Of all of the kits, I’m having the most fun with this one. It feels similar to tapestry weaving which I love. I also like the option of creating a pattern as I weave. I’m repeating the hearts in between what I call the ribbon and the stripes. I need to spend some time with some books and learn the proper names for all of the different patterns!
Like the other kits, this one comes with a prewarped heddle, a preloaded shuttle, a cotton waist band, a plastic clip, a lace for tying the far end of the warp, a warp threader, and a basic instruction booklet. The heddle in this kit is the Sunna 5 which has 16 holes, 16 slots, and 5 pattern/float slots.
Using the provided yarn, I chose to weave my band 1.3 cm wide. The pattern guide provided has 3 patterns that repeat every 6 rows. Each repeat is 1 cm of band length.
Still working on my selvedges. They’re a bit wonky.
Using the provided yarn, I chose to weave my band 1.3 cm wide. The pattern guide provided has 3 patterns that repeat every 6 rows. It’s hard to give info about beat, but this is a firm beat- I’m holding the shuttle in both hands, making sure it is square across the warp, pulling back firmly, and the giving a little rock side to side if the edges seem to need it. After beating, I adjust the width. I am not mashing the shuttle in there or beating multiple times. Each repeat of 6 rows comes out to 1 cm of band length.
What have I learned?
Having the ruler marked on the clip is very helpful.
I lift the float threads above the other warp briefly before changing the shed. This seems to help bring them to the surface so they float with clear edges. This may be an unnecessary step, but it works for me. 🙂
I do best by starting from the same side each time. I start lifting up. This band I made the first pass going from right to left. My head prefers to have that be side for pressing the heddle down. I’m committed now, but from here on out, I’ll start weaving from the left side and lifting up.
I tend to catch the edge thread when I move the heddle. One of the references I found suggests always lifting or pulling from the bottom edges of the heddle. I’m giving it a try, but it feels odd!
Pattern picking is so much fun! I can’t wait to make some patterns. Also, I want to make a gazillion pairs of felted mittens so I can sew on these bands at the wrists.
Spindles In the Wild 