Handwovens
cont...
So that’s general weaving. But what about
weaving specifically for babywearing?
Let’s start with the general fibre used in many
handwoven wraps: 8/2 cotton. The numbers refer
to the size of the yarn: the higher the numbers, the
thinner the yarn; the lower the numbers, the thicker
the yarn. Generally yarn in various fibres from 5/2 to
24/2 is used in handwoven wraps. Usually the warp
is a thicker yarn, because it’s easier to thread the
loom with, and the weft can be just about anything
as long as the loom is set up for it properly.
Weaving Yarn Sizes
Image by WEBS and more information here
When weavers started weaving wraps, they followed
this guide. However, babywearers soon learnt that
plain weave at 20 EPI is a lighter, thinner fabric and
twill at 24 EPI is denser and thicker. Depending on
the yarn used (fibre and brand as even cottons vary
dramatically) some of those twills were beastly, and
some plain weaves were saggy. There is now found a
happy medium with EPI and PPI for babywearing fabric.
PPI is picks per inch, that is how many weft threads
there are in an inch of warp. Weavers beat the weft threads
into the warp with the beater and how hard a weaver
beats influences the fabric greatly. Most weavers have
now found a happy medium between EPI, PPI and fibre
for babywearing fabric. “Beat like a boss” and you get a
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carried away | Spring 2015 | Handwovens
denser, thicker, cushier fabric. Beat gently and it’s lighter,
airier and thinner. As a general rule, good babywearing
fabric has a PPI just under the EPI creating some stretch
and give. And this is where the art of weaving comes in.
The Art
It is truly impossible to say “I love wool handwovens!” or “I
hate plain weave handwovens!” because there are far too
many factors that come into play which I’ve outlined above.
A wool handwoven can be light, thin and airy when woven
in one way with certain brands or sizes of fibre, and a thick,
dense, impossible, cushy beast when woven differently.
Plain weave can get a bad rap, because low EPI plain
weaves can lack cush and support for heavier children,
however plain weave can be woven far denser and be
wonderful, even in just standard cotton. Weavers are artists.
They really are, because they take yarn and create fabric
with the integrity to weight bear that is beautiful! And do so
in totally different ways to suit different tastes and needs.
Colour is the most obvious way that weavers are
artists. Some weavers have a very distinct style, and
their wraps can be picked from a line up. Some are
far more varied, often the ones who take on a lot
of customs. Obviously, it’s all personal taste as to
what people like and don’t like but hand dyed yarn
is big at the moment, as are variegated wefts. These
add dimension to wraps. Complex weaves are also
very in fashion and require a loom with more than 4
shafts to create (heart weaves are in this category).
Fibre is big too. 2 years ago, handwovens were almost
all cotton, with a little linen and wool commanding
sky high market value prices in the thousands.
Nowadays, superfine merino, superwash wool, alpaca,
silk, tencel, linen, hemp, cottohemp, cottolin and a
variety of blends of those, and more, are all quite
common in handwovens. Currently triblends (or even
quadblends) are in fashion. For example a cottolin
warp with a merino/tencel weft creates a wrap that is
30% cotton, 20% linen, 25% merino and 25% tencel.
Thanks for all that information,
Cat, but what am I looking for in
a handwoven? How does all this
translate to wrapping qualities?
This is what I am asked nearly every day. We can apply
some general rules. These are generalisations for 8/2
cotton and equivalent sizes that won’t always be true.
But it’s a start.
• Lower EPI will be thinner, lighter and airier with
the only exceptions in fibre being hemp and 8/2
superwash wool which fluff up at little and take
up the space that the lower EPI leaves. It can
still be supportive in the more supportive fibres
(linen, hemp, blends of those) and cushy in the
cushier fibres (hemp and wool and blends).
Selvedges
Most handwovens have raw edges, called
selvedges. Some are hemmed but generally
part of the skill of weaving is being able to
weave well enough to get a very neat edge and
they are unique to handwovens. These below
images show a neat perfect selvedge (1) and
a messy but safe selvedge (2) that has some
tension issues. Another way to do selvedges is
double thickness. Some weavers do this and
you can see it here (3) along with a weaving
flaw that is safe, just a little messy looking.
1.
2.
3.
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Handwovens