I've started working on sprang, a technique of twisting warps without a weft into an interlocking net.
This net is stretchable and suitable for many different items.
I'll post some more below.
Have a good day!
The Sprang Begins
I've been dying to start on this sprang project and so here it goes.
This is the first attempt. This is a very sad sprang.
This is second attempt. Much better looking. Still sad.
Stay tuned for more!
Sprang 3 and Sprang 6
Here is sprang #3, with more practice, my eyes and my fingers are getting used to movements and patterns needed for this basic weave pattern.
Here is sprang #6, becoming more familiar with the movements and where the strings need to overlap for the weaving to work. I have 24 warps on it now. Will start some wider pieces with a long board soon.
I've used string to pull the weaving wide for taking the photo. I've also drilled some holes in the clipboard to anchor the sticks with string loops.
Have a good day!
Here are some more sprang links
Sprang - an ancient craft which is a cross between
weaving and knitting. Follow these links for your own sprang adventure.
Wikipedia - Sprang
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprang
Stringpage.com - Sprang info
http://www.stringpage.com/sprang/sprang.html
Regia Anglorum - Anglo-Saxon and Viking Crafts - Sprang
http://www.regia.org/sprang.htm
Middle Kingdom Textile Artisan Guild
Click on the various sprang articles
http://mktag.org/projects/content.html
Doni's Coptic Bag Sprang Project
http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/donisfuff/coptic.html
Ellen Shipleys Weft To My Own Devices sprang article
http://wefttomyowndevices.blogspot.com/2008/03/sprang.html
Ronald and Blue's Web Site with Sprang and Nalbinding
English Version - Click on pictures to read about Techniques
http://www.denblauwenswaen.nl/engels.htm
Jen's Coptic Sprang Article
with links to other articles
http://genvieve.net/sca/copticsprang.html
Sprang Article from House Ebarra Early Period #7
http://www.housebarra.com/EP/ep07/11sprang.html
Have a good day!
Then there's the Peter Collingwood book about sprang:
I have the Peter Collingwood book and there is a great deal written about having just the right kind of yarn to do this so you don't end up with a fabric that just twists up on itself when it comes off the loom. I am interested to see what happens to yours. Franco when it is not under tension. I suppose sprang fabrics are intended to be stretchy and probably held permanently under tension. However, I have seen pictures in a braiding book (Braids and Beyond by Jacqui Carey) of Columbian women making sprang bags that hang nice and straight when off the loom. I shall have to go to Columbia and study with these craftspeople to find the secret or do you have it , Franco?.!!
Laverne
Thanks!
Thats a good compilation of sprang articles. That is all of them that I have found on the net at various times, but all in one place. Great job!
sharon
Van Reesema, E. Siewertsz, Egyptisch Vlechtwerk [Egyptian Lace], V. Holkema & Warendorf's, Uitg-My.N.V. Amsterdam, N.D. 48pp. [Instructions included, with photos. Also photos of currently interlaced pieces from classes. This is what we now call Sprang.]
I'm working on a longer sprang right now.
I'll take it off the when done and take a picture.
It might be a couple of days.
Have a good day!
I haven't taken mine off the loom yet, I've been untwisting and retwisting the same warp until it is so frayed it won't play anymore.
I was just directed to a video on you tube that describes Z twist and S twist by Blue of denblauwenswaen, who has about six sprang related videos on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAEfWnhMKRM
Blue of denblauwenswaen is narrating and says if you weave with S twist, the fabric wants to curl on itself since the strands are twisted to one direction. By twisting to the other direction, you can prevent the fabric curling.
I also started a yahoo group for sprang since there are a lot of talented people who lurk in yahoo. It was one of those people who directed me to Blue's video.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sprang_List/
I've had over 50 people join in less than 48 hours so there seems to be an interest in sprang.
Have a good day!
Franco Rios
Thanks Franco! Call me lazy, but after reading that bit in the Collingwood book I just didn't feel like doing all the yarn experiments on my own so I am waiting for someone else to just tell me which one to use or which way is best!! I am sure the answer is going to come up in your group. Are you sure the interest is in sprang or is it in ''adventuresome Franco'' :-)!!
Laverne
Blue says in her video that by combining S twist and Z twist in a piece the twisting will counteract each other, allowing the piece to lay flat.
I'll be testing that myself soon.
I expect some people are coming to see what Franco is up to now. I also expect some people have interest in sprang.
Have a good day!
Sprang in color
(click on pictures for larger image)
Well done, Franco. I love all this in color. I have watched your progress with great interest and I am getting ready to dip my toes in the water here. First, I have to complete my backstrap project.
Keep up the good work.
Claudia
Well done! I like the bright colors!.
Bamboo skeweres work great too, if chopsticks are not handy. The safty string is a must.
Sharon
Franco --
I have a hammock that I bought in Honduras several years ago. I put it in storage each winter. A couple of years ago, when I got it out, something had gotten into it and nibbled the strings, creating a couple of holes in the middle of it. From your experimenting so far, do you think it would be possible to repair a hole in the middle of a sprang piece where the thread has been broken?
Cathy
I think a new piece could be spliced or tied in to repair it.
Time to get out your girl scout handbook and look up "splices." Then using the remaining strands as your example, follow the twisting pattern to replace the damaged section.
Have a good day!
Sprang - chopsticks and pencils
I've been using chopsticks to keep my spacing in the sprang and it is just not working for me. The web is so tight that I can't stretch the 3 inch wide band more than 4-1/2 inch wide as shown above.
So on the recommendations of the people on the yahoo
I tried using pencils and leaving them in to keep the spacing. This looks better.
See how the web is now spreading out almost 11 inches wide!
A couple of tips: Top of the frame I used a doubled up string to tie up the upper dowel. I wrapped it twice around and tied with a shoe lace knot. Wrapping it twice around makes it easier to cinch up and tie up since the double wraps makes a mechanical advantage similar to a pulley. I can quickly tighten or loosen as needed.
The other tip is to look at the back of the sprang. Here we can easily see the two blue strings I missed on my last row. In weaving these are called "floats", but I did not want this to happen. More later.
Have a good day!
Sprang - first bag
Here's the finished bag. I used string to sew up the sides. I think I'll leave the sticks in before sewing next time because I couldn't keep track of the outside cords. The drawstring cord is braided from red & white string. I did not chain loop the bottom, instead I put a string through it.
The real test of a bag is to put something into it. The bag failed. The mesh was too loose to hold and oranges fell through.
So next time I think I'll use pencils again, but I'll tighten up the twist. If that doesn't get it, I'll try chopsticks again but make it more loose.
Have a good day!
It came in the mail today! The Techniques of Sprang by Peter Collingwood!
It was offered to me by email and I bought it for $15. It's in great condition.
I can see why everybody says I need this. This book is a textbook on sprang. There is 300 pages and most every other page has a chart or diagram on it explaining this or that aspect of sprang.
I'm going to be reading on the bus for a while.
Have a good day!
Hallo!! I am working on sprang .
I put a cord after any interloking o interlacing sprang.but I remove them after the work ends. Only the last cord remains to hold the warps.
Have a good day!
Graciela, from
http://www.gracielaforadori.
http://
http://vistiendoarte.blogspot.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/
Wow! So glad you got the book. I'm also glad to hear your review of it. I've looked at buying it several times, but the price was always high. Next time that I see one for sale I might try to pick it up since you said it was so helpful.
Thanks,
Liza
Loren & Liza Stallsmith
Circle S Leather - http://Braintanner.com
Graciela Foradori Blogs - Sprang, Gasas & more!
I am moving this comment from Graciela Foradori of Argentina to the top of the blog.
There are purses, bags, shawls, vests, it is like a candy store for the eyes!
Bravo Graciela!
And thank you for sharing these wonderful things.
For the NorteAmericanos like me who have not learned Spanish yet, you can use internet translation services like Yahoo Babelfish or Google Translate for translations. It is worth it! I am going to learn Spanish now because there is another world on the internet that speaks Espanol!
Have a joyful day!
Franco Rios, Sacramento, Calif, USA
Yes, it is worth learning a bit of Spanish, because there is some wonderful weaving going on in Chile and Argentina. The young girls there are really into weaving, and make some fantastic fashion garments on their RH looms, and share all this on their blogs. Most of them are multi-talented and happily mix and match techniques. Those that prefer the more traditional indigenous looms are also blogging, so its like crawling through the Wardrobe into Narnia, a whole different experience, and the translation services are really stretched to their limits trying to cope. I'm following several Spanish-speaking blogs.
I have also purchased a couple of weaving books in Spanish, which are so well written and diagrammed even an Anglo like me can follow what is going on.
Now I'm off to explore Graciela's links and pick up a bit more Spanish on the fly!
Happy Easter!
Hello, friends weavers. I invite you to join the group sprang.
http://www.flickr.com/groups/1410201@N23/
Have a joyful day!
Graciela
Hello! I put a scarf , working on sprang and the step by step, in my blog http://gracielaforadoritecnicastextiles.blogspot.com/
Have a good day.
Good morning Graciela,
Is the green/white piece done in sprang?
That is amazing!
How long is the length? How wide is it?
How many threads are in it? What kind of thread?
I want to make one that looks like that one!
Thank you for posting it.
Have a good day!
Mostrar forma romanizada
Hi Franco! It is a belt or girdle. (Perhaps the names are not exact, but we will understand).
The belt is made of sprang (interlaced). The design is obtained by alternating of the color.
I call “par” when the thread coming out of the bottom rail passes back to forth along the bar top and returns to the bottom rail. (Full circle by a thread.) (A thread is the front and one rear) ( it continues)
Mostrar forma romanizada
AABB AABB AABB siignifica a couple and a couple color A color B. etc. etc. ..
This alternation AABBAABBAABB ..... gives us a vertical line on the fabric.
The alternation ABABABAB .... gives a horizontal line.
How do I place the warp ABAB? I put the warp AABBAABB .... and I move the threads A to forward and B. behind.
Regarding the number of pairs, are approximately 20, the final width about
The warp shortens placed between 25 and 40%. A fabric so tight shortened to
This belt begins with a warp AABBAABB .....................
and then switched to ABABABAB ....................... and in the end I left some ABABABAB warps (the edges) and AABBAABB the center.
If it is not clear post again with pictures. Luck! Graciela
That is good to know.
Thank you. I will do my best.
Have a good day!
First of all, that is not so sad an attempt, the very first sprang I mean. My first sprang was much worse! Love the coulors in the red, white and blue piece.
Blue from www.denblauwenswaen.nl
SPRANG TUNIC
Culture: Salado
Dates: ca. AD 1300-1450
Location: Tonto-Roosevelt Basin, central AZ
Material: cotton
This sleeveless tunic was made by a non-loom technique known as sprang which
creates an interlinked structure. The fiber is handspun cotton. The design motifs--running
triangles and interlocking rectilinear scrolls--are also found on contemporary
painted pottery and petroglyphs.
Wonderful! Thank you for posting it.
.http://www.senzeme.lv/Sprang.htm (interesting link)
It is beautiful.
Thank you Graciela for the link to the pic of the sprang loom
http://www.caid-gww.org/images/enclave/sprang.png
I like simple looms. Although that one would be difficult to carry on the bus.
Have a good day!
That is an interesting variation on the bow loom. A smaller one oriented like those used by Native Americans for bead weaving, or medieval tablet weaving might work on the bus.
Re-posting your link so that it is highlighted:
Sprang technique by means of comb
Anita Rašmane, 2006
http://www.senzeme.lv/Sprang.htm
I also found the "war shirt" article very interesting. It looks like a finger knitted coat, no loom and no knitting needles.
http://www.senzeme.lv/Pakulu_krekls.htm
I used Google Translate to convert from Latvian language.
Have a good day!
Nice article, thanks. I didn't take the time to translate, only looked at the pictures. The work in progress appears to be a type of finger crochet called shepherd's knitting. The only stitch used is the slip stitch, and when worked in the round looks very much like knitting.
Boy, doesn't the fiber she is using look hard on the hands!
My last comment was in reference to the war shirt link. I just looked at the sprang link, and find it fascinating too. It's interesting that the warp ends are loose. It makes me want to wind them on bobbins. This looks like it might be a precursor to bobbin lace.
I did a little more research, and shepherd's knitting is sometimes used for this technique, but is also another term for Tunisian crochet. The term most used for this style of slip stitch today is Bosnian crochet. It can of course also be done using a hook. It can be worked either flat or in the round, and makes an extremely dense and firm fabric, though it has a very strong tendency to curl, which is probably why the shirts shown are worked vertically instead of from the bottom up.
Here is a link for the translation to english
http://tinyurl.com/WarShirtLatvia
It's an interesting article.
Have a good day!
Franco Rios
Thanks so much for the translation. It is a truly interesting article. I am reminded of when I have knit, then spray painted "chain mail" for theater costumes.
Hallo Franco!!!I am working on sprang
I put a cord after any interloking o interlacing sprang.but I remove them after the work ends. Only the last cord remains to hold the warps.
I invite you to look at my blogs.
Have a good day! Do you speak Spanish?
Graciela, from Argentina
Te invito a visitar mis blogs
http://www.gracielaforadori.blogspot.com/
http://gracielaforadoritecnicastextiles.blogspot.com/
http://vistiendoarte.blogspot.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gracielaforadori/ (sprang, gasas/gauze)