But I'm looking to get into weaving with pre-spun yarn and I'm wondering if I would be working with 4ply, DK or finer yarns like 2ply, if anyone here can help me out with that.
Generally speaking, you don't use the same sorts of yarns for weaving as you do for knitting. If you've never done any weaving before, I'd recommend using something tightly spun and not too stretchy as a warp (cotton, cottolin, linen, worsted spun wool). Weft can be pretty much anything you want it to be since it doesn't have the same sort of stresses put on it as warp yarn does.
This isn't to say that experienced weavers can't use fragile or softly spun yarns as warp, it just means that, as in all fiber work, there's a learning curve on what the yarn and equipment will and won't do.
Somebody mentioned that weaving uses lots of yarn, and that's a "well, maybe" sort of thing. It depends on how wide a piece you're going to weave and how long a piece you want it to be. For a multi-yard weaving of a balanced weave (like a clothing fabric), you can estimate a take-up and loom waste of about 10%. If you're doing rugs, it takes less warp and much more weft. Well, unless it's rag rugs, then it's a different calculation entirely :)
What sort of loom will you be weaving on? Knowing that makes a big difference in how you do the yarn calculations.
Worsted is 4 ply, yes? I think I have some cotton in that or it might be DK, I'll have to check. Well, that and how stretchy my stash is. XD
I'm going to be working on a cardboard loom for now. Looking around it seems like looms are pretty expensive and I'd rather not fork out for weaving isn't for me and cardboard looms can be made any size really, so I'll be trying that for now.
Ah, okay. It's not a term I come across much in my regular knitting spaces which are mostly offline and worsted is more of an American term than a British one, I think. It always confuses me when I see it. >.>
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(no subject)
Date: 2014-04-06 09:15 pm (UTC)This isn't to say that experienced weavers can't use fragile or softly spun yarns as warp, it just means that, as in all fiber work, there's a learning curve on what the yarn and equipment will and won't do.
Somebody mentioned that weaving uses lots of yarn, and that's a "well, maybe" sort of thing. It depends on how wide a piece you're going to weave and how long a piece you want it to be. For a multi-yard weaving of a balanced weave (like a clothing fabric), you can estimate a take-up and loom waste of about 10%. If you're doing rugs, it takes less warp and much more weft. Well, unless it's rag rugs, then it's a different calculation entirely :)
What sort of loom will you be weaving on? Knowing that makes a big difference in how you do the yarn calculations.
(no subject)
Date: 2014-04-07 05:45 pm (UTC)I'm going to be working on a cardboard loom for now. Looking around it seems like looms are pretty expensive and I'd rather not fork out for weaving isn't for me and cardboard looms can be made any size really, so I'll be trying that for now.
(no subject)
Date: 2014-04-07 05:48 pm (UTC)Good luck with your weaving!
(no subject)
Date: 2014-04-07 06:01 pm (UTC)