Textile Talk: Dream Weaver

Allie Bennett, owner and operator of Stitchville, on weaving. Weaving is a time honored craft, and can create one of a kind and wonderful works of art.

No no no, not that kind of weave.  This:

Weaving consists of 2 distinct sets of yarn- one going horizontally and one vertically- or, if you'd rather, the weft and the warp.

The warp is thread that runs longitudinally .  The fabric is created when another thread is run back and forth horizontally.  This also creates the type of fabric, the three most common being plain weave, satin weave, or twill.  These types of weaves are created by running the weft over and under certain strings of the warp.

Weaving is an ancient art, having numerous allusions in the bible, and can be done without a fancy loom (as looms were not invented until much later in history).  So, don't let it scare you.  If you are interested in weaving, take a tip from this guy, and just use what you've got on hand.  Necessity is the mother in invention.

Textile, Art and Function

I have come across some pretty awesome articles and videos lately that I really geeked out over and, since the Arts Council has trusted me with this prestige of logging my thoughts, I thought I'd thrust my ideas upon you. The first article I came across was this one about a Japanese artist named Toshiko Horiuchi MacAdam who designs wonderfully colorful playgrounds and then proceeds to create them by hand.  'Whateves,' you may say, 'No big deal.' Well, take a look at this.

This playground started with a lifelong pursuit of textile art- creating something three dimensional out of string.  Mrs. MacAdam also talks in the article a lot about her passion for creating these playground wonderlands.

The next thing I came across was a video about an art instillation.  It takes chunky knitting to the max.  Check it out:

Can you imagine?  I think I'll just start knitting like that from now on.  Then I can get my workout in and knit at the same time (which is really the only complaint I have).

So, I'll just let those awesome creations sink in- and leave you with this:  That's just the tip of the iceberg.

Why don't you Macramake me!

Macramé!? Was Ricki Martin in that band?  Oh, no.  That was

Well, then what the heck is macramé? 

Here's what Wikipedia has to say about it: Macramé or macrame is a form of textile-making using knotting rather than weaving or knitting.  So, if you keep up with the Textile talks, you already know what knitting is.  You also know that crocheting is not knitting.  It's not macramé either.

The primary elements of macramé are the square knot and 'hitches' (double hitch, single hitch, etc.) and this craft was practiced by sailors to decorate their knife handles, bottles, and various parts of the ship.  Other forms of macramé include friendship bracelets.  You know, like the ones you made as a kid.

But the question that I'm sure is burning in your mind is, where the heck did macramé come from?  Ahh, Wikipedia helps us out again. The origins seem to lie in with the 13th century Arabs who were believed to knot the excess thread and yarn on the ends of their hand made fabrics to create a decorative edge.  After the Moorish conquest the craft spread to Spain and Italy, and eventually the rest of Europe.  In addition to the decorative aspect, useful things can be made such as hammocks and belts.  Even ladies in waiting were taught to macramé (everyone knows what happens to idle hands!)

The fad died down until the 70's when it again enjoyed the lime light.  Here are some highlights of that boom:

So what are you waiting for?  Get some cotton, some twine, some thread (Stitchville has all your DMC needs!) and get macraméing!

Join the Revolution!

Allie Bennett is the owner of Stitchville in downtown Ruston and a fiber nerd.  Let's play a little game of would you rather.  Here's how it will go.  I'll post 2 pictures.  You identify with which one more closely aligns with the way you'd like to be viewed.  Ready?  It's going to be fun.

Ok- First one.  You're making your grand entrance at the party of the year (and if you're me, you're at least 20 min late so everyone will already be there).  Would you rather:

Or...

No brainer right?  Ok, lets try it again.

It's your birthday (hooray!!)  Your awesome sister, who is totally crafty, has a present for you.  You open it.  Gasp!  Just what you always wanted!  Is it:

Or:

Ok, last one.  What's your idea of a perfect Friday night?

Or:

If you picked the second picture for any of the above scenarios, watch out!  You may be ready to pick up knitting or quilting or macramé or weaving! Join the legions of crafters and creators and feel the awesome sense of accomplishment at the end of a long day when you've not only worked, cooked, cleaned- but also finished your own creation with your own hands!  It's so cool!

And now, a geeky joke.  

Knitting and Crocheting. Not the same thing.

Have you ever walked up to Oma and asked if she's knitting or crocheting? She probably looked at you like this.

Never get this look again.  Here's the down and dirty of the differences between the two.

Similarities: Both use yarn. Both deal with a series of loops and build upon neighboring stitches.   And. Well that's about it.

Differences:

Crochet uses a hook.                                     Knitting uses needles- and there's 2 of them.

Crochet has only one 'live' stitch, meaning you are only working one stitch at a time.

Knitting has an entire row of 'live' stitches- so if you drop your needles you are in some major trouble.  Careful!

Here are some side by side examples of finished projects.

       Crochet:                                                       Knit:

       

Crochet:                                                Knit: 

    

Crochet:                                      Knit: 

I hope this clears a few things up.  Really, for your sake.

Textile Talk

My name is Allie Bennett, owner of Stitchville. Each week I'll be exploring what's going on in the wide world of fiber. We'll discuss sewing, knitting, crochet, tatting, needlepoint, macramé, and many more! I mean, do you even know what macramé is? Well, you will. I'll take you on a tactile journey like no other. But first, some exposition. I began sewing as a child, and am quite sure that of all her students, my sewing teacher would have never guessed that I'd still be sewing. I had more interest in entertaining the rest of the class than actually getting work done. It should have been no surprise then when I went into theatre at Louisiana Tech. There I grew my skills, both in sewing and entertaining. And I have a great time doing both.

From school, I went on to work from home creating recycled and reversible bags (thus the Repursables name). When I finally opened up shop, I decided to include yarns- having no idea how to knit. Needless to say, there were many funny looks from my family. I had NO idea about- well anything! And here we are, almost 3 years later, and some days I feel like I still have no idea about anything!

So, each week, we'll journey together through the exciting world of textile. Really folks, I promise. It will be exciting. Next week- knitting!