The structure of Huck Lace provides a treasure trove of design for weavers. It is a shaft-efficient weave structure where an 8-shaft loom can produce six blocks of design; and a 4-shaft loom can produce a myriad of different ways to combine textures of warp/weft floats with plain weave.
The workshop begins with a Power Point presentation where weavers will learn how “blocks” or units of huck lace are threaded on four and eight shafts, and how they can be combined to expand design possibilities. Discussions will focus on converting a profile draft into a threading and treadling, and how literally thousands of designs can be created within a single threading by changing the tie-up. The tie-ups will be determined by using a transparent Huck Lace Template.
Participants will use printed Design Pages, Transparent Overlays, and the Huck Lace Template from Neilson’s recently published book An Exaltation of Blocks to explore thousands of design possibilities for 6-block Huck Lace. Weavers with 4-shaft looms will learn the sixteen different textures of 2-block Huck Lace and how to combine them in various ways to create more textures.
The designs will be translated into woven towels. The Towel Project will consist of three 4 1⁄2” sections of Huck Lace, each a different color, separated by a one inch stripe of plain weave. The overall width of the project is 16 1⁄4” suitable for looms 18” or wider. For looms that are less than 18” wide, the stripes of plain weave are narrower, yielding an overall width of 15 1/3”.
Upon registration, weavers will receive via email warping instructions for 4- and 8-shaft looms, and ideas for color selection.
Leader: Rosalie Neilson
Duration: 3 days
Level: Advanced Beginner to Intermediate and Advanced Weavers – must know how to warp a loom, trouble shoot loom problems, and repair crossed warp threads.
Student supplies to bring:
- 4- or 8-shaft loom;
- Pre-threaded 4- or 8-shaft loom
- Ideal width 18” – narrower looms will use a different draft
- Draft will be sent via email by instructor prior to workshop
- 8/2 unmercerized cotton in four different colors
- 6 or 12 dent reed – 3 ends/dent in 6 dent reed, or alternate 1 – 2 ends in 12 dent reed (Sett 18 epi)
- threading and reed hook
- tape measure
- boat shuttle with four or five different colored bobbins (same colors as warp)
- spool winder
- about 10 yards of cotton cord (like butcher cord or seine twine), nylon or linen cord – will use for “lashing on” technique
- cotton rag strips or other heavier yarn (no knitting yarn) – will use to “open-out” knots prior to weaving. I use the equivalent of 6 strands of 3/2 cotton or something about that weight. Only need about 4-6 yards – enough for 4 to 6 shed openings
- scissors
- tapestry needle
- paper for note taking
- pocket calculator
- weights for warp repairs (if knot occurs in warp)
- masking tape
- (optional) sword – pointed stick – for sticky warps
- (optional) laptop computer if you have Fiberworks weaving software program
FOR DESIGN SESSIONS
- graph paper – 4 squares per inch – bring a commercially printed pad of graph paper. Do not use graph paper printed from computer apps as the squares do not align properly with the transparent Huck Lace Template.
- pencils and maybe a few colored pens
- eraser and pencil sharpener
Materials Fee: $20 for coil bound handout with Design Pages, Transparent Overlays, and Huck Lace Template containerized in open-top envelopes