8x10 oak picture frame (save or recycle the glass)
A ruler
2"x8" strip of cardboard or paper folded to that size
A shuttle made from corrugated cardboard with a notch cut on each end
A wooden stir stick from the paint store
Masking tape
Sharpie permanent marker
Colorful knitting yarn
Preparing the frame:
1) Place your ruler along the inside edge of the top of the frame. Put a dot half an inch inside the inner edge of the frame, and then put dots every half inch after that. Repeat with the same procedure at the bottom of the frame. These dots will be your guideline for when you wind the thread around the frame to create your warp.
Making the shuttle:
The shuttle holds the yarn that is passed through the loom (the weft) Corrugated cardboard or foam core poster board works well. Cut notches in each end of the shuttle to make it easier to hold the yarn for your weaving. Several can be made up for each color of your weaving.
Weaving:
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| 1) With flat side of stick alternate "over" and "under". Turn stick gently upright on its end so the "over" threads are raised above the "under" threads. Pass the shuttle through the opening. Don't pull the shuttle too tight of you will end up having a weaving that looks like an hour glass. If you don't pull tight enough loops will form down the side of your weaving. The perfect tension will give you a relatively well formed rectangle. |
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| 2) Remove the paint stick and repeat the process, only this time raise the opposite set of warp strings from the time before. The paint stick also works as a "reed" so at this point, before your raise the stick up on end, keep the stick flat and push the weft down tight to the bottom of the loom in order to keep the weaving tight. |
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| 3) Push the paint stick back up to the top of the loom while it is still threaded and turn it on its end again. Pass the shuttle through again. |
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| 4) Pull the paint stick out and on the other side of the loom do the the opposite set of warp strings from the time before. |
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| 5) Before you raise it on its end, keep the stick flat and push the weft down tight to the bottom of the loom to keep the weaving tight. |
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| 6) Push the paint stick back up to the top of the loom while it is still threaded and raise it on its end again. |
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| 7) Pass the shuttle through again. |
NOTE: To change colors it is best to end one color and start the other in the middle of the loom so no loose threads appear at the sides of the weaving. Just keep in mind if your last color thread is going from left to right you will need to end it in the middle and pick up in the same direction with the next color thread.
Have fun with your weaving abandonment!
Taking the weaving off the loom:
1) When your weaving is complete it is now time to take it off the loom.
2) Gently take the masking tape that is holding the threads in place off the ends of the loom.
3) Turn the loom over and carefully cut across the threads
4) Carefully snip the starting and end thread of the warp off the loom.
5) Lay the weaving flat with all loose threads spread flat away from the weaving.
6) Gather three/four warp threads at a time and tie them off as close to the weaving as possible
7) Once all warp threads are secure snip all loose threads across the weaving. It's okay...if it is a tight enough weave the threads should hold tight and there will be no unraveling.
Making tags to pin to the finished product to spread the word about Weaving for Water
We dug through our 8x10 scrap paper for blue/aqua colored pieces. On our computer we located the Avery 8252 label template.
We included the following information on that label:
Weaving for Water
weavingforwater.blogspot.com
mycharitywater.org/weavingforwater
Cut apart the individual information and safety pin to each weaving.
