WEAVER

Archaeologists believe that some form of weaving has been part of every developing civilization, although no one has been able to determine exactly where or when weaving began. Few early clues have survived. Primitive humans are likely to have woven together sticks and reeds for clothing, blankets, hammocks, rugs, pouches, and other containers.

To weave is to interlace two sets of threads. Today, rugs, table linens, wall hangings, and clothing are just some of the items that weavers create.

First the weaver attaches one set of threads, called the warp, lengthwise on a loom. The warp threads must be parallel and an equal distance from each other. The weaver guides the weft threads, or horizontal threads, over and under the warp threads, passing them crosswise—from one side of the warp to the other, and back again.

Before beginning work, many weavers prefer to sketch their designs and enlarge the drawing to the intended size. The weaver draws a grid over the first drawing, and then draws a grid on a larger sheet of paper with the same dimensions as the design. The weaver copies the squares from the smaller grid onto the larger grid in the corresponding area. This enlargement is called a cartoon. The cartoon is pinned behind the warp and traced with a marker. The weaver is then able to transfer the cartoon directly onto the loom.

Almost any kind of material can be woven. Wire, strips of fabric, leather, yarn, and even paper can be interlaced to form beautiful designs. From the materials and weaves, an artisan can create geometric, striped, and other kinds of patterns.

The plain weave, also called the tabby weave, is extremely simple. To do it, the craftsperson weaves the weft over and under the warp threads, making sure they alternate the pattern with each row. This type of weave may be done tightly or loosely depending on the material, the type of work the weaver is trying to produce, and the look he or she wants to achieve.

The basket weave follows a similar technique as the plain weave. With the basket weave, however, two warp threads are interlaced with two weft threads. When using two different colors, the result is a checkerboard pattern.