Yarn:
10/2 pearl cotton
Equipment:
Schacht inkle loom, belt shuttle and cardweaving cards
Colors:
16 ends of dark pink, 9 ends of light pink, 7 ends of light blue, 8 ends of bright yellow, and 20 ends of white.
Weave with dark pink.
Weaving:
Weave 4 turns forward, 4 turns back, repeat.
Spring Has Sprung belt on Inkle Loom
Close-up of Spring Has Sprung belt, back side pattern
Adapted from: Card Weaving by Russell Groff, Belt No 5, Chevron
ALL ABOUT WEAVING CARDS
Tablet weaving, or card weaving, has been around since the eighth century BCE. The cards, or tablets, keep the warp threads in order and create the shed for weaving. The cards are turned to raise and lower the warp threads. The colors of the warp threads in the four holes, along with how the cards are turned, combine to create stunning patterns. Card weaving is inexpensive, portable, and as simple or complex as you want it to be. Though cards are often regarded as a simple tool, the weavings they can produce are infinite in design and complexity. The portability of these cards gives you the possibility of carrying a four harness loom in your pocket.
You can use the cards on their own with a simple tensioning device, such as tying the yarn to a door knob and tensioning around your waist. Or use the cards on a loom. An Inkle Loom is an ideal companion, but you can also use them on Cricket, Flip, Table, or Floor Looms.
Schacht has developed a card that, at 3-1/2″ inches square, is comfortable in the hand without being bulky. Colored bands and stripes are printed along each edge as an aid in keeping track of the card’s position. Made of sturdy yet flexible 24-point card stock, these cards will serve you well over many, many warps.
CARD THREADING TERMS
Card weaving patterns by different authors use a variety of terms to describe how to thread the cards, but most tend to agree on these standard names:
Each hole in the card has its own warp thread. Cards can be threaded with the warp thread entering the holes from either direction, we use the terms left-threaded and right-threaded.
The Schacht Weaving Cards come in packages of 25, more than enough for a range of projects. Designed for easy long-term use with Schacht Weaving cards are printed on high quality card stock with labeled holes, colored edges to help keep cards in order, and are die-cut for accuracy and smoothness. All you need to add is yarn and a belt shuttle and you can start weaving complex bands at less than the cost of two coffees!
Check out these great resources for more information and another simple card weaving project:
www.weavershand.com
www.lindahendrickson.com
Card Weaving, by Candace Crockett
A Tablet Weaver’s Pattern Book, by John Mullarkey, Marilyn Emerson Holtzer, Luise Hoffman, Bonnie White, and Jo Ann Treumann
Tablet Weaving Made Easy (DVD), with John Mullarkey
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