Here's a few other sites online that will help get you started:
Phiala's String Page
Earthguild
There are also some very excellent books, here's some titles and where
you can go to purchase them online:
Peter Collingwood
Get the best resource in print for Tablet Weaving directly from the author!
Linda Hendrickson. She
sells her own books as well as Peter Collingwood's book. She also has intructions online
for a "continuous warp", which is a useful technique. You'll have to hunt
for it though since I can't bookmark it - strange webpage writing.
Publications by Marijke Van Epen. Note: some are not english.
Return to Top Go through these in order and do them all on a single piece of weaving. Think
of it as a "sampler".
Horizontal stripes Diagonal Stripes Chevrons and Diamonds Double Chevrons and Diamonds
Do not do step 4 of the regular weaving sequence before you start manipulating the cards.
Divide your pack of cards in quarters (if you did 16 cards like I suggested this will be
easy). Make the outside quarter of each half mirror the inside quarter just like you did
when making the regular chevrons/diamonds. Now do step 4 of the normal weaving process
(run the weft through the shed and leave a tail). Turn all the cards forward. Keep
weaving as normal. you should have nice double chevrons and with reversals, double
diamonds. As before, experiment and have fun.
Return to Top Go to my Tablet Weaving Gallery
Last updated April 5, 2008
A Beginning Weaver's Tutorial
Start with all your cards threaded as mentioned above (A&B one colour, C&D another
in high contrast) with all cards either S or Z threaded (pick one and make them all
the same). Now, start turning forward. You should be getting toothy horizontal stripes,
each one made up of two bands of the colour. After a bunch of turns you'll notice a
lot of twist building up. Reverse your turning direction. Notice that if you reverse
it after 2 bands of the same colour (at the end of a stripe) you will get an extra wide
band. If you reverse it after only one band of a colour (in the middle of a stripe), the
reversal stripe will be the same width as all the other stripes. Also notice that at the
reversal the surface thread is in straight vertical rather than twisted (neither S nor Z
twined).
Do not do step 4 of the regular weaving sequence before you start manipulating the cards.
Start at one edge of your pack of cards. Leave the first card as is, this is the first
card in the sequence. Turn the second card 1/4 turn forward. Turn the third card 1/2
turn forward. Turn the 4th card 1/4 turn backwards. Start the sequence again at one.
Repeat until you reach the end of the pack of cards. Now do step 4 of the normal weaving
process (run the weft through the shed and leave a tail). Turn all the cards forward.
Keep weaving as normal. You're going to have either a really nice smooth diagonal line
or a toothy diagonal line. It's a 50/50 chance and not really important which one you get
because if you turn it over, you will see the opposite possibility on the bottom side!
If you keep going and do a few reversals you'll have a nice "indented" pattern on the
smooth side.
Do not do step 4 of the regular weaving sequence before you start manipulating the cards.
Divide your pack of cards at the center of your cards. One half will be your template.
You want to make the other half a mirror image of the template. For example, if the
template half is all Z threaded, the mirror half will be all S threaded (make this
change first). Now, work your way out from the center making all the colours in
the mirror half line up with those in the template half. I can't think of a good way
to explain this, if you can't follow it, write me ([email protected]). Now do step 4
of the normal weaving process (run the weft through the shed and leave a tail). Turn
all the cards forward. Keep weaving as normal. You should be getting nice chevrons on
one side of your weaving (top or bottom). To get diamonds simply make a reversal.
Where and how often you make your reversals will determine how your diamond looks, what
colour is in the centre etc. There is a lot of variation possible, experiment a lot,
remember, this is just a sampler, so try a lot of things to find something you like.