When I did the blog posts on the Renditions tapestries, there was a lot of positive reaction. Tapestry weavers like to know the details like size and sett, warp, and weft. And the story behind a piece often enriches it, too. We’re constantly exploring warp and weft combinations. The magic combinations are a mystery at first, but gradually the more we weave, the more we learn.

I suspect a lot of tapestry artists eventually find a golden ratio and stick with it. It’s a good idea to really get to know your materials before moving on and adding variables. It’s a bit like science in a way. But I suppose it depends on how you- and your brain - works.

Some might stick to what they’ve been told works and see no need to experiment. Still others may be all over the place and try something new each weaving. Whatever method, if it keeps you creating, it’s working.

When I returned to tapestry, I was overwhelmed by all the choices. I started by using what I had. They weren’t the best choices because what I had was a lifetime accumulation of knitting yarns for the most part. I’d parted with weaving yarns years ago when I shed that skin to design knitwear.

So I used what I had. I found out what worked and what didn’t and I made journals full of notes.

After my brief experimentation with knitting yarns, here’s what I learned:

Knitting yarns have their place.

Take this piece, for instance. It’s definitely not show quality but I learned a lot from it and still respond positively to parts of it.

What worked:

I still love the textures in this piece.

And the patterning that can happen with sock yarns and hand painted yarns.

I learned that using the yarns in small patches worked best.

What didn’t work:

The knitting yarn I chose for a border. Or - simply - using a knitting yarn for a border!

It’s Nina (cotton and linen blend), from Tahki Stacy Charles, and one of my favorite of Stacy’s yarns. Plus I have a lot of it due to my brief period of booth set-ups: schlepping my pattern kits around the country. Believe it or not, I even used it as warp (definitely under the what didn’t work category) in my first weavings (like the one above). But hey-

I used what I had and I learned.

Speaking of yarns in borders…

It didn’t work in that one- but here is another example where I think it did work. Not ideal, but it didn’t kill the piece, either. And this is an even softer knitting yarn- and a much bigger piece. It’s another TSC yarn, Minitempo, a mixture of cotton, (gasp) acrylic, and (another gasp) polyamide! This was my first piece on a Mirrix loom and what a game changer. All previous pieces had been done on a frame loom my husband made for me and I could never have gotten the tension I get with a proper tapestry loom like the Mirrix. I attribute that tensioning to saving this from an exasperating failure.

Note, I also used 12/9 cotton seine twine for the warp in this one. Compared to the knitting yarn in those first frame loom pieces(!!!)

Now, I’m NOT saying use soft knitting yarns for a border- especially on a larger piece. I’m just sayin’-

I didn’t mean to focus on knitting yarns here, but I do suspect a lot of new weavers will start with what they have, so worth mentioning.

I began accumulating weft yarns designed with tapestry in mind after those first experiments and fell hard in love with Faro. I wanted more colors, though, to do more extensive blending and found Mora. Probably every piece I’ve done since Tree Companions has been a combination of those two yarns. My latest pieces also use some cotton, linen, and bamboo fibers along with EPiC. More exploration. Adding variables. My scientific approach!

What I’m leading up to in all this is to tell you that when I started my website, it began more as a personal digital journal and I kept it private for months. Then I realized others might benefit from my documentation. So I invite you in. You can click on any of the pieces under Tapestries or Woodles (a name I gave to my weaving doodles) and learn more about each piece, including the size, sett, warp, and weft. I plan to eventually add more notes on inspiration or background info.

Do you have a favorite combination? Favorite weft yarn?

Leave a note in the comments or send an email.

We all learn from each other!

Tapestry weaving: Speaking of Warps and Wefts