aluminumneedles

[aluminumneedles]

(Gentle loom noises)

Holy shit, y'all.

The video is 3.5 minutes of weaving which was 84 weft picks / 4cm of fabric, for an average speed of probably 60cm (2 feet) per hour once you allow for faffing about. If I counted right.

I've been working towards this for weeks, with lots of failures&learning experiences along the way. But once it goes, it goes.

[aluminumneedles]

We’ve got a sweater body and so much texture

Now to see if i can knit a pair of sleeves and a collar in the next 8 days

[aluminumneedles]

am hoping I can get some advice--

I'm knitting stripes on this polo and somehow, for about 5 stitches, I have the wrong number of green stitches in the column--2, instead of the 3 I'm supposed to have. Here is a picture:

It's a bit on either side of the stitch marker.

So I guess my questions are

is it truly horribly noticeable? This is under the arm/on the side of the shirt, not in the front or back

does this mean (and I think it does) that I am somehow just...one row short for those 5 stitches? And if so does that matter? And if it does, does it matter...a lot?

should I rip back and fix it?

please advise!!

[aluminumneedles]

Bound off the first sleeve on the Crush Sweater! Definitely needs a good block, holy crow! Also, I cannot get the color on this thing to photograph accurately, it's a much warmer green in person.

[aluminumneedles]

I am about to frog not 1 but 2 WIP tank tops, one of which was 98% done (just needed to finish the second strap) 😵‍💫 but I am honestly so proud of myself, I've found a pattern that I think I like way better and I'm not settling for something I'd like less!

However, before I pay the perfectly reasonable $5.32 for the Etsy download, does anyone have a tank top pattern they swear by? Ideally one that uses DK weight yarn?

[aluminumneedles]

me?? checking knitting books out both to support my library and to avoid paying per pattern??? it's More Likely Than You'd Think

[aluminumneedles]

Unironically, vegans need to be advocating for more and better sheep, llama, and alpaca farms. Wool is one of the best fabrics we have in terms of versatility, longevity and most importantly, insulation. Even wet, it retains 80% of it’s insulation potential.

AND IT DOESN’T SHED MICROPLASTICS

[aluminumneedles]

Knit + felted slippers for Kayla :) the process is so funny .. you knit a big udderlike shape then tuck one of the long pieces into the other and sew up the back, then once you have both slippers knit you throw them in the washing machine for like two hours. I've included pics from someone else's project vid to get across how odd they look before felting

But they end up much more neat and smooth looking!

pattern is Nr 3 Doble tøfler by Liv Stangeland on ravelry, free but a little sparse

[aluminumneedles]

That's my first serious cast on of any knitting project and it's so fucking perfect, I wanna cry 🥹

[aluminumneedles]

It’s all fun and games until you reach the part of a knitting project where each row is 200+ stitches.

[aluminumneedles]

I cleared a "move" alert on my sports watch by vigorously winding a ball of yarn. It thought I was walking 😭

[aluminumneedles]

The cardigan I have been knitting for the past eleven months is finally complete!! So happy with how it turned out

[aluminumneedles]

forgot to share this aaaa, my top scar vest (V1 ? maybe). this was one of those project ideas that inspired me to learn to knit. i wanted a way to have my tits out without having my tits out ig. i’m so proud of my scars and they are such a good visual metaphor for my journey and identity.

this was done in duplicate stitch on some cheap dk acrylic, but i’d really like to make one in a fingering yarn (and maybe intarsia) instead, and add stuff to the back panel.

the start of many trans art projects❤️🏳️‍⚧️

[aluminumneedles]

Dressed up my sheep. Thought you should know.

She's about 20 years old now (pretty old for a sheep!)

[aluminumneedles]

i want to show off this cosy jumper my mam knitted after not having knitted for 20 years??? She just made this in like 3 weeks?? It’s pure wool???? and now it’s my favourite piece if clothing ever 🥹

[aluminumneedles]

Low space & low budget weaving

Want to weave but don't have space for a loom? Have a few sticks and yarns but no DIY skills? Come, be tempted anyway. Weaving is a whole family of crafts, some of which don't require a loom at all.

Small-ish looms like box looms (as basic as yarn wrapped around a cardboard grocery tray), inkle looms, and rigid heddle looms exist, but I'm assuming every possible space for a box in your life is already filled. In this post we're going even smaller and cheaper. As far as possible, everything either is flat enough to stow behind/under furniture or rolls up safely into a bundle of just sticks and yarn.

Many of these crafts have some crossover - the same setup can be used for multiple styles of weaving. Most of them can be improvised at home depending on what you have on hand, or if you need to buy something there is not a huge gulf between homemade vs professional equipment. Alas I am not skilled in any of these and my descriptions will not be wholly accurate; corrections and additions welcome! If you need help, I'd only be able to tell you to seek out books and tutorials yourself, ask other weavers, and just try stuff out.

All photos included with permission. My thanks to the people allowing me to use their projects! I saw so many gorgeous and skillful projects when assembling this and I wish I could have included them all.

Fingerweaving

Projects by @kitteniestkitten (here) and @wefty-weaver (here)

Culture - I am aware of this as a Native American technique, I don't know its history with any more specific tribe.

Fabric - "Warp faced" cloth of any width, insofar as warp and weft have meaning for this craft as the weaving is on a diagonal. Often used for sashes or blankets.

Method - There is no loom! A couple sticks hold the yarns to begin with, but then it is all freehand. Starting at one corner, you use your fingers to weave a strand through the other strands, and... that's it. Very simple beginnings work up to very complex patterns that no loom is capable of. The whole project can be rolled up when not active.

Backstrap loom

Projects by @calendae-creations (here) and @weavingforlooms (here)

Culture - I am most aware of this from the Andes but I think it is much more widespread than that.

Fabric - Warp faced or balanced fabric of any width up to your own reach, suitable for blankets and clothes and many other things.

Method - You are the loom! Several horizontal rods hold and manipulate the warp threads but your body provides the tension, with the other end hooked to some furniture or around your own feet. When not in use, you can roll up all the equipment into a small bundle of yarn and rods. You can also use a backstrap loom setup for other methods like tablet weaving.

Warp weighted loom

Projects by @shadowcreepling (here) and @doctormead (here)

Culture - used by ancient Greeks among many many others.

Fabric - any kind of fabric at any size. Shadowcreepling is using a warp weighted loom for a tablet-woven band, Doctormead is probably using heddle rods to make a wider piece of cloth.

Method - the warp threads are held by a bar at the top and tensioned with weights on one end that hang down towards the floor, then the weft is woven into them with any method such as tablets, heddle rods, or by hand (if you have a lot of patience) and beaten into firm fabric at the top or bottom of the loom. Warp weighted looms can be very big, but they are simple and can also be very small and taken apart when not actively weaving.

Tablet weaving / card weaving

Projects by @damage-ko (here) and @foxease (here, hardware from CellesKit on Etsy)

Culture - found as far apart as textiles (geographically and temporally) from Byzantine Egypt and the Vikings

Fabric - a warp faced fabric with patterns made by twining warp threads around each other, usually used for strong narrow bands like collars, belts, and shoelaces.

Method - the cards hold open the shed so you can pass the weft through, then rotate the cards to advance the pattern. Many people make their own with cardboard or playing cards, or you can buy some. The rest of the weaving setup can be improvised with a backstrap (or just a shower curtain hook clipped to your trousers), a cardboard box loom, or warp weights.

Rigid heddle band weaving

Projects by @pisaracraft (here) and @crookedtines (here)

Culture - small rigid heddles like the first project have been found in Roman archaeological sites across Europe. The larger rigid heddle in the second project is being used for "baltic pickup" style designs on the band.

Fabric - can be warp faced or a balanced weave, size limited by the size of your heddle.

Method - you provide tension with any setup you please such as an inkle loom, backstrap, or warp weights. The heddle creates sheds so that you can pass weft yarn through the warp easily. Infinitely many "pick-up patterns" let you weave patterns and even words into the cloth.

Pin loom / potholder loom

Projects by @pardalote (here) and @weavingmyheartout (here)

Fabric - a small square (or rectangle or triangle) of balanced weaving, which can be used alone or patched together into larger fabrics. Pin looms are finer and suitable for many knitting/crochet yarns, potholer looms are chunkier and designed for big elastics, but the method is similar.

Method - wind yarn lengthways around one set of pins and then pull yarn widthways through these strands with a hook. Or, work at 45 degrees in continuous strand weaving! Lots of room to experiment with colour and texture. You can improvise a pin loom by cutting notches in a square of sturdy cardboard.

Needle weaving / stick weaving / peg loom

Projects by @thaylepo (here) and @pastelispunx (here)

Fabric - weft-faced fabric and rugs of any size.

Method - thread long thin warp threads through the pegs, then wind a thick weft (eg heavier yarn, sheep fleece, or long scraps of fabric) around the pegs. Push the weft down along the pegs as they fill up, so that it slides off onto the warp. The pegs can be secured in a base to make a peg loom for large projects, or just handled freely. I believe these evolved as separate crafts and the nuances are different, but the overall method is similar.

Frame loom / tapestry loom

Projects by @squeakygeeky (here) and @battlestar-gasmacktica (here)

Fabric - weft-faced or balanced fabric ideal for wall hangings and upholstery, size limited to the frame being used.

Method - (usually) thinner warp threads are wound round a frame, such as heavy cardboard with notches cut in the end, a picture frame, or a small and flat purpose-made loom. Thicker weft threads are woven in by hand using needles or just small lengths of yarn. Some people make lifelike images, others make more ordinary fabrics or geometric patterns.

Bobbin lace

Projects by @crochetpiece (here) and @noxx-notions (here)

Culture - began in renaissance Italy and spread throughout Europe, often as a cottage industry.

Fabric - balanced fabric usually made of very thin threads in freeform shapes. It's not usually considered "weaving" but the basic cloth stitch is definitely a woven fabric!

Method - each thread is wound onto a bobbin (e.g. a clothespeg) and then bobbins are crossed over each other to weave threads together. The lace is pinned to a cushion to hold everything in place while the design grows.