The structure of Huck Lace provides a treasure trove of design for weavers. It is a shaft-efficient weave structure where an 8-shaft loom can produce six blocks of design; and a 4-shaft loom can produce a myriad of different ways to combine textures of warp/weft floats with plain weave.

Weavers will learn how “blocks” or units of huck lace are threaded on four and eight shafts, and how they can be combined to expand design possibilities. Discussions will focus on converting a profile draft into a threading and treadling, and how literally thousands of designs can be created within a single threading by changing the tie-up. 

Participants will use printed Design Pages and Transparent Overlays from Neilson’s book An Exaltation of Blocks to explore thousands of design possibilities for 6-block Huck Lace. 

The Towel Project will consist of three 4 ½” sections of Huck Lace, each a different color, separated by a one inch stripe of plain weave. The overall width of the project is 16 ¼” suitable for looms larger than 18” wide. For looms that are 18” wide, the stripes of plain weave are narrower, yielding an overall width of 15 1/3”. 

Weavers should arrive at the workshop with a pre-threaded loom (either 4- or 8-shaft loom). Warp should be sleyed in the reed, tied to the front cloth beam, and spread to the appropriate width, ready to weave.

The structure of Huck Lace provides a treasure trove of design for weavers. It is a shaft-efficient weave structure where an 8-shaft loom can produce six blocks of design; and a 4-shaft loom can produce a myriad of different ways to combine 16 different textures of warp/weft floats with plain weave.Through Powerpoint Presentations, weavers will learn how “blocks” or units of huck lace are threaded on four and eight shafts, and how they can be combined to expand design possibilities. Discussions and Design Sessions will focus on converting a profile draft into a threading and treadling plan, and how literally thousands of designs can be created within a single threading by changing the tie-up. Participants will use printed Design Pages, Transparent Overlays, and a Huck Lace Template from Neilson’s book … An Exaltation of Blocks … to explore thousands of design possibilities for 6-block Huck Lace.

The structure of Huck Lace provides a treasure trove of design for weavers. It is a shaft-efficient weave structure where an 8-shaft loom can produce six blocks of design; and a 4-shaft loom can produce a myriad of different ways to combine 16 different textures of warp/weft floats with plain weave.Through Powerpoint Presentations, weavers will learn how “blocks” or units of huck lace are threaded on four and eight shafts, and how they can be combined to expand design possibilities. Discussions and Design Sessions will focus on converting a profile draft into a threading and treadling plan, and how literally thousands of designs can be created within a single threading by changing the tie-up. Participants will use printed Design Pages, Transparent Overlays, and a Huck Lace Template from Neilson’s book … An Exaltation of Blocks … to explore thousands of design possibilities for 6-block Huck Lace.

Kongō Gumi is a very strong, 16-element braid whose 1,160 layouts can be used to create never-before-seen patterns in both Naiki and Naiki Gaeshi. The initial set-up for the two braids is identical where sixteen elements are arranged into eight pairs on the Marudai mirror, but the moves to make the braids differ. Naiki is a hollow braid which is flattened, whereas Kongō Gumi is a very solid round braid. If the movements of Naiki are repeated twice, a round braid known as Naiki Gaeshi emerges. The patterns differ dramatically between flat Naiki and round Naiki Gaeshi. In this workshop, braiders will make two samplers starting with an 8-element braid in the middle of the elements. The braid will be folded in half to form a loop. The remaining eight tama will be attached to continue braiding, using Kongō layouts to see how they affect both versions of Naiki.

The structure of Huck Lace provides a treasure trove of design for weavers. It is a shaft-efficient weave structure where an 8-shaft loom can produce six blocks of design; and a 4-shaft loom can produce a myriad of different ways to combine 16 different textures of warp/weft floats with plain weave. Through Powerpoint Presentations, weavers will learn how “blocks” or units of huck lace are threaded on four and eight shafts, and how they can be combined to expand design possibilities. Discussions and Design Sessions will focus on converting a profile draft into a threading and treadling plan, and how literally thousands of designs can be created within a single threading by changing the tie-up. Participants will use printed Design Pages, Transparent Overlays, and a Huck Lace Template from Neilson’s book … An Exaltation of Blocks … to explore thousands of design possibilities for 6-block Huck Lace.

Learn how “blocks” of rep, threaded on four and eight shafts, can be combined to expand design possibilities. Discussions will focus on profile drafting, use of color, movement of blocks in independent and linked fashion, skeleton tie-ups, different threading systems, and design considerations for4-shaft and multiple harness looms. Weavers will work exclusively on their own loom (4- or 8-shaft) to understand the weave structure of rep, sampling with different weight wefts to create textiles suitable for the table, wall, and floor.

Participants will develop their design skills in warp-faced Rep weave during this class. Using the same threading, weavers will pre-dress their looms. The runner will showcase a series of 4-block motifs with a border displaying 2-block motifs in contrasting colors. Attendees will delve into independent and linked blocks, the development of 4-block designs, and the transformation of profile drafts into threading and treadling plans for symmetric motifs. Additionally, weavers will learn how to develop a skeleton tie-up,

Spend two days with traditional braiding equipment – a Marudai (round stand) and Tama (weighted spools) – to make an 8-element sampler using two colors of synthetic silk. Braids include round, flat, square and oval shapes. Patterns within a braid structure can be varied according to the initial layout. The handout illustrates 25 different patterns.

Two different colored warps (a pattern and a background colorway) combine with thick and thin weft to form the elements for exploring block design in Warp-faced Rep. Prior to the workshop, participants will be sent drafts for 4- and 8-shaft looms. Weavers will select a draft and pre-thread a loom. Learn how “blocks” of rep can be combined to expand design possibilities. Discussion will focus on profile drafting, use of color, movement of blocks in independent and link fashion, skeleton tie-up, and different threading systems. Weavers will work exclusively on their own loom to understand the weave structure of Rep, sampling with different weight wefts to create textiles suitable for the table, wall, and floor.

Two different colored warps (a pattern and a background colorway) combine with thick and thin weft to form the elements for exploring block design in Warp-faced Rep. Prior to the workshop, participants will be sent drafts for 4- and 8-shaft looms. Weavers will select a draft and pre-thread a loom. Learn how “blocks” of rep can be combined to expand design possibilities. Discussion will focus on profile drafting, use of color, movement of blocks in independent and linked fashion, skeleton tie-up, and different threading systems. Weavers will work exclusively on their own loom to understand the weave structure of Rep, sampling with different weight wefts to create textiles suitable for the table, wall, and floor.