Card Weaving 101

The half-warped inke loom makes a
purrf-ect kitten playground! (2014)

In the early days of my SCA career, I acquired a lovely inkle loom crafted by Sir Farþegn (Farthegn) Rinksson. Being new to weaving on this type of loom, I decided to tackle an easy project using cards. After all a lot of my friends were doing it. In fact, I started warping the loom in 2012 when I moved into my home and then? ... Promptly set it aside and forgot about it. I would look at it longingly (after moving the stuff in front of it) year after year and couldn't quite bring myself to pick it up and start working on it again, primarily since I had misplaced the pattern I was using.

After a quick trip to my Amazon purchase history, I ordered my second copy of A Tablet Weaver's Pattern Book by Holtzer and White. Once received, I looked at the pattern and looked at the cards only to realize I wasn't quite sure what the heck I was thinking when I had originally started warping. The color scheme wasn't going to work out as I had hoped, so I went through and pulled individual threads out of individual cards to fix it. (I don't recommend doing it wrong the first time, by the by.) Learning curve aside, I took the project with me to the basket weaving retreat in Columbus to work on in the down time.

It may have taken a few hours to get finished, but it was definitely a fun experience. I need a bit more practice keeping my tension consistent so the width of the weaving doesn't fluctuate so drastically, but that will come with time I'm told.

I apparently was so geeked with the pattern book, I decided to draft my own pattern for the item that's currently on the loom. (Not pictured.) Perhaps one day I'll finish and gift that, too. Winter is coming, so there's hope.

Introduction to Basket Weaving

My first berry basket.

In March, (Mistress) Felice hosted a basket making retreat for the Philipian Sisterhood members in honor and to celebrate the life of our recently departed sister, (Mistress) Katherine Hatton VonRahm who not only practiced the art, but mastered it. On that blustery March day, we gathered to create our very own (and yet very unique) berry baskets. In attendance: Crespine, Felice, Zsof, Colette, Ginevra, and I.

It was an honor to keep the tradition alive. I know shortly after our return to the Cleftlands, both Ginevra and I acquired our own basket making supplies and plan to work on our art in the near future!