Fun weaves : unusual things you can weave on !
First there ist "The eye of the gods". It is a decorative item
which comes from South America. The traditional ones I have seen all have bright colours and are
decorated with tassels, sometimes there were bells or other noise-makers, and sometimes small items
which represent something special in the culture of the people (or a special thought of the person
who made this "eye"), - - of the pictures I saw showed these decorations attatched to the
4 points.
Then there is "stick weaving" which sometimes is called
"pin weaving". I have also heard it being called "sodastraw weaving".
Weaving with sodastraws is a little different because the warp runs along inside the straws; I
have also seen 'pin weaving' using straight hollow branches of elder, and hollow knitting needles.
It seems that people say 'pin weaving' when the object is quite solid and the yarn runs through
the length of the pin. I do my stick weaving on lolly sticks where I made a hole at one end, just
like a needle, to thread the warp through.
You need some good control of these items which carry the warp, because you have to hold them
in your hand all the time while weaving.
A strange item to use is a plastic or paper drinks cup.
You don't use thread as your warp but use the cup itself. If you are 'recycling' such a cup,
make sure it is clean.
This idea works also on plastic drinking bottles, but please ask someone to cut the bottle as
the plastic itself can cut you. When you have all the 'slots' cut, just smooth each side of the
upright plastic 'bands' with fine sand-paper/ emery paper/ an old nail file.
I have woven quite a few hollow items on my special loom,
but you can do the same work on the card tube from a roll of kitchen paper (or the tube which holds potato
snacks). Before you go to see this I must warn you !!!
I have seen so many people make mistakes with this that I have decided to show you WHAT NOT
to do !!!
So please look at it and then follow the explanation of what should be done, to have a successful
and useable hollow-weave item!
I make circular decorations called "Circlarious" . I use
the rings one finds in lampshades. But any round or oval, or even angular, item would work.
On this site I suggest an easy design for you, make something eye-catching, most people
will be able to do this work without help. Have a good time trying these ......
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