A simple, effective treatment for a full, spiraling finish on dense warp ends is twisting. Twisting requires only that two groups of threads be tightly twisted individually in the direction of the yarn's twist, then twisted together in the opposite direction. To secure the twist and keep it tight, bind at the end by wrapping, tying, or knotting. The kind of yarn and the original twist of the threads will affect the finish of the fringe.

8-4. Twisting the fringe. Separate groups are tightly twisted in one direction, then twisted together in the opposite direction.

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WRAPPING The thick, full, warp-end fringes of card weaving lend themselves to wrapping. The fringe, or part of the fringe, becomes the core. For short

8-5. A 5-inch-wide wool card weaving used to finish the top edge of a loom-woven fabric embellished with buttons. Groups of warp ends from the loom weaving were brought through the card weaving as supplemental wefts and knotted. The warp ends of the card weaving were left long, and finished by braiding.

wrappings, take one end of the wrapping material (which could be a similar yarn or something quite different), form it into a loop, and place it on top of and parallel to the fringe threads; wrap evenly and tightly with the other end as shown until the desired area is covered. Cut the wrapping thread and insert the cut end through the loop. Pull the two ends away from each

8-6. Wrapping or binding groups of threads.

8-7. A red card-woven band with wrapped fringes. It is embroidered with white cotton yam. From Schopen, near Sofia, Bulgaria. (Courtesy of the Museum of Ethnology, Hamburg. No.29.24:2.)

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8-8. A belt from Egypt or Tunisia with wrapped fringes angling to a point. (Courtesy of the Museum of Ethnology, Hamburg. No.22.9: 265.)

other with strong, even pressure until the loop is brought snugly under and to the center of the wrapped section. Cut the ends flush. To wrap a larger area, place one end of the wrapping thread on top of and parallel to the fringe threads. Don't make a loop. Bind the end in tightly as in the first method. When about an inch of wrapping is left to do, take a separate piece of thin, strong yarn about 6 to 8 inches long, double it, and lay it on top of the fringe threads. Continue to wrap, binding it into the wrapping with its ends and loop protruding. When the wrapping is complete, place the end of the wrapping thread in the loop. Pull the two free ends belonging to the loop, bringing the end of the binding thread under and out. Now discard the loop thread and trim the end of the wrapping thread if it protrudes. If the core or binding material is slippery and you are concerned about movement, use a little white glue as you wrap to hold everything in place. In either method, extra threads can be wrapped in to make heavier fringes or to add color. The kind and color of the wrapping thread can change. Small segments can be wrapped and then joined with other wrapped elements. Wire can be bound in to make wrapped areas stiff and easily formed. Wrapping can also be used to construct supplemental elements that are woven in during the weaving process or attached after the weaving is completed. FOUR-STRAND BRAIDING

8-9. The four-strand braid.

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Many kinds of braids can be used to finish and control fringes. The four-strand round braid is one of the most aesthetically pleasing. The four elements can be single strands or groups of threads. The placement of color strongly affects the pattern of the four-strand braid. If the color arrangement is light, light, dark, dark, the color will alternate; if the colors alternateâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; light, dark, light, darkâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the colors will spiral.

8-10. A fringe worked in four-strand braids. Detail of a red-and-white wool belt from Schopen, near Sofia, Bulgaria. (Courtesy of the Museum of Ethnology, Hamburg. No.30.27: 18.)

Begin by anchoring the end of a group of four threads. Place the two dark strands on the right, and the two light strands on the left. Take the outside left light strand and bring it under two and back over one, as shown in the illustration. What was originally the outer light thread becomes the inner light thread. Work the far right strand in the same wayâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;under two, and back over oneâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;so that what was originally the outer dark thread becomes the inner dark thread. Repeat these movements, working alternately with the left and right outer strands. The thread to be worked next is always the higher of the two outer threads. TYING THE HALF-KNOT AND THE SQUARE KNOT Knotting is another way to group fringe strands. Simple overhand knots can be effective, whether done individually or in groups. The half-knot and the square knot are more elaborate and require four strands or four groups of threads. The half-knot is essentially a repetition of the first half of the square knot. The square knot, when repeated, forms a row of flat knots. The half-knot creates a similar texture, but with a twist or spiral. In each knot,

8-11. The half-knot and the square knot.

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8-J2. A Turkish band with added tassels. The fringe is finished in a weaving technique called finger weaving. The dyed, unspun goat-hair tassels are attached with four-strand braids. The pattern draft for this band is in Chapter 5.

only the two outside strands are worked. The two middle threads are inert and should be held taut as the knotting progresses. To start a row of half-knots, align the four strands or threads parallel to one another with the ends toward you. With the two middle threads always pulled toward you, place the right-hand strand over the top of the two middle threads and under the left-hand thread. Take the left-hand strand under the two middle threads, and bring it up through the loop formed by the right-hand strand, as shown in Figure 8-11. Each knot in the series must be tied with the right-hand thread being worked first. For a reverse spiral, each knot in the series must begin by working the left-hand thread first. The half-knot makes up the first half of the square knot: the righthand thread goes over the middle two, and under the left-hand thread, which then goes under the two middle threads, and up through the loop

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8-J 3. Making a tassel.

8-14- ATurkishband with added tassels. Beads are threaded on the four'Strand braids, adding another decorative element. The pattern draft for this band is in Chapter 5.

formed by the right-hand strand. For the second half of the square knot, take the left-hand strand over the top of the two middle threads and under the right-hand strand, then take the right-hand strand under and up through the loop formed by the left-hand strand. If you combine these two halves and repeat, you will have a row of flat square knots. MAKING TASSELS Tassels often add a pleasing fullness and finish to card weavings. They can be added to the fringes or integrated into the weaving, and they can be simple or complex in construction. To make a simple tassel, gather a number of threads of an appropriate length, tie in the middle, double over, and bind or wrap into place. The tie that holds the original strands together can serve as a means of attaching the tassel to the weaving or fringe. If this

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8'15. Tassels with braided ties are incorporated into this weaving as supplemental wefts. The pattern draft for this band is in Chapter 5.

tie is doubled, it can be worked into a four-strand braid, which gives substantial structure. SEWING STRIPS TOGETHER Card weaving lends itself to the making of narrow bands. Although very wide pieces have been produced by using special tension devices (including floor looms), generally wider pieces are constructed by stitching several bands together. If you intend to stitch bands together and want a tight, secure edge to work with, make sure that the border cards turn continuously in one direction during weaving with as few reversals as possible. After weaving, press the bands flat, butt the edges together, and, working on the wrong side with a tapestry needle and a yarn similar to that used on the borders of the weaving, stitch the bands together. Secure the thread at each end by backstitching.

S-i6. Stitching together card-woven bands. Butt the edges together and work the stitching on the backside.

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The bag shown in Figure 8-17 is made from one long band woven in the light/dark pattern setup. The material is a medium-weight, plied wool yarn, and the width of the band is 3 inches. To make the bag shown, begin by designing the weaving so that it can be cut into four harmonious parts, each 24 inches long. During weaving, insert a divider cord along with the weft at the end of each part. After completing the weaving, sew back and forth on each side of the cords to secure the warp threads. Cut the bands at the cords between the rows of stitching. Press the bands with a steam iron, being careful not to scorch the yarn. Before you sew the bands together, consider how they will look folded and then decide on the final arrangement. With a tapestry needle and the same yarn used on the borders of the weaving, stitch the bands together on the wrong side. Stitch in such a way that the needle follows the weft thread for a short distance, comes up, travels along another weft and over to the next band. Work from the center out. Because of the twisted structure and density of warp threads, card weaving does not lend itself to hemmed edges, which are likely to be too bulky. Sometimes, the fringed edge can be worked into the design. One solution, especially with fine threads, is to finish the ends with glue or fusible webbing. Another solution is to incorporate commercial fabric as an edging or as a lining, as has been done in the bag shown. It could have been left unlined, but the fabric protects and strengthens the weaving, secures the edge, and gives a decorative clean finish to the top. This bag is designed so that the fabric shows on the top edge and completely lines the inside. Thus, the weaving need not be doubled, and there is a smooth transition between bag and lining. A strap can be made from another card weaving or from a four-strand braid. The four-strand braid on this bag was made from the same yarns used in the weaving.

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8-J 7. A lined bag constructed from four cardwoven bands. The bands, each 24 inches long, were woven in the dark/light setup described in Chapter 6 and sewn together to form the body of the bag.

8-J8. The back of a Tibetan cotton bag, 14 inches wide, shown with the flap spread open. The bag was constructed of strips arranged both vertically and horizontally.

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9-1. A wool rug (48 inches by 36 inches), card-woven in one piece by Gad Manners. A floor loom was used to maintain even tension. The large diagonal pattern was created by turning one group of cards toward the body and the other group away.

ExpandingCardWeaving

he process of weaving is attractive for its inherent simplicity of cards, yarn, and body tension. This simplicity, combined with complex pattern and varied structural possibilities, offers the weaver many satisfactions. As seen in the previous chapters, card weaving lends itself to narrow, highly patterned bands. This chapter explores ways to expand card weaving, ways to increase the width of bands by special tension devices, and ways to combine card weaving with loom weaving.

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9-2. An inkle loom used for card weaving. The heddle bar has been removed to allow free passage of the warp. Tension is adjusted by loosening the wing nut and moving the tension bar. The two ends of the weaving are tied together. As work progresses, the weaving is shifted, keeping the cards and weaving area where they can be worked most conveniendy.

TENSION CONTROL In the instructional chapters, warp-tensioning devices are simple: the body or two C-clamps. To work with wider warps, longer warps, heavier threads, or tension-sensitive yarns, other means of support may be necessary. WORKING BETWEEN DOWELS A simple way to support a wider weaving is to tie the warp ends onto dowels and anchor the dowels wherever convenient. This aligns the cards, keeps the threads spread, and, by stabilizing the weaving, gives a base to beat against.

9-3. A card weaving tied onto dowels. The dowels can be anchored using C-clamps or card, lfyouare usingbody tension, remove the weaving from the closest dowel after weaving a short way, then bring the weaving around the dowel and secure it with a long needle.

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When warp threads are grouped and tied, they are bunched together. This is fine for a narrow band, but as you use more cards or heavier threads, it is no longer satisfactory. The knots become too big and bulky to handle. Separating the warp ends into smaller groups, each secured by a knot, can take care of the anchor end. Tying the weaving between dowels will spread the threads immediately to full width and facilitate equal tension. This can be a huge improvement over the simple knot at each end. Figure 9-3 shows the threads going through each card tied individually, but this is not always necessary. The threads from three, four, or more cards can be tied as one group. How many threads you group will depend on the weight and kind of yarn you use. A special knot, called a tension knot, is used to adjust the threads. It is important to use this knot at the second anchor point.

9-4. The tension knot used to attach a card weaving to the second anchor point. Each knot represents a group of threads. The number of threads in each group will depend on the weight and kind of yarn.

TENSION KNOT This knot is ideally suited to creating equal tension when anchoring warp threads. It is used by weavers all over the world for many different kinds of weaving. It requires two threads or two groups of threads. Card-weaving warps are usually so dense that groups of threads are used. The complete knot is shown in Figure 9-4- To make it, bring two groups of threads over the top, under the dowel, around to top center as shown, and then tie a half-knot. Do this to all groups across the dowel. The most convenient way is to tie the groups on each end, put the dowel under tension, and tie the remaining threads. Then, working from the center out with the dowel under tension and the warp stretched, pull the ends (the two that go with each knot) to tighten each knot. Tighten each group until all threads are under equal tension, then tie a half-bow to hold each knot in place. Because card-weaving warps are very dense, these knots will be closely packed. A more sophisticated version of the dowel system is the clamp. One version is shown in Figure 9-5. Two pieces of fitted wood slide on metal bars to clamp and hold the weaving. A belt brought around the waist is attached to the metal hooks, and the body supplies the tension. The wood pieces

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9-5. A clamp, with sliding wood parts, which holds the weaving at the weaver's waist.

slide easily when tension is released and hold the weaving securely during weaving. A less portable system, but good for the person who wants to see the weaving as it forms and who does not want to be tied to the weaving, is shown in Figure 9-6. Two C-clamps are used in conjunction with a piece of wood. The size of the wood and the width of the weaving determine the size of the C-clamps. Warp threads are tied to the C of the C-clamp so that the loom consists of the wood, C-clamps, cards, and threads. The weaver works the weaving on the floor or places the board on a table. As tension adjustments are needed, the C-clamps can be shifted. Kay Sekimachi uses a variation on the dowel-and-C-clamp arrangement for her tubular woven pieces. She weaves between dowels which are held in place by other dowels that project up from a heavy board. Holes in the board allow for length and tension adjustments. The completed weaving, after the weft has been pulled, is shown at the end of this chapter. USING A LOOM FOR TENSION

9-6. A very simple arrangement for creating tension, made of aboard and two C-clamps. A wider board and larger C-clamps can be used for larger projects. The board stores easily and is portable even during weaving.

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A weaving loom can provide a useful framework for card weaving. Most table looms have very little space between the back beam and the breast beam and thus are not suitable for card weaving. A floor loom, however, has the strength, stability, and breadth to be very useful. It can be used for wide bands or narrow bands, it creates excellent tension, and it easily handles long warps. It is the ideal tensioning device for such things as fabric strip warps, heavy threads, and difficult-to-manage fibers such as fine, slippery silk.

9-7. A flat card-loom arrangement with dowels and adjustable tension. The 2-inch by 12-inch board makes a sturdy base. The weaver, Kay Sekimachi, is using six-holed square cards. Some of the cards are turning in one direction and some in the other. Temporary ties separate the groups and hold the cards in position when she is not working.

Since only the tensioning part of the loom is used for card weaving, the more you free the loom, the easier it is to work the card weaving. The reed must be removed and the heddles pushed to the side. Ideally, the beater and the harnesses are removed. This completely clears the space between the back beam and the breast beam. The wider this space is, the better for moving the cards and stabilizing tension. If you plan to work with long warps, a warp beam of large circumference facilitates maintaining even tension.

9-8. The other end of the tensioning device shown in Figure 9-7.

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picked up and moved anywhere in the weaving. Warp threads can be held by the hand, tied to a belt, or fastened onto whatever is convenient so that the cards can turn and the threads separate. In free-form card weaving, the cards act primarily as a simple shedding mechanism. Individual cards can be shifted and rearranged without destroying their ability to make a shed. The weave produced by cards is sturdy and dense so that even open or loose areas have strength, stability, and the characteristic twists of card weaving. WARP TWISTING As weavers become more engaged with card weaving, the question of how to deal with the twists that occur between the cards and the anchor point comes up. Reversals can be worked into the design so that a balance is created by twisting and untwisting, thereby keeping the threads free. Untying the anchor point and clearing out the twists is not always successful. It is tricky to tie the threads so that they are all even and under the same tension. If they are not just right, the weaving will be uneven at that point. Twists are not a problem in free-form card weaving because the ends are not anchored, and the cards can be rotated individually to undo the twists. A description of card weaving in Turkey by Sherman from 1911 gives an interesting solution to the twisting problem. The weavers stretched out a long warp between two pegs on the ground with the cards suspended in the middle. There was a weaver at each end of the weaving and a person in the center. As the cards turned on one end, the person in the center moved the twist along to the second weaver. The weavers wove, working their way to the center. The warp was eventually cut at the center, releasing the cards and leaving two bands. Gail Manners solved the twisting problem in an ingenious way when she wove the rug shown at the beginning of this chapter. She used the framework of her loom to support this very wide weaving. She removed the beater and harnesses, and then attached the card weaving to the front beam. The warp was not attached to the warp beam but was hung over the back beam. Each group of four threads was individually weighted. As the weaving progressed and was wound around the front beam, the cards were shifted along the threads, and the twist was worked back to the weights. As the weights turned, the twist disappeared. This permitted her to turn the border cards in one direction for the entire weaving. Fishing weights, metal washers, C-clamps, and plastic bottles filled with water are just a few of the objects that can be used to weight threads. To allow the twist to work out, each card must have its own weight. Another method that many card weavers have used is swivels. They are used in fishing and come in different sizes. Anchor the swivels to a board, staggering them so that they are not too widely spread for the density of the weaving. Anchor the board to a table or stabilize it in some other way. Tie the four threads that go through each card to an individual swivel.

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As the swivels turn, the twists are worked out and weaving continues without obstruction. CARDS IN COMBINATION WITH LOOM WEAVING There are many woven structures associated with loom weaving that can be duplicated with card weaving. A four-holed card is equivalent to a four-harness loom. Anything possible on a four-harness loom can be done with cards. Many weavers have found this intriguing and have developed ingenious ways of using the cards. Herbie Gray has written many articles and a book on working cards to duplicate woven structures primarily associated with loom weaving. She has been imaginative in developing ways to use extra holes to carry threads and in manipulating the cards to make changes which would be far more time-consuming if done with a loom's rigid harness system. The actual combination of card weaving and loom weaving is another area that is rich in possibilities. The card weaving and the loom weaving can be woven separately and then stitched together. Handsome trims and edgings can be formed this way. The same yarns in different weaving techniques will have textural differences which add dimension to the fabric. In Chapter 1, I discussed card weaving in combination with the warp-weighted loom. The card-woven band created and spaced a supplemental weft arrangement which later formed the weighted warp. These wefts can be threaded as warp on a floor loom, too. After the card weaving is completed, it is strapped to the apron rod at the front of the loom; then the supplemental threads are taken through the reed and the harnesses and attached to the back of the loom. Weaving proceeds at the front of the loom, working away from the card weaving. The final weaving has three selvedges with warp ends only at one end. Remember to allow for loom waste when planning the length of the supplemental threads. The experienced weaver will think of ways to incorporate card weaving into the fabric during weaving. Any fabric which requires a strong or decorative edge is a candidate for such treatment. The card weaving is worked at the same time as the weaving. The same weft thread passes through the card and loom weaving. Thread the loom and cards normally. Thread the card warps through the dents in the reed so that the cards rest between the beater and the back beam, close to the heddles. (The four threads for each card must go through

9-1J. Detail of a weaving by Cecilia Meltzer which combines loom weaving and card weaving. The card weaving is V2 inch wide.

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the same dent). You'll have to lean over or stand up to turn the cards. Weaving progresses by turning the cards, raising the harnesses, and bringing the weft across. Combining card and loom weaving raises a number of problems; the solutions will vary, depending on the type of weaving, the kind and weight of yarn, and the width and length of the weaving. Martha Stanley has worked with card weaving in conjunction with rug weaving primarily as an edge treatment. Cecilia Meltzer, a Norwegian weaver, worked extensively with integrating card weaving into loom weaving as part of a diploma project at the State School for Arts and Crafts in Norway. Integrating card weaving and loom weaving takes care and practice. The results can be very beautiful, but only a few people have perfected the combination. Card weaving can also be used to finish a completed weaving. Take the fringe edge of a loom-woven fabric and place it next to a card weaving that is under tension and just beginning. Turn the cards and open the shed, bring a fringe strand through the shed, and make the next shed; bring the same fringe strand back through this shed and the next fringe strand through the same shed. Proceed in this manner until the weaving is completed; then go back and trim the protruding threads. It sounds simple, but it requires skill, sensitivity to the materials, and practice to integrate the fabrics gracefully.

9-12. A tubular linen card weaving by Kay Sekimachi woven on the loom arrangement pk' tured in Figures 9-7 and 9-8. The piece was woven flat with the weft always inserted from the same side. After the weavingwas completed, the weft was pulled to form the tube. The warp loops shown at the end of the weaving in Figure 9-8 were pulled together to form the top end of the weaving.

CONCLUSION Textiles are rich in history, technique, and materials. From either a purely aesthetic perspective or in combination with cultural understanding, the study of textiles is rewarding and enriching. Card weaving offers one attractive and intriguing window into this world. It is an ancient technique, connecting many cultures and many civilizations. It has captured the inventive mind of weavers in the past as it continues to do in the present. Anthropologists and museum specialists have examined and analyzed it. Weavers puzzle over its intricacies and struggle to understand its many variations. This book attempts to open a window and draw you into the landscape. I hope your experience is fruitful and rewarding. A simple but charged phrase is frequently in my thoughts: remember, it's all in the cards. 138