Designed by Lindsay Obermeyer
Have you tried weaving on your knitting board? Weaving is an ancient technique dating back 27,000 years, but with very contemporary possibilities. This tapestry woven bracelet is a quick afternoon project and a great way to use up those bits of yarn you have buried at the bottom of your yarn basket. I think of it as a grown-up version of the friendship bracelet, though if you have a teenager in the house, I’m sure they will want one too.
Skill Level
Beginner
Knitting Loom
28″ Knitting Loom with Peg Extenders
Yarn
3yds of 9 different colors in a light worsted weight or DK yarn
Tools
knitting tool, tapestry needle, scissors, ruler, fork (Yes, you read that correctly.)
Other Supplies
9″ leather bracelet cuff
Aleene’s Leather and Suede Glue
Hemp Cord
2″ wide and 4″ long piece of cardstock
Finished Length
1″ x 7″ of weaving and a 1″ x 9″ finished bracelet / cuff
Weaving Technique
Tapestry (weft faced, no warp shows)
Terminology
Warp – the vertical lines of yarn you weave in an out of on the loom.
Weft – the horizontal line of yarn that you weave in and out of the warp.
1. Add the loom extenders. Place one extender at one end of the loom and add the second in the middle hole of the board.
2. Warp up the loom Tie the hemp cord to a peg toward the middle of one of the extenders. Run the cord to the peg exactly opposite on the other extender. Continue until you have 4 lines of warp. Tie the hemp cord to the last peg you’ve warped and cut leaving a 5″ tail.
3. Begin weaving. Weave in your piece of cardstock. Weave over the first warp thread and under the next. Continue in this same pattern until you reach the last thread. The cardstock acts as a header and will provide you the space you need later to be able to weave in the warp threads as you finish off the project. Now, Thread your tapestry needle with your first color of yarn. Weave under the first warp thread and over the next. Continue weaving until you reach the last warp thread. Pull until you have a 3″ tail. Weave the tail into the middle of the warp. Leave it dangling off of the back. You will weave it in later when you finish off the project. Continue weaving. Rows will alternate between starting with an over or an under. Use the fork to push the weft down and up against the card as you proceed. The fabric will become dense and only the weft will show. The warp of hemp cord will become completely covered.
4. Switch colors. Weave in the last bit of the first color leaving a 3″ or so tail. If you finished on the right side, begin your next color on the left and vice versa. Why? The tail builds up the edges a bit faster. By ending one color on one side and starting the new color on the other side, you will even out these “bumps” and your weaving will look smoother. Repeat this process every time you switch colors. You will end with a one inch wide piece of weaving that is 7″ long.
5. Taking it off of the loom. With your knitting tool, lift the warp off of the pegs. Untie the knots you may have made at the beginning. Gently remove the cardstock. Cut the warp threads even leaving approximately a length of 2″-4″. Thread the tapestry needle with one warp thread and run it into the groove / space of the warp thread next to it. Push it through this space for about an inch. Pull it out to the back and clip the remaining tail. Proceed in this manner moving left to right. With the last warp thread, run it into the groove of the warp to the left. This will be a bit trickier only because there are already two warp threads in that space. Once you have finished off all the warp threads, proceed with to do the same with the weft tails.
6. Glue the weaving to the leather cuff. Add a thin layer of the leather glue to the cuff that is the length of your fabric. Press the back side of the weaving into the glue. Allow to dry thoroughly.
