Pin weaving

Last updated
Finished pin-woven squares, with four selvages Another collection of zoom loom squares.jpg
Finished pin-woven squares, with four selvages

Pin weaving is a form of small-scale weaving traditionally done on a frame made of pins; the warp and weft are wrapped around the pins. Pin-woven textiles have a selvage edge all the way around. [1]

Contents

Pin looms were popular from the 1930s to the 1960s. [1] Quite elaborate patterns were published, especially in the 1930s. [2]

21st-century designs often focus more on the fiber than on elaborate patterning; [2] for instance, yarns with precisely repeating colours can be used to make plaids. [3]

Equipment

The equipment needed is minimal, consisting of pins, a pinnable board, and a bodkin needle. [4] It can also be done on some types of knitting frame. [5] There are also commercial looms made for pin weaving. Smooth, rounded pin tops are desirable; they don't snag the yarn or fingers. [1] Pins are usually spaced ¼ to ⅛ of an inch apart (3-7 millimeters apart). [2] The pins may be numbered (with numbers written beside the pins), and the lower-left corner may be marked, for ease of reference when working patterns. [6] Ideally, the background should contrast with the threads. [7]

Weaves

For plain tabby weaves, only every other thread in one direction (a quarter of the yarns) is inserted over-and-under with a needle. The others are wrapped in layers; first the odd warps, then the odd counterwarps (at 90 degrees to the warp threads), then the even warp threads. The counterwarps thus pass alternately over and under the warps, but they do it in parallel, passing over and under in unison. A weft thread is woven between each pair of counterwarps, passing under where the flanking counterwarps pass over, and vice-versa.

This timesaving method cannot be used for more complex weaves, such as twills. For these, the odd warps are warped, then the even warps are warped (giving the edge loops), and then the weft is woven with the needle. There is no counterwarp.

Joining and edging

Pin-woven textiles are small, and are often stitched together into larger textiles; the finished product has visible seams. Joining methods including whip stitch, cross stitch, running stitch, back stitch; overcast stitch is fast but tends to pucker. In crochet, crocheted slip stitch and single crochet are used, as are knitted 3-needle bind-offs. [9]

Patterns

Many sewing patterns designed for pinweaving use rectangular construction, with all seams lying on selvage edges. This eliminates waste. Others use non-rectangular construction, cutting curve-edged pattern pieces out of a piece of cloth formed by sewing together the squares. Garments can be cut on the bias or on the grain with similar amounts of waste.

Seams joing the squares may be eased; that is, there are more squares on one side of the join than on the other. The extra length is distributed evenly along the seam, creating fullness without discrete pleats.

Similar methods

Darning loom with a shedding mechanism. Spede+Weve+Miniature+Loom+Model+1+Instructions (cropped to illustration).jpg
Darning loom with a shedding mechanism.

Darning looms are similar to pin weaving, but instead of being wrapped around pins, three of the selvages are stitched into the cloth being repaired. The fourth is wrapped around a revolving-hood mechanism which, when rotated, forms a shed and countershed, making plain tabby weaves much faster. When finished, the hooks are removed, and the fourth selvage is usually stitched to the cloth.

Publications

Early twentieth-century

21st-century

Related Research Articles

Bead weaving is a set of techniques for weaving sheets and objects of seed beads. Threads are strung through and/or around the beads to hold them together. It can be done either on a loom or using one of a number of off-loom stitches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knitting</span> Method of forming fabric

Knitting is a method for production of textile fabrics by interlacing yarn loops with loops of the same or other yarns. It is used to create many types of garments. Knitting may be done by hand or by machine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loom</span> Device for weaving textiles

A loom is a device used to weave cloth and tapestry. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads. The precise shape of the loom and its mechanics may vary, but the basic function is the same.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denim</span> Warp-faced textile

Denim is a sturdy cotton warp-faced textile in which the weft passes under two or more warp threads. This twill weave produces a diagonal ribbing that distinguishes it from cotton duck. Denim, as it is recognized today, was first produced in Nîmes, France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twill</span> Woven fabric textile weave

Twill is a type of textile weave with a pattern of diagonal parallel ribs. It is one of three fundamental types of weave, along with plain weave and satin. It is made by passing the weft thread over one or more warp threads then under two or more warp threads and so on, with a "step," or offset, between rows to create the characteristic diagonal pattern. Because of this structure, twill generally drapes well.

Ikat is a dyeing technique from Indonesia used to pattern textiles that employs resist dyeing on the yarns prior to dyeing and weaving the fabric. The term is also used to refer to related and unrelated traditions in other cultures. In Southeast Asia, where it is the most widespread, ikat weaving traditions can be divided into two general clades. The first is found among Daic-speaking peoples. The second, larger group is found among the Austronesian peoples and spread via the Austronesian expansion. Similar dyeing and weaving techniques that developed independently are also present in other regions of the world, including India, Central Asia, Japan, Africa, and the Americas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Damask</span> Reversible figured woven fabric

Damask is a reversible patterned fabric of silk, wool, linen, cotton, or synthetic fibers, with a pattern formed by weaving. Damasks are woven with one warp yarn and one weft yarn, usually with the pattern in warp-faced satin weave and the ground in weft-faced or sateen weave. Twill damasks include a twill-woven ground or pattern.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Double cloth</span> Woven textile type

Double cloth or double weave is a kind of woven textile in which two or more sets of warps and one or more sets of weft or filling yarns are interconnected to form a two-layered cloth. The movement of threads between the layers allows complex patterns and surface textures to be created.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darning</span> Sewing technique for repairing holes or worn areas in fabric or knitting using needle and thread

Darning is a sewing technique for repairing holes or worn areas in fabric or knitting using needle and thread alone. It is often done by hand, but using a sewing machine is also possible. Hand darning employs the darning stitch, a simple running stitch in which the thread is "woven" in rows along the grain of the fabric, with the stitcher reversing direction at the end of each row, and then filling in the framework thus created, as if weaving. Darning is a traditional method for repairing fabric damage or holes that do not run along a seam, and where patching is impractical or would create discomfort for the wearer, such as on the heel of a sock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paithani</span> Variety of sari

Paithani is a variety of sari, named after the Paithan town in Aurangabad district from state of Maharashtra in India where the sari was first made by hand. Present day Yeola town in Nashik, Maharashtra is the largest manufacturer of Paithani.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pile weave</span>

Pile weave is a form of textile created by weaving. This type of fabric is characterized by a pile—a looped or tufted surface that extends above the initial foundation, or 'ground' weave. The pile is formed by supplemental yarn running in the direction of the length of the fabric or the width of the fabric. Pile weaves include velvet and corduroy fabrics and machine-woven Berber carpets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plain weave</span> Method of weaving cloth in which each warp and weft thread crosses over/under every other thread

Plain weave is the most basic of three fundamental types of textile weaves. It is strong and hard-wearing, and is used for fashion and furnishing fabrics. Fabrics with a plain weave are generally strong, durable, and have a smooth surface. They are often used for a variety of applications, including clothing, home textiles, and industrial fabrics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knitted fabric</span> Textile material made using knitting techniques, often by machine knitting

Knitted fabric is a textile that results from knitting, the process of inter-looping of yarns or inter-meshing of loops. Its properties are distinct from woven fabric in that it is more flexible and can be more readily constructed into smaller pieces, making it ideal for socks and hats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Selvage</span> Narrow edge of a woven fabric parallel to its length

A selvage or selvedge is a "self-finished" edge of a piece of fabric which keeps it from unraveling and fraying. The term "self-finished" means that the edge does not require additional finishing work, such as hem or bias tape, to prevent fraying.

Kersey is a kind of coarse woollen cloth that was an important component of the textile trade in Medieval England.

The manufacture of textiles is one of the oldest of human technologies. To make textiles, the first requirement is a source of fiber from which a yarn can be made, primarily by spinning. The yarn is processed by knitting or weaving, which turns yarn into cloth. The machine used for weaving is the loom. For decoration, the process of colouring yarn or the finished material is dyeing. For more information of the various steps, see textile manufacturing.

Textile manufacturing is one of the oldest human activities. The oldest known textiles date back to about 5000 B.C. In order to make textiles, the first requirement is a source of fibre from which a yarn can be made, primarily by spinning. The yarn is processed by knitting or weaving to create cloth. The machine used for weaving is the loom. Cloth is finished by what are described as wet process to become fabric. The fabric may be dyed, printed or decorated by embroidering with coloured yarns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waffle fabric</span> Type of woven or knit fabric

Waffle fabric, also known as honeycomb fabric, has raised threads that form small rectangles. It can be made by either weaving or knitting. Waffle weave is a further exploitation of plain weave and twill weave which produces a three-dimensional effect. The combination of warp and weft floats creates the structure. It is woven partly on tabby areas surrounded by ridges of long floats. The weave consists of warp and weft floats arranged around a plain weave center. The warp and weft threads are interlaced and floating in a way that creates small square ridges and hollows in the fabric in a regular pattern.

Sewing is the craft of fastening or attaching objects using stitches made with needle and thread. Sewing is one of the oldest of the textile arts, arising in the Paleolithic Era. Although usually associated with clothing and household linens, sewing is used in a variety of crafts and industries, including shoemaking, upholstery, sailmaking, bookbinding and the manufacturing of some kinds of sporting goods. Sewing is the fundamental process underlying a variety of textile arts and crafts, including embroidery, tapestry, quilting, appliqué and patchwork.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leno weave</span> Weave in which two warp yarns are twisted around the weft yarns

Leno weave is a weave in which two warp yarns are woven around the weft yarns to provide a strong yet sheer fabric. The standard warp yarn is paired with a skeleton or 'doup' yarn; these twisted warp yarns grip tightly to the weft which causes the durability of the fabric. Leno weave produces an open fabric with almost no yarn slippage or misplacement of threads.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Stump, Margret. "Pin loom info".
  2. 1 2 3 Trent, Jana. "Fiber". eLoomaNation. 4-8 pins per inch (3-6 pins every two centimeters), 4–8 per inch (1.6–3.1/cm)
  3. Trent, Jana. "Weaving". eLoomaNation.
  4. LeftFootDaisy (7 November 2018). "Pin Weaving in September". Handweavers Guild of Cork. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  5. Stump, Margret. "Weaving on a Knitting Loom". Pin loom weaving. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  6. Trent, Jana (2009-06-11). "Triangle or Rectangle? [shawl pattern]". www.weavezine.com.
  7. Trent, Jana. "Tips and tricks". eLoomaNation.
  8. Trent, Jana. "FAQ". eLoomaNation.
  9. Trent, Jana. "Assembly". eLoomaNation.