On card weaving

[cormac]

So a recent post mentioned that I had started tablet weaving. An update:

My first project was an 80-card sash for my grandfather, using a pattern I created to emulate the "Vigil" sash for the Order of the Arrow, Scouting's National Honor Society (picture here. As you can see, the sash is normally machine-stitched.) In this first project, I made several errors. The first was my assumption that the typical ratio for card weaving designs was 3-to-1. In practice, my ratio was more like 6-to-1, stretching my design in a way I was not entirely happy with. Secondly, I arranged the cards alternating in opposite directions (or, for those who know the lingo, an S-Z pattern). While this made the cards easy to turn, it gave a texture to the band that didn't lend itself well to the design, and made it bulkier than I intended. Thirdly, I calculated the length of the sash as 8' long, rather than 6'. By the time I'd gotten 1/4 of the way through the sash, I realized my errors in one fell swoop, and removed the design from the loom.

I've since restrung with all the cards going the same direction, with an improved, 60-card design and recalculated lengths. Pictures will follow soon.

Comments

[herveus.livejournal.com]

If your pixels were stretching out 6-1, you probably weren't beating hard enough. Pack it in really tight.

I suspect that your warp tension was pretty tight as well. Easing that just a smidge could help you beat the picks harder.

[cormac.livejournal.com]

Yeah, my warp tension was extremely tight. I packed the warp down as much as I could, and still ended up with a long ratio. I've loosened the tension quite a bit with this new design (so that I can move the cards better). I just did a quick measure, and it looks like I'm closer to "normal" now. The band is 2 1/2 inches wide (with 60 cards) and in a 2 1/2 inch length there are 18 completed rows. Still not QUITE the 3/1 ratio, but much closer than before.