How to Weave Wool Yarn
Weaving is the process of securing fibers together to create a piece of fabric. The process involves weaving a strand of fiber over and under the warp, a set of parallel fibers, that are secured to a weaving loom. Wool weaving is done in the same manner. One difference in wool weaving is the wool is pulled and tapped into place after every row of weaving to make it very tight. Make a simple loom at home and experiment with the process of weaving with wool. An 8-by-10-inch wooden picture frame works well for a simple loom.
Things You'll Need
- 8-by-10-inch wooden picture frame
- 1-inch brad nails
- Hammer
- Ruler
- Wool yarn
- Cardboard
- Scissors
- 8-inch comb
Instructions
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Purchase or locate an 8-by-10-inch picture frame built with 1-inch square stock. Remove the backing from the picture frame. Look at the back of the picture frame and locate the outer edge cut in the wood to hold the backing. Place a brad nail every 1/8-inch along both 8-inch sides. Do not put any nails along the two 10-inch lengths of the frame.
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Use one continuous piece of wool to thread the loom. Tie one end of the wool to a brad nail on a corner. Pull the string to the opposite corner of the loom and go around the outside of the nail. Bring the wool to the top of the loom and wrap it around the nail next to the one with the knot. Loop the yarn around the back of the nail and proceed to the other side of the loom. Wrap the wool around the next vacant nail. Repeat the process until the loom is threaded. Tie the wool around the last corner nail. This is the warp, or base of vertical fiber.
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3
Make two shuttles from a piece of cardboard to hold two different colors of wool yarn. Cut two rectangles from a piece of cardboard one inch wide and 8-inches long. Center and cut a half oval on each short end of the cardboard that is 1/2-inch wide and 3/4-inch deep. Note: The shuttle carries the weft (filler) yarns over and under the warp. Make a shuttle for each wool yarn color used.
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Wrap the wool yarn around the shuttle using the two semi-oval shapes. Start on one end and wrap the yarn side by side on the shuttle. Continue wrapping the shuttle in this manner until the thickness reaches 3/4-inch.
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Pull the loose end of the wool yarn from the shuttle and leave fourteen inches. Begin weaving along one of the nailed edges on the base (warp) thread. Place the shuttle over the first warp thread, under the second, over the third, and repeat the process across the entire first row. Hold on to the 4-inch tail and pull the shuttle until the yarn is tight.
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Turn the shuttle and weave from the opposite direction. Begin the placement of the wool yarn opposite the last stitch. If the last stitch was under, then place the shuttle over the thread, under the next, over the next and continue across until the warp row is woven. Pull the wool yarn through the warp until a 1/8 to 1/4-inch loop is left on the outside of the weaving. This extra yarn will get automatically taken up by the weaving process.
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Place the teeth of the comb between the warp threads just above the last row of weaving. Pull the comb toward the first row to tighten the weave. Do this three to four times to make sure the wool is tightly packed.
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Weave another row. Tighten the weave using the comb and leave the loop on the end. Repeat the process until the weaving is complete.
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Cut the wool yarn two inches from the edge of the weaving. Begin weaving with the second shuttle. Pull the loose end of the wool yarn from the shuttle and leave fourteen inches. Begin weaving along one of the nailed edges on the base (warp) thread. Place the shuttle over the first warp thread, under the second, over the third, and repeat the process across the entire first row. Hold on to the 4-inch tail and pull the shuttle until the yarn is tight.
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10
Turn the shuttle and weave from the opposite direction. Begin the placement of the wool yarn opposite of the last stitch. If the last stitch was under, then place the shuttle over the thread, under the next, over the next and continue across until the warp row is woven. Pull the wool yarn through the warp until a 1/8 to 1/4-inch loop is left on the outside of the weaving.
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11
Place the teeth of the comb between the warp threads just above the last row of weaving. Pull the comb towards the first row to tighten the weave. Do this three to four times to make sure the wool is tightly packed.
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Weave another row. Tighten the weave using the comb. Repeat the process until the weaving is complete.
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Tips & Warnings
It is crucial to not pull the ends of the wool yarn tightly on each edge of the weaving. Too-tight edges (with no loop) will cause the cloth to have an uneven width when complete. This is called "pulling in" of the weft yarns.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit wool image by chrisharvey from Fotolia.com
