Modified Clasp Weft?
To answer Charleen's question:
I'm calling this a modified clasp weft. When looking through my references, the clasp weft technique involves running the weft back through the same shed. I'm changing sheds. This is adapted (by me) from the Swedish Rag Rugs-35 New Designs (see page 30). I liked the overall look of the 'Rolakan' Rug, but with modification. The weaver of this rug exits both wefts at the same point but does not "clasp" the weft. The weft is not interlocked, but turned back and entered into the same shed. The edges just meet. I tried playing with this on another rug but feared that the weft wouldn't hold up as well. What I have done is clasped the warp, changed the shed and taken the weft back to their original sides. The drawback, if any, is that with the clasping, there are significant bumps, but not uncomfortable to bare feet. Here I've set my warp at 12 epi. The sheeting is cut 2 inches wide. This is not a fast weave.
Weft coming from left and right and exiting at the same point. The green warp thread is down.
Weft coming from left and right and exiting at the same point. The green warp thread is down.
The weft from the right (paisley) is brought to the right, crossing the left (merlot) weft.
The shed is changed and the left warp is brought through to the left selvage.
The merlot weft is entered into the same shed and travels right.
You can see the two wefts interlocking.
The wefts are beaten into place.
posted by Marie | 10:36 AM
6 Comments:
Thanks for the explanation! I was wondering about that too!
Sue
It looks like you braid while you weave. Is that for wear or for color blending?
I'm not braiding, Sharon. I'm just crossing the left side weft over the right side weft. Perhaps better said, placing the weft that has come from the left side over the weft that came from the right side. This way, the left side weft goes back to the left and the right side weft travels back to the right. Each color returns to it's original home.
When you weave rugs like this, do you have the weft on shuttles? I'm trying to imagine bringing them up between warp threads. If you use a shuttle, what kind? I would thing stick or double ski shuttles would be easiest.
Tina, in terms of using shuttles, the answer is both yes and no. I was wondering if anyone would ask and I also wondered how I'd answer it. It's easier not to use shuttles and to simply pull the weft through. When the weft is long, I do use shuttles but cannot pull it up through the mid-point of the warp. Here is the sticky wicket...I'm not certain I can exactly explain what I do. I'll give it a try. If it's clear as mud, email me and I'll attempt a better explaination. An example. Let us say the long weft (8yds?) is on the left. I'll throw it all the way to the right, unwind it from the shuttle and pull it back to the appointed place and pull it up through the warp. Now I make the pass over the weft that came from the right. If the left weft is really close to the selvage, I simply pull those 8 yds through. If it closer to the center of the warp /or rug, I pass the end of the left hand weft to the right selvage, maks a loose tie to the shuttle (similar to making a tie for an ikat resist) and pass it back all the way to the left. Using shorter pieces is sometimes easier, sometimes not. As I said...this is not a fast weave. If it is for someone out there, let me know how!
Thanks, Marie! Sorry it took so long for me to see your great explanation :-)
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