LATE ADULTHOOD:

FIBER CRAFTS

WEAVING
Weaving has its roots in basket making, and is a skill that was mastered a very long time ago. Man had learned to weave as early as the New Stone Age. From the fibers of the flax plant, he had learned to weave linen cloth. Archaeologists discovered an image of a loom on a pottery dish that dates from 4400 B.C. It was found in an Egyptian tomb. As long ago as 1766 B.C. the Chinese developed a complicated loom for weaving silk. About the same time, the people of India discovered how to make cloth from the fibers of the cotton plant. As soon as people discovered how to create fabric, they figured out ways to cross the different threads to make beautiful patterns.

1. PLAIN WEAVE

The plain weave pattern is used in percale, muslin, and taffeta fabrics. Weaving Pattern: Pattern: Over 1, Under 1 Under 1, Over 1 Procedure: In the beginning, the teacher prepares the mat. Fold a rectangle of firm paper in half. Draw a light pencil line across the end opposite the fold, about 1" from the edge. Make a series of cuts one inch apart from the folded edge to this line. Cut 1" strips of paper the correct length for weaving across the mat. Show the child to weave the first strips over 1 and under 1, continuing to the opposite side of the mat. The next strip is woven first under 1 and then over 1, continuing as before. Continue to weave until no more strips will fit in. Note: y For very young children, one end of the mat may be left open. Use fewer strips and a smaller mat. y Strips of different widths can be used, perhaps alternating thick and thin.

Mats or weaving strips can be made from glossy magazine pictures.

2. TWILL WEAVE

One of the basic weave structures in which the filling threads arewoven over and under tw o or more warp yarns, producing acharacteristic diagonal pattern. Weaving Pattern: Under 1, Over 2, Under 1, Over 2 Over 1, Under 1, Over 2, Under 1 Over 2, Under 1, Over 2, Under 1 Under 1, Over 2, Under 1, Over 2 Procedure: Twill fabrics are characterized by diagonal lines, and include denim, gabardine, and flannel. Twill fabrics drape well, because they have fewer crossings of the yarn than the simple weave. The threads in this weaving pattern are usually very tightly drawn, and give longer wear to the cloth.

3. HERRINGBONE WEAVE

A pattern consisting of adjoining vertical rows of slantinglines, any two contiguous lines for ming either a V or aninverted V , used in masonry, textiles, embroidery, etc.

Weaving Pattern: Under 1, Over 2, Under 1, Over 2 Over 1, Under 1, Over 2, Under 1 Over 2, Under 1, Over 2, Under 1 Under 1, Over 2, Under 1, Over 2 Over 2, Under 1, Over 2, Under 1 Over 1, Under 1, Over 2, Under 1 Repeat entire pattern from beginning. Procedure: The herringbone pattern is a variation of the twill pattern, over 2 and under 1, moving over for four threads and then moving back in the same way and starting over again. This gives the diagonal pattern a back and forth appearance. Some woolen tweed fabrics have the herringbone design. It is said that this pattern was inspired by the wool from the black and white sheep of England.

3. BASKET WEAVE

Basketweave is an easy stitch pattern with many variations that combines knits and purls into a fabric that looks woven. This basketweave pattern is based on a simple eight-row repeat. Materials: About 200 yards of super-bulky wool or wool-blend (I used two skeins of Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick and Quick in Fisherman) size 13 needles scissors crochet hook or tapestry needle Instructions: Cast on 19 stitches using your favorite method.

Knit in the following pattern: Row one: Knit across. Row two: Knit four, purl three, knit five, purl three, knit four. Row three: Purl four, knit three, purl five, knit three, purl four. Row four: Repeat row two. Row five: Knit across. Row six: Purl three, knit five, purl three, knit five, purl three. Row seven: Knit three, purl five, knit three, purl five, knit three. Row eight: Repeat row six. Repeat pattern to desired length or 60 inches. Bind off. Cut excess yarn if needed and weave in ends.

5. GAUCHO WEAVE

The Gaucho weave pattern is usually done with a single bight boundary. The weave pattern is basicly a vertical series of alternate >'s and <'s pointing around the knot cylinder which results in a vertical "zigzag" weave pattern. It includes the "classic "gaucho" and several vaeiations such at the "head hunter", the "fan", and the "spanish ring". These "classic knots are traditionally done with one string but with constaints of the GCD rule require that we modify them slightly to produce an interwoven form. Procedure: The pattern known as Gaucho (after a lot of debate over the years) is percieved visually as a series of Vs with the Vs pointing around the circumference of the knot cylinder. br>These two grids are the classic Gaucho knot in a two pass version at the top and a three pass below it. The two pass version is limited to nine parts because of the need for the four code elements with the value of 2 for a total of 8. By the same token the three pass is always thirteen parts. In the right hand panel are some variations of the basic pattern. The top grid is two pass Gaucho with the addition of a single pass code element added to each end of the string run coding to make it easier to tighten and dress.

The center grin is 3/4 of a 3 pass that is commonly called a Headhunter knot. The bottom one is the three pass "Spanish ring knot. It is the simplest form of the Gaucho weave pattern. It is usually done as an expansion of a three part turkshead with one string. (These in two or three pass versions make a good braclet in paracord.) The Gaucho weave pattern is column coded and with a fair understanding of the principles of string run code sequences and code elements you can use the Allwine's Gridmaker software mentioned under Resources on the home page to design an unlimited number of knots using the basic weave.

MACRAME
A technique of decorative knotting employing simple basic knots to create a multitude of patterns. The term derives from an Arabic word for braided fringe. Its first known use was recorded by Arabs in the 13th cent. During the next hundred years it spread to S Europe. Macram has been used extensively by sailors as a pastime. The craft revival of the 1960s brought the technique to life after decades of obscurity. It remains popular for the making of handbags, wall hangings, plant hangers, and jewelry.

1. The double half hitch

This can be made vertically, horizontally, or even curved. The cords should be mounted on a dowel or holding cord, or you may tie an overhand knot in each cord and pin it to your knotting board. The half hitch, as used in macram, can be thought of as a variation on the knot you use when you start to tie your shoe. The main difference is that when you tie your shoes, the two laces, or cords, are treated equally. When making a half hitch, or double half hitch in macram, one of the cords is your knot bearer and you will hold that cord tightly and knot the other cord around it.

Procedure: 1. Start by placing a pin (not shown) between the knot bearer and the next cord. Bring the knot bearer on top of the other cords and just below the dowel. Hold the knot bearer in your right hand in a horizontal position. 2. Next, holding the second cord in your left hand, bring it under the knot bearer, then bring it around the knot bearer, first on top (as you go upwards) and then under the knot bearer (as you bring it down) and through the loop you have formed. Tighten it by holding your knot bearer tightly in a horizontal position and pulling the knotting cord gently into place. 3. Repeat step two using the same knotting cord. 4. Repeat this using each of the remaining cords on the same knot bearer. Remember to knot each cord twice. 5. Hold the knot bearer in your left hand and the knotting cord in your right hand. Bring your knotting cord under the knot bearer and through the loop as you did earlier. Push it close to the row of knots above it and tighten. Repeat. 6. Repeat this with each of your knotting cords.

2. Picot Knot

Picots (no abbreviation) are pretty little round-shaped crochet stitches that add a decorative touch to an edging. You can also use picots to fill an empty space in a mesh design. You see them quite often in thread crochet, but you can also make them with yarn. y A picot is made by crocheting a chain 3, chain 4, or chain 5, followed by a slip stitch in the same stitch just made. There can be a varying number of stitches used in between each picot Create three chain stitches from the point in your row where you want to add the picot stitch. Insert your hook in the third chain from the hook. This chain stitch is the first you created in the preceding step. Yarn over (yo) and draw the yarn through the stitch and through the loop on the hook.

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3. The Larks Head Knot

Its one of the most frequently used Macrame knots in existence. The vertical variation was acalled the Buttonhole Stitch in the early days of Macram. That s because it is often used to make clothing or jewelry designs using buttons. Another name for this decorative knot is the Cow Hitch. Instructions: Step 1: To practice, obtain a holding cord or ring. Larks Head Knots need to be attached to something. Then cut one working cord to tie the knots. Fold the working cord in half. Place it under the holding cord or support piece. The loop should be at the bottom and the ends at the top. Step 2: Take both ends and bring them over the holding cord or the edge of the ring. Then feed themdown and through the space near the crook of the fold. Pull the ends to tighten the knot snugly.

4. Spiral Stitch

Description: Note that I used the term Spiral Stitch rather than knot . This is the name often used in Vintage Macrame patterns. It's also referred to as theHalf Knot Spiral. That s a pretty accurate term, since it s half of a Square Knottied in a chain.

Variations: Spiral with Direction Change Step 1: To practice this decorative knot, mount 2 cords to a ring or holding cord. This will give you four strands to work with. Using the two outside cords as your working cords, tie the first half of a Square Knot (Half Knot). Step 2: Repeat the Half Knot over and over. Make sure you tie each of the knots exactly the same way. The cords will twist to form an attractive spiral chain. Tip: As the knots progress, you may need to help them along by twisting the entire design a half turn. Spiral with Direction Change Step 1: You will need 4 strands of cord material. Tie the first half of the Square Knot (Half Knot). Step 2: Tie 7 to 10 more Half Knots just below the first. The design should spiral at least once. Step 3: Tie the second half of the Square Knot. This will form a complete SK. Continue on, and tie the same number of knots you made in step 2, making sure they are the second half of the SK, not the first. This section will spiral the opposite direction. To continue the design, simply repeat steps 1 thru 3 as many times as you wish.

5. Square Knot

For these square knot hemp bracelet instructions you will need the following supplies: One 90 inch piece of 1mm hemp for your knotting cords. One 30 inch piece of 1mm hemp for your base strands. Instructions: 1.Begin by folding the hemp in half and tying an overhand knot. Leave a half-inch loop just large enough for your finishing overhand knots to go through. 2. To make it easier for you to follow, I've used different colored hemp. The tan inside cords are the base strands. The red and blue outside cords are the knotting cords.

Place the blue knotting cord over the two tan base strands and under the red knotting cord. Then weave the red knotting cord under the two tan base strands and up through the loop you formed with the blue knotting cord. Tighten your half knot by pulling on the knotting cords. Place the red knotting cord under the two tan base strands and over the blue knotting cord. Weave the blue knotting cord over the two tan base strands and down through the loop you formed with the red knotting cord. Tighten your square knot. 3. tie your square knots tighter than mine, if so you may want to start with longer pieces of hemp for your bracelet. 4. To finish your square knot hemp bracelet tie an overhand knot and see how it fits into the half-inch loop you made. If it's too small just tie another overhand knot on top of the first one. When your finishing knot is big enough trim the excess hemp cords.

LATCH HOOK
Latch hooking is the technique of pulling short pieces of yarn through a canvas or mesh with a hook that latches. Latch hooking is a rug-making technique used to make wall hangings and other accessories. It has developed into a craft that originated from homemade rug making using fabric and yarn scraps.

1. Latch Hook Pillows

Latch hook projects are fun and relaxing and you can do so much with them when they are done. You can make rugs, wall hangings and pillows. It doesn't take very long to do and you will have your own personal pillow around for a long time. Only a little materials is needed, as well as the ability to sew in a straight line. Materials: Finished latch hook project

Material Poly fiber fill Sewing machine Thread Needle Instructions: 1. Measure your latch hook project. If you haven't bound the edges yet, don't. If you have that's ok, too. It's just a different procedure. If you haven't bound the edges yet, measure the whole project laid out flat and cut two pieces of material that size. If you have already bound the edges, cut two pieces of material about 2 inches larger on all sides, than your project. 2. Sew the first piece of material on to the latch hook canvas with the right side of the material facing the wrong side of the latch hook project. Sew as close to your yarn as possible on all four sides. If your project is not square, cut the canvas about one inch away from your border, leaving the same shape as your project. Then sew on piece of material in the same shape, in the manner above. 3. Place your second piece of material with the right side facing the yarn part of your project. Make sure your yarn is pushed toward the center so it does not get caught in the stitching. Sew as close to the yarn as you can with a tight stitch. When you get to the last side stop and lock stitch half way through. If your doing a project that is not square, do the same thing leaving enough room to turn your pillow right side out. This takes a little more room than a regular pillow to get the yarn and canvas through. 4. Turn your pillow right side out and stuff. Get it as full as you can or desire and hand stitch the remaining open area. By using the piece of material behind your canvas, you won't have to worry about the stuffing coming through.

2. Latch Hook Rugs

Making latchhook rugs is easy, relaxing, fun and enjoyable. Many people do them for gifts, and some do them for themselves. Others just do them because it is a good way to unwind after a day at work or running after the kids. No matter what your reason, you will find making latchhook rugs a nice project or hobby.

Materials: Pre-cut yarn Latch hook canvas Latch hook tool Pattern (if not pre-printed on canvas) Binding Liquid plastic Large pointed needle Scissors Instructions:
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Buy a kit from the sewing section of Michaels or AC Moore; you will find all the latchhook kits you could ever imagine. You may want to get one for a specific person or for a particular room in your house. No matter what you are looking for you should find it in one of these stores.
Open the kit. You will find balls of yarn that are cut into one length that you will use on the mesh canvas that is included in the kit. You should also find a latchhook and masking tape that you will use in the making of your rugs. Cover the ends of the mesh with the masking tape. This will protect it from unraveling as you are working your latchhook rug. Use the color key and the color symbol chart to duplicate the design on your canvas. One piece of yarn will be used for each hole in the mesh. Begin at the chart's lower left corner mark and work in horizontal rows. Complete each row using the colors called for before moving onto the next row. The canvas is also colored so you only need to refer to the chart when in doubt. There are times when the colors will blend together so you may not be sure which color to use. Continue until you have every hole in the canvas mesh filled in and you will have a complete latchhook rug.

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Decide what you would like your latchhook rug to be: you can make a pillow, a wall hanging or a rug. Depending on which one you choose will depend on how you finish your rug. Either way you need to trim the canvas to one inch around the hooked area and baste it in place.

3. Braided Latch Hook

Latch hook was once thought of as a craft project, and then someone decided to use it in her beauty salon. This hair style is accomplished by using a crochet latch hook to insert and secure sections of false hair into a cornrow design. Latch hook braids can generally be incorporated into hair in three to four hours and, with a little instruction, is a very manageable do- it- yourself project. Materials: Latch hook Synthetic hair Shampoo Baking soda Hair gel Needle and thread (optional) Matches or lighter small rubber bands Instructions: y Braid synthetic strands first if you did not purchase pre-braided hair. Make sure the braids are a consistent and appropriate width for the size of cornrows you intend to put in the natural hair. y Wash the natural hair that is to be styled, thoroughly shampooing but not conditioning it. Use a baking powder solution on hair with excessive amounts of oil or product buildup before applying traditional shampoo. Mix baking powder with just enough water to make a thick paste. Apply the paste to the hair starting at the roots and moving down the length as far as needed to remove buildup. Any residue from hair care products will make it more difficult to part and cornrow hair. y Cornrow the natural hair, starting at the hair line and working your way toward the nape of the neck. Cornrows should be a consistent width, and there should be the same number on each side of the central part to ensure that when extensions are attached, the two sides of the style are equally thick and full. Use the width of your finger to measure the parts. y Braid the remaining length of hair and fasten when you cannot cornrow any further. Accomplish this in one of two ways. If synthetic hair was incorporated into the corn rows, the synthetic material can be melted with a lighter or match; melting the synthetic fibers to one another and the natural hair will affix the end of the braid. If only natural hair was used, fasten the ends of the braid using small black or brown rubber bands.

4. T-shirt Latch Hook Rug

Most latch hook rugs are made by attaching strands of yarn to a rug canvas backing. The yarn tails are loose on top of the rug, making for a soft and fluffy floor covering. Make a new twist on this old favorite by creating knit strips from old T-shirts. The fabric strips make for a very soft rug, and T-shirts can be purchased inexpensively at thrift stores or yard sales. Tshirt hooked rugs are tough enough to be put on a mud room floor, but soft enough to decorate a baby's room. Materials: T-shirts Scissors Rug canvas Duct tape Latch hook Instructions: y Cut your old T-shirts into 1/4 inch wide strips. Use all t-shirts of one color, or try different colored shirts for a patchwork or striped effect. Cut each strip into 4-inch lengths. The number of strips that you will need will depend on the size of your rug. This project is easy to add on to in sections, so cut up one or two shirts at a time before going on to the hooking. y Fold duct tape around all four edges of the rug canvas. Cover the edge on top with one half of the duct tape strip, then fold the tape over the canvas edge and stick the rest of the tape to the back of the canvas. Press down hard to make sure that the tape sticks to every part of the canvas. This will help to ensure that the canvas doesn't unravel when the rug is being used. y Begin hooking your rug at the bottom right. Push the latch hook down through the first hole in the bottom row. Push the hook end up through the second hole in the same row. Fold a shirt strip in half. Grasp the loop in the middle of the folded strip with the hook. Pull the latch hook back out of the holes until the loop half of the strip is coming out one hole and the end strands are coming out the next one. y Push the latch hook forward. The latch will open, leaving the hook open and the shirt fabric loop around the stem of the latch hook. Grab the two strands of shirt material on the left with the hook. Pull the strands through the loop that was left on the stem. Slip the strands from the hook end and tug on the strands to tighten the knot that you have just created. y Create the next knot by pushing the latch hook down through the second hole in the canvas and up through the third one. Grab another shirt strand and make another knot like the first one. Continue making knots with T-shirt material until your entire rug canvas has been filled.

5. Hooked Rug

A hooked rug can be a good craft project for kids who want to further their crafting ability. You can buy kits that have everything you need in them including the marked canvas, yarn and the latch hooking tool. However, if you want to make a picture of your own, you can do it by buying all the supplies separately and creating your own design. This takes a little more effort than the kits, but the finished product will definitely be worth it. Materials: Graph paper Markers Yarn Scissors Ruler Canvas mesh Latch hooking tool Instructions: 1. Draw your design that you want to transfer to the hooked rug on graph paper. Use a pencil at first, but then use colored markers to fill in the squares with the appropriate colors for your design. 2. Lay out a ruler on a flat surface and cut the yarn into 3-inch lengths. Buy yarn in whatever colors you need to complete your hooked rug. 3. Use the graph paper
design as a guide to help you decide which colors go where on your canvas. Start at the bottom of the canvas and work one row at a time, which helps you form missing squares. Purchase a piece of latch hooking canvas at the fabric store. Buy a piece that is a little larger than you need just to give you some leeway. 4. Wrap the appropriate color for the first square around the shaft of the latch hooking tool, making sure the yarn is below the loose part of the latch. 5. Insert the hook of your latch hooking tool underneath one of the squares of canvas and back up through on the other side. Take the ends of the yarn and wrap them around the latch hooking tool, this time opening the latch and catching the yarn inside the hook.

6. Pull the latch hooking tool back through the canvas, pulling the yarn with it to create a knot. Pull the ends of the yarn to tighten the stitch. 7.Continue working in the same manner all along one row before going on to the next.