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Weave a winter web with loomed designs
By Bethany Waldrop Keiper
“The winter is made and you have to bear it, The winter web, the winter woven, wind and wind, For all the thoughts of summer that go with it...” --Wallace Stevens Whether your winter days are woven with snow and ice, or just gray skies and rain, these days are a good time to be indoors, weaving your own web on a beading loom. This is a time-honored tradition, most closely associated with the Native Americans for their beautiful beadwork. Native Americans had their first introduction to European beads in the 17th century and quickly became hooked. I understand their addiction completely! The loomwork most people produce these days is the single-strand square weave, one of many the Native Americans used. It was popular during the height of the Native wampum industry in the late 1600s and early 1700s. A few loom terms to get things started: warp and weft. Warp threads are the long, straight threads kept tight, while the weft thread is on the needle and is woven through the warp and the beads. The biggest challenge for most first time loom beaders is getting the warp threads on the loom and getting the first few strands of beads "in" the weft. After that, sailing is pretty smooth. The biggest challenge for this somewhat experienced loom beader is deciding on a pattern and the colors, and then following through to finish some of the wider-warped designs with a clasp. Dealing with all of those leftover threads can be a pain in the caboose. But the finished product, all slippery and smooth and sparkling on your wrist is absolutely worth it. After you've selected a loom and a pattern, it's time to select your colors, and the shape and type of beads you want to use. The main choice for most beaders is between the different types of seed beads. Seed beads come in a wide range of types, from trash to treasure, so remember how much time you are investing in your project when you choose. In general, most seed beads, including Czech, are shorter and wider than the other choice, Japanese seed beads. Japanese seed beads are more square-shaped and uniform, with a larger hole. This loom pattern, which I absolutely love, shows the difference between regular seed beads and Japanese seed beads, Delicas, in this case.
The decision of which beads to choose depends entirely on what appeals to you. The pattern for this loom originally showed the design in only two colors. While still beautiful, I longed for a design that featured a more colorful palette. To make sure I had enough colors, and that these colors would look nice together, and not have to touch each other in duplicate spots, I mapped them out with colored pencils first.
This is a good idea whenever you change up the colors for a design, which I often do. I encourage anyone who beads or cross-stitches to get a good set and use them. Make completely sure of your color choices before you put them on the threads in your loom, because taking out stitches in your loom is extremely difficult and tedious, and not always successful.
This sweet design is perfect for all seasons. A silver-lined gold bead background with red flowers would be perfect for Christmas. Silver with red and pink flowers would be perfect for Valentine's Day, while these crystal AB Delicas make a shimmery background for different colored flowers to wear anytime. This design also has a small number of warp threads, making it a smaller number of beads wide, so it is easy to finish. Resources: Bead Loom Weaving Lesson NativeTech: Native American Technology and
Art "Building Blocks" loom design by Suzanne McNeill, Bracelets Bonanza Diamonds design from The Bead Fairies Seed beads available from the Bead Peddler.
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