Category
Terra incognita (unknown ground)
Entrant
Tureya Healey-Diaz
Entry
Tablet Weaving
I’ve wanted to try my hand at tablet weaving ever since becoming interested in medieval garb, I’m just here for the bling baby! My determination was only increased by hearing horror stories of just how difficult this ancient craft can be. I wanted to be successful however, so rather than use a traditional box loom or backstrap loom, I bought an inkle loom. From what I understated they are relatively modern, well more modern than
the evidence for tablet weaving!
“The oldest physical evidence for the existence of weaving tablets comes from a carefully- worked square of bone (3.5 x 3.7 .x 0.4cm) with a hole at each corner that was found with other textile equipment at a late Bronze Age (1300 – 800 BCE) site of Abri Muhltal, Niedersachsen, Germany.” https://alexandramakin.com/2021/01/01/early-medieval- mostly-textiles-7/
My research consisted mostly of watching a Youtube series called ” Weave Along with Elewys” by Elewys of Finchingefeld a fellow SCA member from the USA. It is her patterns that I have used as well. I watched enough of her videos to be relatively confident and off I went, warping up a pattern based off the “Dublin Dragons of Drachenwald”
I used 8ply cotton thinking it would be easier to see but I wasn’t prepared for how thick the finished piece would be. Nor was I prepared for just how confusing it would be when the tablets can only go backwards or forwards! The pattern meandered in and out seeming regardless of what I did. I soon learnt to stop and reset the cards to the starting position as soon as things when awry.
So, with a slab of humble pie, I went back to the drawing board and chose a MUCH simpler pattern. This one is based on fragments found at the Oseberg dig (Norse era 834 AD) It has all the tablets turning in the same direction at all times, and when the twist gets too much you simply go back the other way. This time I invested in 8/2 weaving threads which are 70% cotton and 30% linen. So beautiful! So historically accurate!
I LOVE the result! All I want to do is weave! I can’t wait to get better and tackle more complex patterns. I’ve actually warped up the dragons again in the cotton/linen, there are mistakes but I’m feeling a little redeemed.