January 2024 Twining
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Diagonal Lines
Welcome to a year of motifs featuring twining on a background of interlinking. Key to the motifs is the idea that pairs of threads agree to always partner with the same thread on a background of interlinking cloth. If you are not familiar with this technique, scroll down for two videos, one showing you how to set up a warp with these contrasting-coloured loops, and another showing you the technique to move the lines to the left, move to the right. The twining technique is well known for the colourful motifs. Now, if your stash is not that great, and your color supply is limited, then two colors will work just fine, one color for the background, and the other color for the contrasting colored pairs. In the photo at the right, notice that the line of threads moving to the left at the top of the piece in the photo seem thinner than the line of threads moving to the right at the bottom of the photo. Not an optical illusion, this is something that happens with this technique, and is most prominent at first, before threads have "settled". The contrasting-coloured threads at the top of the piece in the photo travel in the same direction as the Z-lean of the stitches. They fall into the groove between two Z-leaning background-coloured stitches. The contrasting-coloured threads at the bottom of the photo travel in a direction that is opposite to the Z-leaning background stitches. The stitches at the bottom of the photo "jump over" a background colored stitch. If you turn the piece over, you will see a reversal. The stitches at the top of the piece, on the back side, travel in an S direction, and travel Z direction at the bottom of the piece. Try it and see for yourself. |
Motif inspired by a bonnet in the collection of Katoen Natie, Antwerp, Belgium, collection number 816.01, described by Anne Kwaspen
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How to use Carol's patterns Carol developed her charting system as she struggled to understand sprang structure. The charts allow one square for every thread. The charts show threads in the starting position for every row, and they also indicates how threads move. You will notice right away that threads move considerably within each chart. The charts can look busy, complex, and very intimidating. Carol's advice is to look at and work only one row at a time. Place a ruler or a sheet of paper on your chart, covering everything below the current row. |
When you are on row 8, cover everything below row 8.
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Motif B
This month's motif features four sets of pairs, each of a different color. Now, if your stash is not that great, two colors will work just fine, one color for the background, and the other color for the contrasting colored pairs. |
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Motif C
Your challenge, should you choose to accept, is to work a piece where the lines zig-zag are right beside each other. |
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Motif D
Another challenge is to set on two loops of each contrasting color, and work double twining lines.
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At the left you see Carol's replica of the pattern along the selvedge of a bonnet in the collection of Katoen Natie, Antwerp, Belguim, collection number 816.01.
You can read about this and other bonnets in the article written by Anne Kwaspen. The article can be found on-line Sprang hairnets in the Katoen Natie Collection. Here the zig zag motif is worked close to the selvedge. After sewing the side seam in the bonnet, the motif is in effect, mirrored, doubled. |
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This video shows you three different ways to add coloured threads to your warp.
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Since you will be working this year on pieces that use several colours of threads, you will want to know how to finish off all those ends. The video at the right shows you how.
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