Swedish Art Weaves with Joanne Hall

Krabbasnår (or Krabba), Rölakan, Halvkrabba, Dukagång, and Munkabälte (Monksbelt). These unique weaves have intrigued me since I first saw photos of them. Some of the designs look like hand-stitched embroidery. The Swedish Art Weaves workshop with Joanne Hall introduces the simple techniques used for weaving these traditional patterns. I’m thankful to have the opportunity to learn how to weave these beautiful designs for myself.

Swedish Art Weaves workshop with Joanne Hall.
Joanne brought examples of Swedish art weaves for the students to view.

Joanne’s presentation to the San Antonio Handweavers Guild was enlightening. Photos of her travels to Sweden show how the rich weaving heritage there continues to thrive. That, along with Joanne’s knowledge of Swedish weaving traditions, gives context to these Swedish art weaves.

Krabbasnår, a Swedish art weave.
Krabbasnår (krabba) is a laid-in technique with a plain weave ground. The pattern uses three strands of wool Fårö yarn. The warp is 16/3 linen.
Weaving Krabba, a Swedish art weave.
Besides maintaining warp width, the temple is useful for covering up the weft tails to keep them out of the way.
Workshop with Joanne Hall. Swedish Art Weaves.
Joanne explains the next step to workshop participants.
Swedish Art Weaves sampler, with Joanne Hall.
Dukagång is another laid-in technique with a plain weave ground. A batten is placed behind the shafts to make it easy to have the pattern wefts cover two warp threads. (A jack loom can do the same by using half-heddle sticks in front of the shafts.) Dukagång can be woven as a threaded pattern, but then the weaver is limited to that one structure, instead of having different patterns all in the same woven piece.
Fascinating way to weave monksbelt!
With threaded monksbelt, as I have woven previously, the monksbelt flowers are in a fixed position. With this art weaves monksbelt, the monksbelt flowers can be placed wherever you want them. Half-heddle sticks at the back, batten behind the shafts, and a pick-up stick in front of the reed–a fascinating way to weave this traditional pattern.
Swedish Art Weaves workshop with Joanne Hall. So much fun!
Last loom standing… Time to pack up. As I prepare the loom for transport, I detach the cloth beam cords. Now we can see the right side of what I have woven.
Swedish Art Weaves with Joanne Hall. Fun!
From the top: Krabbasnår, Rölakan Tapestry, Halvkrabba, Dukagång, and Munkabälte.

Väv 2/2013 has instructions for the art weaves. I have the magazine issue, but Joanne’s workshop brings the historical techniques to life and makes them understandable. That is exactly the prompting I needed to begin exploring these fascinating patterns on my own loom.

Weaving Swedish art weaves from the back.
Back at home, my little loom is getting ready to weave some more beautiful Swedish art weave designs.

May something historical be your new interest.

Happy Weaving,
Karen

18 Comments

  • Beth says:
    March 10, 2020 at 5:51 am

    Beautiful! I’m curious, how long did it take to weave this piece?

    Reply
    • Karen says:
      March 10, 2020 at 6:07 am

      Hi Beth,

      As with most weft-faced weaves, this is not fast weaving. I was happy to be able to finish this much in a 2 1/2-day workshop. I’m eager to do more of this slower-paced weaving at home.

      Thanks,
      Karen

      Reply
  • Charlotte says:
    March 10, 2020 at 6:44 am

    Brilliant that you were able to take your loom…your beautiful loom…your piece is absolutely lovely. The colors in your top match the colors in your cloth. Fun!!!! And, lovely cloth!!!!

    Reply
    • Karen says:
      March 10, 2020 at 6:56 am

      Hi Charlotte,

      I’m fortunate to have a countermarch loom small enough to be dismantled and relocated. It was a satisfying workshop. So enjoyable to make these unique patterns in the cloth!

      Thank you,
      Karen

      Reply
  • Vivian says:
    March 10, 2020 at 8:34 am

    Your explanation is bright and helpful. I will shelve these weaving methods. I have been interested in the weaves and you have helped untangle the concepts as well as highlight the various groups of Swedish weave structures.

    Reply
  • Cindie says:
    March 10, 2020 at 12:07 pm

    How timely, I’ve just written my deposit check this morning for a guild workshop we’ll be having with Joanne this coming fall.

    Reply
  • Jane Milner says:
    March 10, 2020 at 12:32 pm

    I recently took the same class with Joanne Hall at the Eugene Textile Center in Eugene, Oregon. Lots of fun, and I learned a lot!

    Is your small loom a Glimakra? What is it?

    Reply
  • Anonymous says:
    March 10, 2020 at 7:06 pm

    I just got myself a 32 in Heddle. I’d like to make small Matt’s and runners. I live in Chilliwack B.C. Can you direct me to a class?

    Reply
    • Karen says:
      March 10, 2020 at 9:18 pm

      Hi new weaver, I am not connected with any rigid heddle loom classes. There are some good books on rigid heddle weaving. A book by Syne Mitchell, Liz Gipson, or Jane Patrick would be a great place to start.

      All the best,
      Karen

      Reply
  • Ladella Williams says:
    March 10, 2020 at 10:10 pm

    Ladella from Portland Oregon actually knows Joanne Hall! Also she went to college with my cousin! I highly recommend her as a weaver with considerable experience! She has a wealth of knowledge and experience! Happy Weaving! I have been weaving forever it seems!

    Reply
    • Karen says:
      March 11, 2020 at 5:57 am

      Hi Ladella, How wonderful that you have a personal connection with Joanne. Her weaving knowledge and experience can’t be matched. What I love about Joanne is her kind and gentle manner as she patiently passes on her knowledge to her students.

      Thank you for chiming in!
      Happy weaving,
      Karen

      Reply
  • Arlene says:
    March 11, 2020 at 7:36 am

    Facinating.. can you suggest a book but I could follow the technique …thanks in advance Arlene

    Reply
    • Karen says:
      March 11, 2020 at 8:28 am

      Hi Arlene, Yes, I recommend Heirlooms of Skåne: Weaving Techniques, by Gunvor Johansson. Vavstuga.com carries the book. The author covers all these techniques in detail. It’s a beautiful book.

      Happy weaving,
      Karen

      Reply

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What to Do with Linen Leftovers

These waffle-weave washcloths are made out of my linen leftovers. For years, I’ve been saving linen scraps: the small amount left on the tube, quills that weren’t used up, thrums that I couldn’t bear to discard, and skinny warp chains from the times I accidentally wound a few extra warp ends.

Using linen leftovers for a new warp.
To make this warp, I finished off about a dozen tubes that had small amounts of 16/2 linen.
Winding a linen warp.
Putting leftover threads together.

The warp is 16/2 linen. I alternated two colors at a time in the warp, so there are interesting color-and-weave effects that outline the “waffles” in the weave.

New linen warp.
Heddles are threaded in point twill for waffle weave, alternating two colors at a time.
Afternoon sun on a new warp.
Afternoon sun is a pleasant sight on a new warp.

The linen for the weft is everything from fine 16/1 line linen to coarse 8/1 tow linen. I am purposely leaving weft tails exposed. I expect significant shrinkage, so I will trim the tails shorter after wet finishing.

How to use linen leftovers.
Linen “weft-overs” include thrums, end of tubes, and accidental warp chains.

Ideas for this project originated with Clean with Linen, by Sanna Ignell in Väv 2016 No.2, p.6, and Handtowels made of linen, by Elisabet Jansson in Happy Weaving from Vävmagasinet, p.31.

Linen waffle weave.
Linen waffle weave.

Do you have precious leftovers you’ve saved from your journey through life? Memories we don’t want to lose. And memories we wish we could forget. All these leftover threads serve as reminders that we are meant for more than what we can produce on our own. Here’s the good news. Love invites us to hand over our collection of scraps. Listen to Love. His name is Jesus. He takes our linen discards, and, with nothing wasted, weaves his beautiful story of redemption in us.

May your leftovers be given new life.

Love,
Karen

14 Comments

  • Joyce Lowder says:
    September 3, 2019 at 4:10 am

    Beautifully said, Karen! And great idea! 🙂

    Reply
  • Robin says:
    September 3, 2019 at 4:30 am

    Fantastic idea!
    Would love to see pix of the finished wash cloth. Perhaps a future post?

    Reply
    • Karen says:
      September 3, 2019 at 8:07 am

      Hi Robin, Thanks for giving your thoughts! I will be happy to show pictures of the wash cloths when they are finished! I’ll be as surprised as you at the results. I expect to get 10 wash cloths from this warp, so hang on, it may take a while.

      Happy weaving,
      Karen

      Reply
  • Nannette says:
    September 3, 2019 at 4:56 am

    An album quilt I made for my daughter’s wedding was cobbled together of the obvious dress fabric from her childhood, but also needle work from her ancestors. Textiles too fragile to use as originally designed, but reinforced and added to the beauty of the quilt designed for the next generations to come.

    One block included a piece of weaving done on a home made loom by my husband’s grandmother.

    Leftovers from earlier generations kept to build something useful and beautiful.

    Nothing goes to waste in God’s world.

    Reply
    • Karen says:
      September 3, 2019 at 8:09 am

      Hi Nannette, Your quilt sounds fantastic. What a wonderful gift, full of meaning.

      “Nothing goes to waste in God’s world.” Amen!

      All the best,
      Karen

      Reply
  • Linda Cornell says:
    September 3, 2019 at 6:16 am

    Beautifully said!

    Reply
  • Laurie says:
    September 3, 2019 at 6:32 am

    Is that a plainweave hem? Does it contract the same as the waffleweave?

    Reply
    • Karen says:
      September 3, 2019 at 8:14 am

      Hi Laurie, Yes, I am doing a plain weave hem. I am sure it will not contract the same as the waffle weave. I expect the hem to look a bit wavy. Since this is my first time to do waffle weave, I’m waiting to see what it does for sure. 🙂

      Happy weaving,
      Karen

      Reply
  • Charlotte says:
    September 3, 2019 at 6:50 am

    I cannot believe, yet I must! The timing of your post – waffleweave wash cloths to my drawdown for the next project – waffleweave wash cloths! Isn’t this fun?!?!?!
    Mine will be 12/6 seine twine. The warp on the drawloom is nearly tweaked for a new run of Casita bath towels – Cottolin. The wash cloth warp will go on Julia once my Marines have come and gone. Also, for the Casita.

    The Inkle loom is warped for the hang loops…it’ll go to the mountains with us.

    Oh how I love the direction of our path and sharing it, such a sweet gift!

    Reply
    • Karen says:
      September 3, 2019 at 8:16 am

      Hi Charlotte, How fun! And believe it or not, yesterday I finished the drawdown for my next project on the Standard – Cottolin bath towels! Wow, you and I are really in sync.

      Love,
      Karen

      Reply
  • Betty Morrissey says:
    September 8, 2019 at 10:44 am

    HI!
    Can’t’ wait to see them. Love how everything finds its purpose.

    Reply
    • Karen says:
      September 8, 2019 at 3:12 pm

      Hi Betty, With purpose there’s hope. And we all need hope. I’ll keep you posted on the progress and finishing of these washcloths. Stay tuned…

      All the best,
      Karen

      Reply

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Q and A with Joanne Hall and Drawloom Dressing

You will be happy to hear that my drawloom is all dressed and set up. And it works! Every glide of the shuttle reveals exceptional magic in the cloth. Even better than I had hoped.

Drawloom pattern heddles. Sorting into units.
Pattern heddles are long, with a normal 1/2-inch eye. Breast beam is used for sorting pattern heddles into units and then adding a 2-lb weight (lingo) to each unit. In this case, four heddles make one unit.
Separating pattern units onto pattern shafts on the drawloom.
Inkle band from my “band stash” helps me separate pattern units that will be placed onto a pattern shaft.

I had a few nervous moments while dressing this expansive loom, struggling with the pattern shafts. I learned the hard way that attempting a shortcut can mean taking much longer to complete the task. But, in the end, everything straightened out. Whew!

Small mishap when setting up the drawloom. But all is well now.
Oops. I successfully distributed pattern units onto one pattern shaft, moving it onto the pattern shaft holders. So, I thought, Why not do two shafts at a time? Uh oh. Not a wise move for a beginner like me.
Drawloom with ten pattern shafts, plus one extra shaft.
Ten pattern shafts, plus one extra shaft for selvedge threads. After fixing my little mishap, I took my time to finish transferring pattern units to the pattern shafts.
First project on my new drawloom. Pattern from Väv 1/2011.
Drawloom’s first project is mostly practice and samplers. This pattern is taken from Learn Damask in a Day, by Tina Ignell in VävMagasinet, January, 2011, pgs. 40-41.
Eight-pointed star with diamonds. Pattern from "Drawloom Weaving," by Joanne Hall.
Eight-pointed star is seen often in traditional patterns. This eight-pointed star with diamonds is found in Drawloom Weaving, by Joanne Hall, p. 12. I created the border design at the loom.
Drawloom weaving.
Light catches the warp threads in the 4-shaft broken twill as the cloth goes around the breast beam.

May your struggles turn into triumphs.

Your friend,
Karen

~What are your questions? Joanne has answers~

Janet, who is interested in drawloom weaving, asks these questions.
Joanne Hall provides the answers.

Q: I am trying to determine where to put a drawloom. How much floor space does a drawloom take? And how much additional area will I need around the loom?

A: These are good questions. Many weavers think about these things when they become interested in getting a drawloom.

Glimakra Standard with Myrehed drawloom.
Glimåkra 120cm Standard, with Myrehed drawloom. Photo from Drawloom Weaving, by Joanne Hall.

Width –
For either the 100cm, 39.5-inch Ideal or the 100cm Standard, the width of the loom is 4 1/2 feet. Part of this is the ratchet wheel that sticks out 5 inches from the loom frame. The 120cm, 47-inch loom would be 8 inches wider.

Length with the loom extension –
Without considering space for the bench, the depth is 7 1/2 feet. The Ideal loom will have the same depth as the Standard loom. The Standard loom can be set out another 1 1/2 feet further, which may be nice if one wants to have 50 pattern shafts.

One occasionally needs to stand on the left side of the loom during warping. You need to stand at the back of the loom and walk along the right side the loom to move the ratchet wheels. When beaming the warp, it is good to have two or three feet of space either at the front or the back of the loom. During warping, you will need space at one side of the loom to move the pattern shafts and warping sticks in and out of the loom.

So, you need about 6 – 7 feet by 12 feet, but some get by with a few inches less.

Q: Can any Ideal or Standard loom be converted to a drawloom? What are the “must haves” to look for in a used loom that will be set up as a drawloom?

Joanne Hall at her single unit drawloom.
Joanne Hall at the 100cm Ideal loom with single unit drawloom. (The drawloom extension is no longer made for the Ideal loom.) Photo from Drawloom Weaving, by Joanne Hall.

A: I frequently hear from weavers who send me photos of a loom and drawloom that they have found online. They want to know if $3800 is a good price for it. Often it is 40 years old and is being sold by the grandson, who cannot answer your questions.

If you are hoping to save a little by finding a used loom, it is best to purchase a used Glimakra Standard loom of any width and any age and then purchase the drawloom new. That way, you can get help when you need it. Plus, the Myrehed drawlooms have advantages over the older-style drawlooms.

I love my Myrehed drawlooms and once you try it, you will find that it is not so mysterious, but instead, a lot of fun to weave on.

Happy Weaving,
Joanne

12 Comments

  • Nannette Piasini says:
    February 12, 2019 at 4:23 am

    Amazing. Love the blue on the 8 pointed star pattern.
    What an elegant system.
    Nannette

    Reply
    • Karen says:
      February 12, 2019 at 6:01 am

      Hi Nannette, Elegant is a good word for this system. The other side of the fabric is the exact opposite in warp-faced and weft-faced, reversing the colors. So the back of the 8-pointed star is just as pretty as the front.

      Happy day,
      Karen

      Reply
  • Annie says:
    February 12, 2019 at 7:26 am

    You are so amazing, Karen! The patience and intelligence required to learn this system leaves me in awe. And, of course, the weaving skills you possess! I am so happy for you that this dream has come true. Your samples are gorgeous!

    Reply
    • Karen says:
      February 12, 2019 at 7:34 am

      Hi Annie, There are a few more steps in setting up a drawloom, but it’s really not complicated. It helps that I’ve had a top-notch teacher!

      I’m going to have fun with all the possibilities on this loom!

      Happily,
      Karen

      Reply
  • Elisabeth says:
    February 12, 2019 at 10:02 am

    Absolutely beautiful, you’ll have so much fun on this one!
    You are a prime example of how far devotion and perseverance can take us, you truly inspire!

    Elisabeth

    Reply
    • Karen says:
      February 12, 2019 at 1:13 pm

      Hi Elisabeth, I’m having a great time with this. Perseverance doesn’t seem hard when it’s something you really want to accomplish.

      Thank you, friend,
      Karen

      Reply
  • Linda Adamson says:
    February 12, 2019 at 2:17 pm

    Very interesting. Thanks for this.

    Reply
  • Janet says:
    February 12, 2019 at 7:16 pm

    Karen, your first project looks fantastic! Way to get started on the right foot with a fantastic and patient teacher!! Thank you getting the questions to Joanne, very helpful!
    Janet

    Reply
  • Anne says:
    May 16, 2019 at 6:04 pm

    Karen,
    I have had the good fortune to acquire a drawloom. It is an 8 shaft with 50 pattern shafts and was in pieces when I first saw it. I have two books which refer to draw looms but I have never seen one set up. I have managed to get it put together and I am now looking for resources so I can learn how to use it. That is where I hope you will be able to help me.

    Any suggestions you can give me will be greatly appreciated.

    The two books I have are The Big Book of Weaving for the CM parts and Damask and Oppamta with Weaving Sword or Drawloom.

    Thanking you in advance.

    Reply
    • Karen says:
      May 16, 2019 at 9:19 pm

      Hi Anne, You are fortunate, indeed, to have acquired this treasured loom!

      The best resource I have seen is “Drawloom Weaving; An introduction to warping and weaving on a drawloom,” by Joanne Hall. She tells and shows everything you need to get started. I have not seen anything else that clearly explains setting up the drawloom and weaving on it. I know you can get Joanne’s book through GlimakraUSA.com.

      The Big Book of Weaving is great for learning to dress the CM loom, and Damask and Opphämta has some useful drawloom patterns. I have also found some drawloom patterns in some older Swedish weaving books and in some of the Väv magazines.

      If there is any way you can take a class, that would be great. I learned much in Joanne’s hands-on class in Montana. I know that Vavstuga in Massachusetts also offers a drawloom class, which I’m sure is good, too.

      I’m excited for you!
      Karen

      Reply

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