Post Bothwell workshops - Sara Lamb

For those interested in attending Sara Lamb’s “Braids and Bands” Workshop (Tues 3rd & Wed 4th March) we are including simple instructions for easily making your own card weaving cards using old playing cards. Participants will need at least 12 cards for the purposes of the workshop (although 25 make a good sized set).

It would also be possible to apply these instructions to make slightly larger cardboard squares. If you have access to a laminator, laminating will greatly improve the strength of these cards and make them more durable. When laminating you need to cut the holes before doing the laminating and then re-cut them again afterwards. If you have a leather punch it makes it easier to re-cut the holes as you can see more clearly what you are doing. You can mark the cards with a marker pen in the corners of the cards (on the outsides of the circles) a, b, c, d. going in a clockwise direction starting at the top left hand corner. 
An inexpensive source of cardweaving card is playing cards. Buy the widest you can find.

Then cut them down to square. Yes, they will wear out faster than commercially made cardweaving cards, but they are a very small fraction of the cost.

Then draw the X to find the center, use a compass to scribe a circle. Use a standard paper punch to make the 4 holes on the X but inside the circle. If the holes are outside the circle then the corners will catch threads as they are turned.

Make just one as a pattern and then lay it on top of each successive card and punch through the same holes.


If you wish to purchase cards these are available from various sources (none yet found in Australia!) – eg: www.lacis.com (under Tools & Materials: other textile techniques) (sets of 25 small plastic cards @ US$10) (They also have sets of 12 leather cards.) or www.halcyonyarn.com (under Supplies: weaving) US$3.25 for 12 cards or www.fibrecrafts.com (UK) who have the leather and plastic Lacis cards for AUS$ 38.55 and AUS$17.62 respectively and some 7 hole cardboard cards for AUS$14.32

Participants in the “Braids and Bands” workshop will need to bring threads like embroidery floss, crochet cottons or pearl cottons, and an Inkle Loom or a two harness loom. (The Tas. Guild does have some of these types of looms available for hire.), or larger C clamps. (Yarns: 10/2 crochet cotton, 5/2 or 10/2 weaving cotton, yarns like that, sturdy, light twist, lots of colours.)


Kumihimo weaving will also be included in Sara Lamb’s Braids and Bands workshop. For this a Kumihimo disk is needed, (or a Marudai if you have one). There are several Australian suppliers – eg: www.braidandbeadstudio.com has a kit which includes a disk with simple instructions and some silk threads for AUS$20 (email: beth@braidandbeadstudio.com ) or www.joscolace.com.au where you can purchase a disk for AUS$19.90. (Josco Lace also stock Kumihimo plates which are square.) These Kumihimo disks are made of a very firm (dense) kind of foam and have slots in the sides to hold the threads used. Sara Lamb says that she does not find that she needs to use bobbins with these disks. They are light, strong and very portable. The disks were originally designed by a Japanese Kumihimo weaver. Kumihimo is a Japanese technique for making braids. ‘Kumi’ means ‘plait’ and ‘himo’ means ‘cord or string.’ Kumihimo braids made on a Marudai can be flat, round, square or hollow. The foam disk is an ideal tool for beginners using this form of braiding.

Participants in the “Braids and Bands” workshop will need to bring threads like embroidery floss, crochet cottons or pearl cottons, and an Inkle Loom or a two harness loom. (The Guild does have some of these types of looms available for hire.) (Yarns: 10/2 crochet cotton, 5/2 or 10/2 weaving cotton, yarns like that, sturdy, light twist, lots of colours.)


For Sara Lamb’s “Knotted Cut Pile: Not Just for Carpets Workshop” (Thurs 5th & Frid 6th March) only simple looms are required such as a small tapestry loom, a rigid heddle loom, or a simple 2 shaft loom or a table loom. Sara has most often used a copper pipe loom which she had adapted the design of and which she may possibly demonstrate on at the Spin-in, but more recently she has been trying out this type of weaving on a range of looms including the Schacht Flip Loom (which is similar to the Ashford Knitters Loom), and has found that these work quite well. She has also been trying out a new loom being developed by Schacht called the Cricket which is to be released in October. This is a sturdy little (11inches wide) rigid heddle loom which has a back beam, warp beam, and breast and cloth beams with a ratchet and pawl system. This makes it very easy to tension the warp and to make fine adjustments to the tension.

Sara is presently writing a book (to be published by Interweave) on the weaving techniques that she uses. See: www.bothwellspinin.com for more information