Dynamic Heddle weaving – Thumbelinaspins “No sew hat”
OK, I am going to show my ignorance here – thankfully, I have since been educated.
I was under the impression for quite a while that hand weaving was pretty much restricted to creating two dimensional pieces. I was very impressed to see these images of weaving completed by Rona Betts (Thumbelinaspins of Ravelry) Mum bought in to show me. The ideas behind this beanie seem very interesting to me and can see how she has moved the reed segments in her Dynamic Heddle loom to create really interesting effects in the overall shape.
I am quite a hat fan as I like being warm and I am becoming limited to the Friar Tuck hairstyle these days so this beanie has really fired my imagination. To me, it looks like it would be possible to weave almost a cone shape piece of cloth by starting with the reeds segments far apart and then moving them in to create the smaller top part of the hat. I would think that it would even be possible to start with the reeds tight, weave in elastic and then move them out wide and slowing back in to create an elasticated rim.
Here is Rona’s story in her own words
“Redlands Spinners was having their annual camp at Bribie Island the last weekend of August. I had only just found out a couple of weeks before that I could go. I was given a sheet of paper a week before about what was expected and saw that there was a beanie contest and the beanies were being donated to the seafarers. One of our members who had recently passed away had knitted over 2000 beanies for the seafarers and this was a way to remember her. Since I absolutely knew that I could not knit a beanie in time I thought about what I could do. I had just received my majacraft loom and had warped it up to play with. On it I had some Noro sock yarn in fun colors. So I put two and two together realising that weaving does not take as long for me to do as knitting I went to work and in one evening “presto” I had enough woven for a hat. I did not win a prize for the best beanie but had the best time making it! Love my Majacraft Loom!”Here are a couple more pictures of the No Sew Hat:
I find Majacraft is a great place to work when the opportunities to form connections with people who create amazing things come up – like what Rona has done with her weaving.
Until next time.
Andy