I have been wanting to experiment with balanced weaves for some time now.

A few members have made balanced weave pieces.

 

Franco made a towel.

 

Esmecat used an RH on her backstrap loom and made a loom bag.

 

Jenadina made a scarf.

 

I have only made a couple of narrow pieces........  

This finnweave band-balanced double weave and.............

this twill piece which wasn't as balanced as it should have been.

 

So this is the page to post your balanced weave projects or any questions you may have about this. Together we will figure it out!

Laverne

 

 

Comments

Thu, 07/28/2011 - 00:23

bolivian warmi

After going on and on about wanrting bamboo reeds for my backstrap loom I finally managed to buy a couple at Convergence last year at a stand for Chinese minorities textiles and tools..

They are about 23 dpi and gorgeous!

Now a whole year later I have finally woven something with them. Don't get too excited. I just made a wee sample but now I am full of plans for something  a bit more ambitious. Yes, that's a big reed for that tiny sample but there are bigger things to come I hope, once I have figured out how to make this all a little less awkward.

My sample is sitting on top of a tea towel made by Betty Davenport in Sally Fox's natural colored brown, camel and green cotton and that is my inspiration!

 

 

Thu, 07/28/2011 - 03:40

francorios (not verified)

Balanced weave is really different looking from what I usually see in your weaving. I think you have opened another chapter of your weaving.

Have a good day!

Fri, 08/12/2011 - 18:10

missbeckyohh43 (not verified)

I was wondering if anyone of you could possibly help me out.

Backstrap weaving has been my first method of weaving, coming from a background of knitting yarn terminology.  So, I have not touched a weaving loom of any sort or learned the thread/yarn size numbering. I have been wanting to learn to weave the balanced method on the backstrap loom with some rigid heddles. I am ready to order some rigid heddle reed segments, but I need a bit of help.

Can someone please help me with this:

What size rigid heddle dpi do I need for lace and fingering weight yarns? At present I am going to work with the knitting yarn I have and then I will grow from there.   Or how to figure it out myself. 

Can someone point me in the direction of a good chart that would cover the sizing of yarns/threads for weaving so I know what I am looking at when I see the numbers for weaving threads?


Thanks for putting up with the basic of basic questions.   I have been trying to do some google searches, but when you don't know terminology then no amount of googling helps.

Thanks, Becky

Fri, 08/12/2011 - 18:14

missbeckyohh43 (not verified)

That lace work is elegant and gorgeous! 

I really want to learn that.  Does anyone know of a websight that I can find out more information to learn on the backstrap loom?

This is something far down the road as I am just beginning to explore on the backstrap loom, but it has been my goal to do just this.

Sun, 08/14/2011 - 02:35

Karren K. Brito

The answer in weaving is usually it depends.  But let's make some assumptions and get you started.  The trick here is to determine the number of wraps per inch of the yarn you want to use. (Use a ruler, make the wraps touch each other snugly but not on top of another and count.) Assuming that you are using the same yarn  as weft a balanced plain weave is wraps per inch(wpi) divided by 2.  With some experience you will adjust the sett to get what you like.

For example if you get 18wpi this formula suggests that 9 ends per inch (epi) would be the desired sett.  Rigid heddles come in 8 or 10 epi and I would chose the 10 epi one because you are considering springy yarns that will stretch out and be skinnier under tension required to be warp.

Sun, 08/14/2011 - 02:46

Karren K. Brito

the moderator of this group has a blog all about backstrap weaving, http://backstrapweaving.wordpress.com/.  It has many tutorials for beginning to advanced backstrap weavers.

 

The Endangered Threads Huipils are wide cloths made with fine threads in a combination of plain weave, leno and brocade or inlay. The patterns are weaver controlled somethimes called pick-up.  

Tue, 08/16/2011 - 09:41

Supermanglide

That appears great, as well as you do a awesome job near to the edges!

 

Wed, 08/24/2011 - 22:15

bolivian warmi

Hi Graciela,

I enjoyed seeing your small pictures here but couldn't find this project on your blog. Do you have a more specific link, please? I did see your beautiful curtanis on the projects page here.

Fri, 08/26/2011 - 01:46

graciela (not verified)

Hi Laverne,   When I " clic" on the link

http://gracielaforadoritecnicastextiles.blogspot.com/

I agree to the page. Under the date January 31, 2011 is the development and photos. If you have any trouble said me and I can send you  an email and an attachment with the photos.Greetings.