Hi friends, we're back! No poll this time, I have decided unilaterally that we're doing filet lace next! First post coming up in the next couple days :)
its me boy im the seventh cool textile hobby you wanna pick up speaking to you inside your brain listen to me boy you DO have time for me you wanna do me so bad
can you explain what you mean when you say "lace rot" ???
It's a term one of my friends came up with - the lace rot, or lace rot disease, usually affects fibre artists (or budding fibre artists) when they're seeing other people make lace, and then suddenly they're consumed with the desire to make lace as well!
It works like this: you're innocently scrolling tumblr, and suddenly come across pictures of an incredibly beautiful, gossamer thin knit shawl, with elegant pattering and beaded in sparkly gems. It looks so intricate and complicated! Then somebody links the pattern, and you look at it, and figure out that it's actually just increases and decreases and some yarn overs. Oh, you think. You could make one too!!
At this point, it's already too late, and the lace rot has set its roots in your soul. There's no point trying to fight it. You will acquire new sharp needles, and more beads than is wise (they are so sparkly!), and oh look, you already had lace weight yarn in your stash, who would have known, and then you will knit a lace shawl. And then another lace shawl. You're browsing ravelry. Your mutuals are helpfully bringing you new patterns. Then somebody mentions crochet, or needle lace, and suddenly you're catching yourself rifling through antique pattern libraries for tatting inspiration. You're suddenly learning four new additional crafts. You make another lace shawl while yearning for more complicated lace shawls, a beautiful, gossamer thin knit shawl, with elegant pattering and beaded in sparkly gems. It looks so intricate and complicated! Yet it was surprisingly easy to create. You post it to tumblr.
Somebody else scrolls through your dash and sees your pictures. Oh, they think...
Now that I've finished finish it February (and also finished my first bg3 playthrough which I did not mention here but was on my list in spirit) I'm finally getting started on the @lacerotalong sprang segment :)
I've got a bunch of yarns I want to try (variety of weights and fibers), I think I'll use the cotton twine to learn with, it feels like about an aran or very beefy worsted
Almost, I should still blog it, but I'm fairly happy with the outcome and don't think it needs blocking
It holds almos my complete hand spun stash!! Only a few grams of yarn are missing!! Kind of insane
Now I want to start a new project of sprang, because very early I couldn't stop thinking "did stone age people had all that it takes to make fishnet tights? Net structure: check, sewing said structure together: check.
So I guess next project will be not serious, evil experimentao archeology 😈
Sprang installment 3: project, and some decorative stitches
Since sprang is so stretchy, it makes a handy and versatile bag. I've linked a couple options for bag tutorials; one with a drawstring, and another with wooden handles. (Handles can be bought at a craft store, or handmade if you have the tools/skills). If you'd like to get a little fancier, I've also linked a YouTube playlist of many decorative sprang lace stitches you could incorporate into either of these bag tutorials.
Sprang instalment 2: warping and basic stitches (and a reference book)
Time to put those looms to use! :)
Below the cut are links to videos I liked for each warping and weaving style, and a book recommendation at the end. All of these linked youtube channels have tons of videos, so if you aren't vibing with a particular video style you can likely find the same technique taught by one of the other artists.
Warping the loom
There are two ways to warp a loom: flat warp (aka figure eight), or circular warp. Flat warping creates a piece of fabric up to the length of the loom, with looped string at the ends. Circular warping creates a length of fabric that twice the length of the loom, and has cut string at the ends.
Flat warping
Setting up a two-colour figure eight warp. Not totally necessary, but might be nice for practising the stitches
Circular warping
Check out the first three videos on this playlist
Basic stitches
The basic stitches in sprang are interlinking, interlacing, and intertwining. Descriptions and examples of each of these stitches can be found on Solrhizaarts.com
Interlinking
Introduction of interlinking and the fabric structure it creates
Interlinking tutorial
Interlacing
Video with voiceover description but low video quality
Clearer video but no voiceover
Intertwining
Basic Intertwining
Reference book
For a great reference book check out The Techniques of Sprang by Peter Collingwood. It goes into detail on on the techniques we're learning, plus it has a brief history of the craft and timeline of archaeological finds related to sprang. (Read it for free on Open Library at the link below.) Thanks @blatantescapism for the book recommendation :)
The techniques of sprang by Peter Collingwood, 1974, Faber edition, in English
Time for sprang! Since this lace style requires more tools and also perhaps less familiar hand movements than our last style, we are doing this one in three instalments: 1: making/acquiring the loom, 2: learning to warp the loom and do some basic stitches, 3: making an actual object of some kind.
To make sprang, you need a loom of some sort. There are many ways to DIY them:
SolRhiza Arts on youtube explains what functions a sprang loom must serve, and shows a few DIY options
Here is SolRhiza's detailed instructions for making a loom out of sticks
And here at SprangLady.com/SashWeaver you can download written instructions for making several other types of looms. For this instalment, check out the files "Frames: how to make them" and "Instructions for Carol's Sprang Frame".
(It is formatted like a shop, but you do not need to enter payment information if you are only downloading $0 items.)
The first time I tried sprang, I used a cheap picture frame from Michael’s. It seemed okay at first, but broke apart at the worst moment.
The wooden frames for stretching your own painting canvas look tempting, but might also betray you. They are built for constant, uniform compression on all sides, which is not how sprang behaves.
Ideally, your frame should:
1.) Hold the tension where you set it without slippping
2.) Allow you to adjust the tension easily and frequently.
The larger the piece you are making, the more important it becomes to have good control over your tension.
(In weaving terms, sprang has extremely high “take-up”.)
Most weaving looms can be adjusted to accommodate sprang. And sprang is especially well-suited to a backstrap loom system.
Having said which,
It really is much, MUCH easier to learn with a short project on a simple rigid frame.
I usually like to dive in at the deep end with large ambitious projects when I’m learning new things, but here a key concept is understanding how actions at one end of the warp affect the opposite end of the warp, and helping twist travel across.
This is MUCH easier when you can see and reach both ends.
Time for sprang! Since this lace style requires more tools and also perhaps less familiar hand movements than our last style, we are doing this one in three instalments: 1: making/acquiring the loom, 2: learning to warp the loom and do some basic stitches, 3: making an actual object of some kind.
To make sprang, you need a loom of some sort. There are many ways to DIY them:
SolRhiza Arts on youtube explains what functions a sprang loom must serve, and shows a few DIY options
Here is SolRhiza's detailed instructions for making a loom out of sticks
And here at SprangLady.com/SashWeaver you can download written instructions for making several other types of looms. For this instalment, check out the files "Frames: how to make them" and "Instructions for Carol's Sprang Frame".
(It is formatted like a shop, but you do not need to enter payment information if you are only downloading $0 items.)
Lacis (filet lace embroidered into hand-knotted net)
Needle lace (embroidered into an outline tacked to a paper pattern)
Sprang (ancient fabric made by weaving with only warp threads on a simple frame)
Voting ended onJan 25, 2024
We will eventually get around to learning all of these, which one do you want to learn first?
Also we have many more styles planned, these are just the styles we have good tutorial resources for so far.
These styles all require some specialty tools/supplies, which I've listed below the cut in case that's a deciding factor for people. Pretty much everything can be DIY'd or repurposed from some other common objects, and this information will be shared as part of the lace-along :)
Bobbin lace:
Thread (e.g. sewing thread, embroidery floss)
Bobbins (24 for the sampler we will do)
Bobbin lace pillow
Pattern printed or drawn out
Pins with small heads (a whole lot of em)
Drawn thread lace:
Plain-woven linen or cotton fabric, with large enough threads you can comfortably see individual threads at a comfortable working distance
Sewing thread in the same colour as your fabric
Fine blunt-tipped needle
Fine tipped scissors or seam ripper and a steady hand
Lacis (filet lace embroidered into hand-knotted net)
Needle lace (embroidered into an outline tacked to a paper pattern)
Sprang (ancient fabric made by weaving with only warp threads on a simple frame)
Voting ended onJan 25, 2024
We will eventually get around to learning all of these, which one do you want to learn first?
Also we have many more styles planned, these are just the styles we have good tutorial resources for so far.
These styles all require some specialty tools/supplies, which I've listed below the cut in case that's a deciding factor for people. Pretty much everything can be DIY'd or repurposed from some other common objects, and this information will be shared as part of the lace-along :)
Bobbin lace:
Thread (e.g. sewing thread, embroidery floss) (edit by mod Rex: crochet cotton or perle cotton preferable for beginners)
Bobbins (24 for the sampler we will do)
Bobbin lace pillow
Pattern printed or drawn out
Pins with small heads (a whole lot of em)
(edit by Mod comfy: I dipped my toes in this already, you can use clothespins as bobbins (basically everything that holds some thread and can be moved around comfortably), and some sturdy cardboard as a pillow. Your "pillow" just needs to be sturdy enough to keep the pins in place for the time you work on the lace, so if you have a couch pillow that could work, go for it)
Drawn thread lace:
Plain-woven linen or cotton fabric, with large enough threads you can comfortably see individual threads at a comfortable working distance
Sewing thread in the same colour as your fabric
Fine blunt-tipped needle
Fine tipped scissors or seam ripper and a steady hand
Hello friends, happy 2024! And with that, we begin our lace rot along!
We thought it would be a good idea to start with Armenian needle lace, since it is the style that requires the least amount of supplies it should be convenient to pick up. All you need is a blunt needle and some thick thread (and scissors). It is also an interesting technique to start with because it seems* to share similarities with many of the other lace styles we plan to try (needle lace, netting for lacis, macrame). *(I say "seems" because I never done any of these, but based on tutorials they all look wonderfully interconnected, and I can't wait to find out!)
Here is video 1 of 8 of a beginner tutorial for Armenian needle lace. Let's all work through this tutorial series together and post our progress as we go. Follow along at your own speed, this is a very casual lace along if you haven't already gathered. For those who like to have more of a timeline (me), we are thinking of spending approximately one month on each type of lace, plus or minus a couple weeks depending on how the group feels.
The creator of this tutorial has a ton of other resources too, here's a playlist of all 59 of her lace videos including all videos in the beginner series
janainaart
turnnoffyourmind
vaporwave
2087
pixelskylines
andulkaphoto
