Stop the backstrap, pick up the sticks

This scarf started on a backstrap loom. But I did not like the look of the weave as I got going. So I took it off the backstrap and put it on my weaving sticks.



Here is the scarf on my makeshift barstool warping pegs. I like to try different ways of warping with what I have on hand. I can't make tight warping with this, but for the scarf it was not that critical.

Here is the scarf on the backstrap. As you can see on the left, the yarn has a one gold strand and 3 black strands. When woven on the backstrap, the one gold strand disappears into just dots. I wanted to have a more of the gold showing through. So I unraveled the weaving and moved to weaving sticks.




As you can see, the weaving sticks are just sticks. There is a hole at the bottom of the sticks to thread the warp through. I put a six foot warp on the sticks. Then I started weaving around the sticks. Every couple of inches of weaving, I push the weaving down the sticks onto the warp. As I keep weaving I keep pushing the work down the sticks and eventually I will have a strip of cloth.

Here is a closeup of the woven strip. You can see the gold stripe much better in this weft faced style of weaving. Strips like this can be sewn together to make vests, blankets, and I think I want to make a hat with this technique.

The weaving work (weft) can bunch up on you and use up a lot of yarn. I can hold the scarf down on my left with a flat hand, and then by tugging on the warp I can slide the weft down the warp about an inch at a time, in 2 or 3 inch sections at each time. Working my way up the scarf I can spread the weft so it's not bunched up. I'll tie off the strings to make a fringe and hold the ends.

For more info on weaving sticks, check out the links on my previous blog entry
http://francosfiberadventure.blogspot.com/2009/05/finger-weaving-peg-looms-weaving-sticks.html

Have a good day!