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Warping, weaving, and a finished bag of Shetland handspun with beads. |
Pocket weaving has been around for a long time. But kids are never ceased to be amazed by what seems to be magic. Both sides of the card are woven on to create a seamless pocket whick is turned into a bag. This project is lengthy. Having interesting yarns is important. Encourage students to change yarns to emphasize color design. It also breaks up the constant over, under, over under.
Vocabulary:
Warp: The first string or yarn that is wrapped on the card. These are the strings that are woven on. In this project the warp will not be seen in the final project.
Weft: The yarn that is woven over and under the warp yarn. This is the yarn that will be seen in the final project.
Supplies:
- 4” x 6” corrugated cardboard
- Heavy string for the warp
- Large yarn needles-aren't necessary, but they make the project a lot easier.
- Various yarns
Procedure:
- Notching the card-Make the notches on the card. Mark the card off in ¼” increments. Cut the marks ¼” deep. Emphasize keeping the notched the same length. I draw a guide line and tell students not to cut past that point. Refer to the example in the photograph.
- Wrapping the card. This must be done correctly or the project will not work. Leaving a 6” tail, place the warping string in the first notch. Wrap the warp completely around the card and back into the notch. Then put the warping string in the next notch and repeat the step. This procedure created the loops on the top of the card that are very necessary. When the last notch is reached, only take the string to the bottom of the card. Make a ¼” deep notch at the bottom and put the warp in it. This is what gives the card an even amount of strings on one side and an uneven amount of strings on the other. This is very important if the project is going to work.
- Start weaving the bag from notch end (top) down. When changing colors, overlap yarn ends. These will be sewn in afterward. However, if we are stressed for time, I have let them knot them and leave them for the inside the bag. Weaving get very tight at the end. Students need patience because only three strings can be woven at one time during the last rows.
- Take the bag off the card. A length of yarn can be threaded through the loops for a drawstring.