I'm a novice weaver with a modest set of skills and some experience weaving with cotton, rayon, and wool. I would very much like to weave with linen but I'm not sure my experiences with these other fibers will help me much. Can someone direct me to a resource, or serve as a resource, to help me learn what I need to know before taking on this fiber? My eventual goal is to make huck lace curtains but I figure I will start with a more modest project, perhaps some placemats. I know how to warp (B2F) with a warp valet and I plan to do my weaving on an 8S10T Schacht Standard loom (for which thank you to Missourweaver).

Thanks for your help,

Agnes

Comments

Sun, 05/26/2013 - 23:49

Sara von Tresckow

Linen is a fiber like the others. The only difference is that linen requires a bit more exact attention to detail and use of clean methods. Any good basic weaving book should do - "Big Book of Weaving" is always a good recommendation.

It is probably a good introduction to use a cotton warp and linen weft for the first project. Lea linen numbers are such that if you use an 8/1 or 16/2 linen, you want to use an 8/2 or 10/2 cotton as warp. For 16/1 linen, use 16/2 or similar cotton. Sett for a linen weft will be somewhat closer than weaving with all cotton as the linen weft will not shrink after washing.

Use a temple and you should be good to go.

Wind bobbins carefully so the thread doesn't wind around the axle too much and just weave slowely and carefully.

Ignore most of the "dire warnings" you've seen - plan a nice project, relax and weave carefully.

Sun, 05/26/2013 - 23:56

Yvonne K

I have woven many towels using cottolin as warp, with 16/2s linen as weft. The resulting cloth is 75% linen and has good absorbency.

Mon, 05/27/2013 - 00:24

agneslionel

Sara, thank you for the vote of confidence. I have (and love) the Big Book of Weaving and so will begin there. I use an end-feed shuttle and wind my bobbins using a tension box - will that help? Yvonne, cottolin warp and linen weft sounds like a great idea, at least for my first project.  I am attached to the idea of linen curtains because I hope they will wear well - the windows I have in mind are on the north side of the house but get quite a lot of sun in winter,  but the cottolin mix sounds like a great compromise. 

Many thanks to you both!