Part 2 – Materials Used

Here you will be exposed to some of the more common materials used in weaving on the inkle loom.  You will learn to take a different approach in choosing the correct materials for the task at hand.  Beginners will be rewarded by the ability to select the proper learning materials, ones aiding in a better weave.  And you will expand your terminology of threads and yarns.

Material Used In The Inkle Weave

There is no way to list all the different materials that have been used in making up the inkle weave.  The vast selections of natural and man made yarns and throw in some of the more examples of materials used in inkle weaving such as leathers, woods, beads, and unique pieces of nature, gives endless combinations and only limited by one's imagination.

As a beginner, you should start out using the material that will be easy to work with and produce a good weave.  You need to achieving good results while learning and practicing the skills of the inkle weaver.  You can get it right the first time.  So with this in mind we will cover basic weaving materials and their terms allowing you to make easy and useful choices.

There are things to consider when selecting any material for your inkle band.   You must fully understand what the inkle band is to be used for, and under what conditions it will be exposed to, and will it have design and color?

These are four things to consider when selecting yarns.

 1 - Strength – determined by the type of yarn for the warp and it's width

 2 - Environment – exposure to extreme temperatures, moisture, etc.

 3 - Color – color by preference, matching environment, identity relationship

 4 - Design – icons, patterns, letters, telling a story

When selecting materials and garnishments for the inkle band there is one thing that you must always keep in mind.  The inkle bands utility must never be compromised for which it was intended.  Never select any materials or add anything that would weaken the purpose of the inkle band.  It must maintain it's strength in the application it was designed for.  A hand bag will demand a minimum strap strength between 20 to 60 lbs depending on the style and size.  Does your selected materials hold up to the challenge, and will the garnishments weaken it's purpose?

Now that you have many questions, let's look at some yarns and see if we can find some answers. Keep in mind that knowing the characteristics and size of yarns helps make selections for your purpose easier.

Almost endless are the selections of single strand yarns, pile yarns, natural yarns, and synthetic yarns.  Natural fibers seemed to be used by most hand-weavers. But because the inkle band is of utility in nature, the characteristics of some synthetic are being added to the inkle weavers world.

As stated before, there is a wide variety of yarns and threads weavers use today.  Inkle weavers even go far beyond the normal weaver, but here, we will stick to basic yarns and threads.  For us, as weavers, threads are small yarns. We will use both terms interchangeably in our discussion.

Natural yarns are created from fibers of animals coats, silkworm cocoons, and plants' seeds, leaves, and stems.

Examples of natural yarns:

• Wool - fibers from animal coats: sheep, goats, rabbits, alpacas, llama...
• Cotton - fibers from the cotton plant’s seed pod
• Silk - fibers from the cocoon of the silkworm
• Linen - linen is from flax, a bast fiber taken from the stalk of the plant
• Hemp, Ramie, and Jute - all of these are similar to linen but the plants are processed slightly differently

Manufactured  yarns, synthetics, start as a liquid, extruded as liquid and formed into various fibers.  Many of the fibers are colored before they become filament, thus they are difficult to dye.

Examples of manufactured yarns are acetate, acrylic, lastex, nylon, polyester,
rayon, and spandex.

Some yarns combine natural fibers and synthetic fibers for achieving special qualities.  Going green in yarns is not new. Recycled products are made into fibers and are also mixed with both natural and synthetic fibers.

Single strand yarns are composed of just that, a single strand of fibers.  Where a plied yarn has two or more single strand yarns spun together.  Picture a person at a spinning wheel spinning some wool into yarn, that single strand is the single strand yarn.  Now if that person was to spin together three of those yarns together, that would make it a 3 ply yarn.  Sounds simple and it is.  So don't get lost in the sauce as we continue.

Natural fibers can be spun wet or dry.  Wet spun fibers create a smoother finish that is stronger than dry spun.  Loosely spun fibers is softer but weaker than tightly spun fibers.  Short fiber yarn is not as strong as long fiber yarn.

Synthetics like polyester is considered to be a filament for they are not normally spun.  This continuous strand (filament) is stronger and has a matte finish.

They do make spun poly by taking scraps and chopping them up, then spun together, creating a fuzzy finish like cotton.  There is a three sided poly that reflects light creating a high sheen, and poly is color fast.  Silk is a natural filament yarn.  As you can see the natural  and manufactured yarns give us many things to consider when selecting yarns for a project.

Weavers sometimes have to use what they can find at the local store, like  knitting yarns.  There are different categories of yarn weight.  The higher the number the heavier the yarn.  There are both numbers and word descriptions that cover yarn weight.

The size of the yarn is straight forward for weavers.  Weavers use a lot of yarn, yards of it.  It is nice to know how much, in length, you are getting.  Yarn comes in standard sizes known as yarn counts. There are many different count systems and they can get quite confusing.  This is due to the difference in fiber type. Lets start by looking at 5/2 cotton.  The 5 represents the size or count of the yarn, while the 2 represents the number of plies.  In the cotton count system you can spin 840 yards of #1 cotton from one pound of cotton.  So, 5/2 cotton is 5 times 840 yards, or 4,200.  Since there are 2 plies, you divide the 4,200 by the number of plies. 4,200 divided by 2 or 2,100 yards.  There is 2,100 yards of yarn in one pound of 5/2 cotton.

Here are some yarn calculations for other common yarns.

• 3/2 cotton 1260 yards per pound
• 5/2 cotton 2100 yards per pound
• 8/2 cotton 3360 yards per pound
• 8/4 cotton 1680 yards per pound
• 10/2 cotton 4200 yards per pound
• 16/2 cotton 6720 yards per pound
• 20/2 cotton 8400 yards per pound
• 50/3 cotton 14000 yards per pound

Then there is the Linen count system of 300 yards spun for one pound of raw flax.  This would also include jute, hemp, ramie, and grass linen.  Wool has several count systems. 560 yards worsted spun from one pound of raw wool, 256 for woolen, 300 for the cut system, and 1,600 for the run system.

If you are into yarns try looking up information on the various systems including the Tex System, it figures yarn size for all types.  And the McMorran Yarn balance is a good way to measure yards per pound.

The Canadian, UK, and the Australian systems are almost the same as ours here in the States.  It now seems that there are no true standards for weavers.  Working with various types of yarn will get you comfortable in this area.  Always try to collect samples and the information for each.

WPI and TPI.  Weavers like using this easy way of calculating the number of warp threads needed and the length of weft thread.  It is a simple way of determining how many threads will fit in an inch when set parallel to each other.  Take a simple ruler and wrap the thread, side by side, around it. Now count the number of threads it takes to cover one inch, warp/threads per inch.

For inkle weavers the number of threads per inch is not complete.  Using a yarn that has a WPI of 10,  and for making a 2 inch wide band, it will take forty warp threads.  Remember, the inkle weave is two warp layers thick. 

The real question is if you want to be spot on or just in the ball park when choosing the yarns for your project.  As a beginner in weaving, on an inkle loom, you have just two considerations.  A good yarn for your heddles and one for weaving.

The part were you must concentrate on is making the inkle weave.  It is a feel kind of thing.  Going from one yarn to another with a different feel and size will not benefit you at all.  You have to get the weave down pat before you move to other yarns, then by making small adjustments, you can continue making that perfect weave.

Go to your local weaving store and find that yarn that is perfect for your learning experience.  The yarn should be plied, smooth, strong and resistant to stretching, and does not compress to easily.  So go look at some cotton and look at some poly.  Choose the same yarn for both the heddles and for weaving to get started.  Larger size waxed linen or pearl cotton may work for you.  Again, take a good look at some poly.

There are a lot of inkle weavers that will only work with a certain type of yarn.  They have gotten the feel of the yarn and will not change.  Hopefully you will find the perfect yarn to learn to weave with.  One that will have several colors available and at a fair price.  You have to master the weave with one type of yarn before you move on.

Always use sharp scissors to cut yarn. You are looking for a clean cut every time.  And save those yarn wrappers along with a sample of what was inside. 

Yarn is a never ending story.  Almost every day new colors, textures, and fibers appear on the shelves.  Weavers must take special care in selecting yarns for their projects.  Not all yarns are created equal.  Inkle weavers need to find yarn that works well for them.

Key Terms You Should Know

• filament yarn – continuous solid strand of yarn
• single strand yarn – one strand of spun or filament yarn
• spun yarn – pieces of fibers spun together to form a yarn
• TPI and WPI – number of parallel threads needed to cover one inch
• man made yarns – synthetic yarns
• natural yarns – raw materials taken from nature
• plied yarn – two or more yarns spun together
• yarn count – a measure of length of #1 yarn using one pound of fiber

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This page was last modified on Saturday, February 11, 2012 11:49:16 PM