Just an update, I’m still vertical and semi-coherent. Weaving some towels (again) using HEMP as the main thread. (weaving video …
25 Comments
Hello, first time viewer. I don't know if this question was answered by someone else before. I've read a little bit about weaving with linen. It's not hemp, but it is a stiff, cellulose fiber. The suggestion that I saw in a couple of places, was to dampen linen as you work. With the type of Loom that you are using, as well as the shuttle, I would worry a little bit about possibly rusting some of the metal. Maybe a safer way of wetting down the weft would be to use a damp towel, or a wrung-out sponge. I also saw suggestions about dampening the warp while working 2.
I've been trying to find videos on weaving with linen. There doesn't seem to be a lot. If this works, would you let me know?
As to the coarseness, you may have figured this out by now. With linen it doesn't get soft until after numerous washing. A way to speed that process would be to thwack the fabric. Is that a word? What I mean is wetting the fiber. Ringing it out. Then I would put it in a plastic bag or a pillowcase to protect the fiber and smack it against the wall a few times. Repeat until you're tired. Then wash or rinse fabric. When it dries oh, you'll be able to feel whether it has softened enough for your liking. That's linen. I don't know how that works with hemp. Hemp being even more course than linen I would think that it can withstand more impact. U can also use a wooden dowel, and literally just beat It. I hope this helps. I like your channel name. I often feel, and act , very curmudgeonly.
About the bobbin thing, where it decides to jump off the bobbin? and then gets caught around the shaft in the shuttle? Yes. I'm currently working with 100% linen, warp and weft, and it does the. same. thing.!!!! Very annoying!
I am so pleased you are still "kicking around"! I alwaya enjoy your vidoes. I have worked a bit with hemp and you are right, an end feed shuttle that can be tensioned will eliminate the "backlash" problem. Alternately try wetting the yarn as it is wound onto the bobbin (allow the yarn to contact with a wet sponge as you wind), this will help. The yarn will, like linen, soften with use and repeated washing, eventually it will feel lovely and develop very nice colour and texture. Don't give up with it. The towels with overshot highlights look just terrific. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished articles.
Hey Andy. Long time no see. Awesome to see hemp being used. Very rustic. I grow linen and have a few linen towels. It does soften after the long haul. My linen towels are over 20 years old. Hemp if like linen had all sorts of post processes such as calendaring to further crush the fabric fibers. Definitely end feed shuttle suggested. Wool gatherers ( gathering?) in Wisconsin are the pros in Swedish linen growing and weaving. They have shop with shuttles etc.
I have used hemp for knitting spa style wash cloths. Once they have been washed they change totally. They are so absorbent! I hope you come to love your towels as much as I do my cloths.
I just wove a hemp bag (hemp from woolery). it felt like cardboard when it came off the loom but with just one wash it is super soft and great fabric. i used an end feed shuttle. i did mist the warp with water when i was weaving which helped a lot. thanks so much for all your inspiration. you’ve taught me a ton!
I would like to suggest use moist ( humidity ) yarn due to this the yarn loose it's brittleness and it's easy to use. I have tried this for same problems in linen even on high speed looms
For weaving with linen, Jane Stafford throws her shuttle and draws more yarn than normal before she throws the next pick. This results in the bobbin not needing to spin as the shuttle is thrown, so no more messes on the bobbin. You might try that and see if it helps.
Jane's Online Guild is wonderful, in my opinion. She shares many tips that I haven't seen elsewhere. I learn something new with each lesson.
I am not a fan of hemp, but you are making it look mighty interesting…. I do have a question about the “overshot” on the edge. I have 4 harnesses (Nilus) and I am thrilled when I weave “simple weave” and it comes out straight! I have threaded it with the traditional 1-2-3-4. Pattern… can I do “overshot” with that ???
Please, before you lose your mind! That obstreperous yarn wants to be moistened, just like linen. Even spraying the bobbin itself will be a big help! Once you do that, it will stay on the bobbin and not try to escape.
I just wove some hemp (from Weaver's Loft) weft/cotton warp towels in a twill weave last month and they are great. The hemp softens wonderfully and the towels absorb nicely. I also use the Schacht open bottom shuttle and just put my finger under it to stop the bobbin when I pull it out of the shed. That prevents the bobbin from overspinning. Currently, I weaving towels with a linen weft and am doing the same thing to stop the overspin. Next time I may try what others suggest and wet the hemp or linen as I'm winding on to see if that helps.
I did some hemp dish cloths in waffle weave. They were a big let down, when wet they go totally limp. I will see if you have better luck and then I can follow your lead.
Thank you for this video. I had plan on using hemp but maybe I should wait. Maybe try 3 or 4 washings to begin with would help. Does it come in different sizes and colors?
nice video I use hemp on an end feed shuttle it does eliminate the problem of unravelling in the shuttle but I find I have to be exact on the tension on the shuttle
I'd agree with Healing Fibres — dampen the hemp somehow and it should be a lot better behaved. I like the tip to run it through a damp cloth as you are winding the bobbin, I hope I remember this for my next linen project! And yes, hemp is very similar to linen in that it will improve over time with using and washing. It should end up having a lovely handle. Persevere, please, it will be worth it eventually!
When I wind a linen bobbin I usually run the fiber over a damp washcloth as I wind the bobbin. Makes it less wirey. Store unused weft in fridge. That and the small piece of wool around the shaft might do the trick.
Whenever I’m working with a fiber that makes my bobbin do this I wrap a small piece of wool around the bobbin shaft and it prevents it from kicking back on me. And my experience with the hemp is very much like linen, the more you use/wash it the nicer and shinier it gets👍. Glad to see you back at your loom❤️
Hello, first time viewer. I don't know if this question was answered by someone else before. I've read a little bit about weaving with linen. It's not hemp, but it is a stiff, cellulose fiber. The suggestion that I saw in a couple of places, was to dampen linen as you work. With the type of Loom that you are using, as well as the shuttle, I would worry a little bit about possibly rusting some of the metal. Maybe a safer way of wetting down the weft would be to use a damp towel, or a wrung-out sponge. I also saw suggestions about dampening the warp while working 2.
I've been trying to find videos on weaving with linen. There doesn't seem to be a lot. If this works, would you let me know?
As to the coarseness, you may have figured this out by now. With linen it doesn't get soft until after numerous washing. A way to speed that process would be to thwack the fabric. Is that a word? What I mean is wetting the fiber. Ringing it out. Then I would put it in a plastic bag or a pillowcase to protect the fiber and smack it against the wall a few times. Repeat until you're tired. Then wash or rinse fabric. When it dries oh, you'll be able to feel whether it has softened enough for your liking. That's linen. I don't know how that works with hemp. Hemp being even more course than linen I would think that it can withstand more impact. U can also use a wooden dowel, and literally just beat It. I hope this helps. I like your channel name. I often feel, and act , very curmudgeonly.
Perfect pattern for the material
That is a beautiful towel and once it's washed and used a few times it will be somebody's treasured towel.
About the bobbin thing, where it decides to jump off the bobbin? and then gets caught around the shaft in the shuttle? Yes. I'm currently working with 100% linen, warp and weft, and it does the. same. thing.!!!! Very annoying!
Nice works
Oh my the overshot is beautiful.
I am so pleased you are still "kicking around"! I alwaya enjoy your vidoes. I have worked a bit with hemp and you are right, an end feed shuttle that can be tensioned will eliminate the "backlash" problem. Alternately try wetting the yarn as it is wound onto the bobbin (allow the yarn to contact with a wet sponge as you wind), this will help. The yarn will, like linen, soften with use and repeated washing, eventually it will feel lovely and develop very nice colour and texture. Don't give up with it. The towels with overshot highlights look just terrific. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished articles.
Hey Andy. Long time no see. Awesome to see hemp being used. Very rustic. I grow linen and have a few linen towels. It does soften after the long haul. My linen towels are over 20 years old. Hemp if like linen had all sorts of post processes such as calendaring to further crush the fabric fibers. Definitely end feed shuttle suggested. Wool gatherers ( gathering?) in Wisconsin are the pros in Swedish linen growing and weaving. They have shop with shuttles etc.
Glad to see the posting. Stay well.
I have used hemp for knitting spa style wash cloths. Once they have been washed they change totally. They are so absorbent! I hope you come to love your towels as much as I do my cloths.
I just wove a hemp bag (hemp from woolery). it felt like cardboard when it came off the loom but with just one wash it is super soft and great fabric. i used an end feed shuttle. i did mist the warp with water when i was weaving which helped a lot. thanks so much for all your inspiration. you’ve taught me a ton!
I would like to suggest use moist ( humidity ) yarn due to this the yarn loose it's brittleness and it's easy to use. I have tried this for same problems in linen even on high speed looms
For weaving with linen, Jane Stafford throws her shuttle and draws more yarn than normal before she throws the next pick. This results in the bobbin not needing to spin as the shuttle is thrown, so no more messes on the bobbin. You might try that and see if it helps.
Jane's Online Guild is wonderful, in my opinion. She shares many tips that I haven't seen elsewhere. I learn something new with each lesson.
I am not a fan of hemp, but you are making it look mighty interesting…. I do have a question about the “overshot” on the edge. I have 4 harnesses (Nilus) and I am thrilled when I weave “simple weave” and it comes out straight! I have threaded it with the traditional 1-2-3-4. Pattern… can I do “overshot” with that ???
The Material is very expensive for this rough texture, isn't it?
Please, before you lose your mind! That obstreperous yarn wants to be moistened, just like linen. Even spraying the bobbin itself will be a big help! Once you do that, it will stay on the bobbin and not try to escape.
I just wove some hemp (from Weaver's Loft) weft/cotton warp towels in a twill weave last month and they are great. The hemp softens wonderfully and the towels absorb nicely. I also use the Schacht open bottom shuttle and just put my finger under it to stop the bobbin when I pull it out of the shed. That prevents the bobbin from overspinning. Currently, I weaving towels with a linen weft and am doing the same thing to stop the overspin. Next time I may try what others suggest and wet the hemp or linen as I'm winding on to see if that helps.
You will love it. It absorbs like crazy
I did some hemp dish cloths in waffle weave. They were a big let down, when wet they go totally limp. I will see if you have better luck and then I can follow your lead.
Thank you for this video. I had plan on using hemp but maybe I should wait. Maybe try 3 or 4 washings to begin with would help. Does it come in different sizes and colors?
nice video I use hemp on an end feed shuttle it does eliminate the problem of unravelling in the shuttle but I find I have to be exact on the tension on the shuttle
I'd agree with Healing Fibres — dampen the hemp somehow and it should be a lot better behaved. I like the tip to run it through a damp cloth as you are winding the bobbin, I hope I remember this for my next linen project!
And yes, hemp is very similar to linen in that it will improve over time with using and washing. It should end up having a lovely handle. Persevere, please, it will be worth it eventually!
When I wind a linen bobbin I usually run the fiber over a damp washcloth as I wind the bobbin. Makes it less wirey. Store unused weft in fridge. That and the small piece of wool around the shaft might do the trick.
I'm very tired today and the vertical and semi-coherent comment speaks to me intensely!
Whenever I’m working with a fiber that makes my bobbin do this I wrap a small piece of wool around the bobbin shaft and it prevents it from kicking back on me. And my experience with the hemp is very much like linen, the more you use/wash it the nicer and shinier it gets👍. Glad to see you back at your loom❤️