Add a quick, colorful pop to your interiors with this mini woven wall hanging.
Mini Wall Hanging
MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT
✦ Weaving loom
✦ Approximately 18½yd (17m) of cotton warp thread
✦ Sharp scissors
✦ (Bamboo) comb (a fork can be used)
✦ Selection of yarns in chunky, worsted weight (Aran), and light worsted weight (double knitting): this project uses approximately ¾oz (20g) of white worsted weight (Aran) (yarn A), ¾oz (20g) of mustard yellow worsted weight (Aran) (yarn B), ¾oz (20g) of jade light worsted weight (double knitting) (yarn C), ¾oz (20g) of brown light worsted weight (double knitting) (yarn D), and ¾oz (20g) of white chunky yarn (yarn E)
✦ Weaving shuttles
✦ Weaver’s needle
✦ Tapestry needle
✦ Natural twig for hanging, measuring 6¼in (16cm) long
✦ Masking tape
✦ Copper acrylic paint and artist’s paintbrush
TECHNIQUES USED
✦ Warping a loom
✦ Twisted header
✦ Using the charts
✦ Tabby weaving
✦ Shaping in weaving
✦ Soumak
✦ Rya knots
✦ Weaving in weft ends
✦ Knotting warp ends
✦ Weaving in warp ends
✦ Adding a hanging stick
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
✦ 4¾ x 9⅞in (12 x 25cm)
1. Prepare the loom by warping an area 4¾in (12cm) wide and 21¼in (54cm) long. This project uses light-medium gauge warping cotton and a warping area of 28 threads.
2. Cut a length of warping cotton 3 times the length of the weaving area and work a twisted header row. Use the comb to position the header so it is straight and parallel to the base section of the loom.
3. Following the chart and using yarn A, work in tabby weaving for 3 rows.
4. With yarn B, work in tabby weaving for 10 rows, then begin decreasing by working on the left-hand side of the loom only and decreasing by 1 warp at the center on every alternate row until only 3 warps are worked on the left-hand side.
5. With yarn B, work in tabby weaving on the right-hand side of the loom to mirror the decreasing on the left-hand side until only 3 warps are worked on the right-hand side.
6. Cut 35 lengths of yarn A, each measuring 9⅞in (25cm). Divide them into 7 bundles of 5 strands each. Fold each bundle in half and work 7 rya knots around the edges of the V shape in the weaving, positioning them as shown on the chart.
7. Cut a length of yarn C 3 times the length of the weaving area and work a twisted header row that sits straight across the warps, just above the topmost rya knots.
8. With yarn C, work in tabby weaving for 30 rows.
9. With yarn E, work a row of double soumak weaving from left to right, working each soumak knot over 4 warp threads.
10. With yarn D, work in tabby weaving for 13 rows.
11. With yarn B, work in tabby for 2 rows, then begin decreasing by 1 warp on each side on every alternate row until only the center 2 warps have been worked for 2 rows. Take the weft end over the visible warp thread in the last row then through to the back to complete the triangle.
12. With yarn E, fill in with tabby weaving the background section on the right-hand side of the triangle. As this yarn is a different weight to yarn B, it won’t require as many rows to fill the background as it did to weave the triangle. Repeat to fill in the section on the left-hand side of the triangle. Then after the point of the triangle, work a further 8 rows of tabby in yarn A across all the warp threads.
13. With yarn C, work in tabby weaving for 12 rows. Decrease by 2 warps on each side and work a further 2 rows.
14. Cut 8 lengths of yarn B, each measuring 4¾in (12cm). Divide them into 2 bundles of 4 strands each. Fold each bundle in half and work 1 rya knot in the gap in the tabby weaving on each side of the loom.
15. With yarn C, work in tabby weaving for 12 rows.
16. With yarn A, work in tabby weaving for 2 rows
FINISHING AND MAKING UP
17. Cut a length of warping cotton 3 times the length of the weaving area and work a twisted header row. Use the comb to beat this into position at the end of the weaving to secure the last row.
18. Weave in all weft ends neatly on the back of the work
19. Use masking tape to mask off ⅝ in (1.5cm) at each end of the twig and paint the ends with copper acrylic paint. Leave to dry, then add a second coat of paint if needed.
20. Cut the warps leaving them as long as possible. Working with pairs of the top warps, overhand knot them together at the back of the driftwood. Make a hanging loop by knotting together the ends of the 2 outermost warps on each side.
21. Working in pairs, hold 2 lower warp threads together and pass one over the other to create a half knot, and continue until all the pairs of warp threads top and bottom have been half-knotted. With a tapestry needle and working with each warp end in turn, weave them neatly and securely into the back of the work and trim away any excess.
MAKE IT EASY
Adding a twisted header in light worsted (DK) yarn is a neat way to secure the warps at the top of the open triangle section.
MAKE IT YOURS
Adding copper paint to the ends of the hanging twig gives it a more glitzy finish. Alternatively, you could paint the entire twig or just leave it natural.
FINISHING TIP
Use the bamboo comb to smooth out the tassels of the rya knots before cutting them carefully to get a neat and precise finish.
YARN ALTERNATIVES
Maximize the earthy tones by adding in more shades of rich brown yarns.
For more weaving projects, check out Modern Weaving by Laura Strutt.