Trapunto commented to my last post about how useful a sampler can be – “8-shaft twills, how boring and cluttered a photo from a certain treadling can look in a book … turn out to be very interesting and definite in person”. I can only agree – there are well over 100 different patterns in that twill sampler, all with potential for development, and that’s before you bring colour and yarn choices into play.
I don’t have time to dwell on those possibilities just now, it’s on to the next sampler. However I am happy to report that this will bring me almost up to date, after a hectic month focused on activities other than weaving and blog reading/writing. Today’s sampler is fresh from the loom yesterday and the ironing board today. In fact the cover on the ironing board still bears its imprint.
Swedish lace is mostly plain weave, with areas of floats (warp and/or weft) that move when you wash the cloth to give an open, lacey, textured effect. You can’t see much of this on the loom or before it’s washed. This sampler is probably easier to see than most since I decided to make it a colour experiment (how out of character!), rather than the more traditional cream or white. The yarn is Cottolin – 60% cotton, 40% linen.
You can see the impact of finishing (a vigorous handwash in hot water ). For the “after” photos I put a black cloth underneath to show up the holes. There was 9% shrinkage between just off the loom to finished size.
You work with little sets of 5 threads. For example, for weft floats going across 5 warp threads:
weft 1 does plain weave
weft 2 floats over all 5 warps
weft 3 does plain weave
weft 4 floats
weft 5 plain weave.
During washing, the 2 floats sit up a bit and the 3 plain weave threads snuggle together underneath. You get some texture from the floats up top and spaces either side (before weft 1 and after weft 5) because of the snuggling.
There’s a “normal” thread between each set of 5 to give a bit of structure and hold things together – which gives the little “window pane” cross thing. Plus you can use a similar idea with warp floats instead of weft floats. This photo shows a combination of purple warp floats and turquoise weft floats.
This was a 1st year, 4 shaft project. I decided to make colour experimentation my focus, partly because I’m on a colour jag and partly influenced by the March/April 2008 issue of Handwoven – especially the Beginners Corner section. I kept the actual weaving design simple and (I believe) traditional – a mixture of both warp and weft floats on the face, plus plain weave so that I got all the possible colour mixes. I was interested in areas of pure colour and areas where warp and weft colours combine. I was also keen to try for an iridescent effect by using two very close colours.
On my monitor this photo is just a fraction brighter than life. Bottom left corner is green warp and weft. Top right is all turquoise. Top left and bottom right are combinations – in my opinion, in real life, more interesting.
The two light greens might be easier to see, and also very attractive “live”. In fact I like most of the combinations, the subtle and the more extreme, so I’ll show a couple more.
More detail on this project here.
Pretty! It’s nice to see how the swedish lace looks in cottolin. I have a couple of cottolin warps coming up.
I haven’t looked at your blog for a while, I’ve really been missing out! I’m also hooked on weaving samplers and into exploring colour combinations at the moment.
This lace weave sampler is very pretty.
I am a fairly new weaver but I absolutely love lace weaves. They have been my favorite so far. That is a beautiful sampler!
Would you share the warping you used —- pretty please?!
I loved the color interplay but am a little confused as to how you warped — ie. 10 epi, 12 epi or even 20 epi? And how did you do the Swedish Lace tie-up?
How wide was your finished sampler? How wide was each color block? Would you think something as beautiful could be accomplished with just two colors?
Thanks for your help – soon! I need this to make a set of kitchen towels in Swedish lace for our weavers group in April.
Hi Vivian
I’ve just posted some extra information. Hope it helps!
Judy
Judy…
Thanks for your help with Swedish Lace.
I made 10 towels (not all at the same time) in blue and white 8/2 cotton and have given away most of them! Thanks to your shared pattern for Swedish Lace I wove with the best of the weavers in the Northern Colorado Handweavers Group… lots of compliments and traded for five other great examples of beautiful weaving. Check out their website for pictures!
Blessings always,
Vivian Fausset in Colorado.
Hi Judy… Since “talking” with you and weaving 10 Swedish Lace towels, I have moved at least 5 times – back and forth between two houses but a lot of my weaving patterns have been stored – and I really want to do them again. (I was so thrilled to find your website again – and my name as well!) Would you please share the information again, with me – and the warped weavers of the Hilltop Guild of Allenspark Colorado?
Hi Viv
I’m glad you found me again.
My post https://fibresofbeing.wordpress.com/2010/01/26/surfacing-and-swedish-lace-review/ has the draft.
Hope that helps.
Judy
I like your laceweaving. I used it in shawls.
Thea
Thank you Thea. I think woven lace is fascinating.
i can’t figure out in swedish lace how you drop the 6ththread as a tie down -or a transition hrad
Hi Joan
My later post https://fibresofbeing.wordpress.com/2010/01/26/surfacing-and-swedish-lace-review/ has the draft which may make it clearer.
This is a wonderful post! I love the idea of making lace, but I’m not interesting in knitting or crocheting and as much as I enjoy tatting and needle-lace, they’re REALLY hard on my hands. I could deal with needing lots of time to do something, but not when my hands get tired every hour. So I started learning how to weave last week with a child’s lap-sized loom, and I enjoy it VERY much.
I knew there was some way to weave lace instead of knitting or tatting it, but I was just stumbling around until I found examples of Huck lace, Bronson lace, and Swedish lace in my constant searches.
These color samples are gorgeous! The turquoise one made me think of trying to do Elsa’s cape from Frozen. (Yes, I’m ambitious. I bought a child’s weaving kit last week, and now I’m thinking of making an eight-foot-long cape. 🙂 )
I would like a threading and treadling pattern for a 6 harness loom. Do you prefer Swedish lace to huck lace?
Thanks.
Alce
I like both laces – it depends on the purpose and the mood. Sorry, can’t help with 6 harnesses.