Yarn Wraps, Part 2: Using your wraps for design

From Wrap to Warp

A simple wrap
Click on any photo to zoom in

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Designing a Warp

Once you have a wrap you like, how do you use it?

• Try  considering the wrap as a miniature warp, which will have only one repeat.  For example, if your warp will be 500 threads, but your wrap is only 100 threads, measure 5 threads in the warp for every thread in the wrap.  The final warp will look just like a “magnified” version of the wrap.
• Another possibility is literally, thread by thread, repeating the wrap across the warp multiple times.
• A mirror image warp could be done by measuring 3 threads for every wrap thread, with the second half of the warp measured as a mirror image of the first half.
• The possibilities are endless!

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​1

Use the wrap once across the warp

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​2

Use the wrap once across the warp.
Use a piece of the beginning (flipped) to balance

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​3

Flip the wrap and use it end to end
Option 1

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​4

Flip the wrap and use it end to end
Option 2

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​5

Repeat the warp over and over across the warp.
Repeat the beginning of the warp to balance.

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​6

Repeat the warp over and over across the warp, but make the warp symmetrical from the center out.

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​7

Repeat the warp  across the warp,
​but try flipping the wrap end to end as you go.

Tips when designing for a warp

• Do at least two repeats of your wrap to make sure the transition will be good from the end of the color order back to the beginning.
• For neater selvedges, consider using a color similar to your weft color on the edge of your wrap (warp).
• If symmetry is important, repeat the beginning section of your wrap on the end of your warp to “balance” the color sequence or flip the entire sequence to make a mirror image from the center out.
• If you do not have the exact color you need, try using the yarns you have to get a blended color.
• Single threads of a related color or contrasting color next to a stripe in your wrap can soften a transition between colors or make a transition “pop”, resulting in a more interesting wrap.

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Think Weft

​Your wrap might be inspiration for a weft faced weave or a tapestry.

Your wrap could also inspire a rug or a boundweave.

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Do the Math

• How many threads will you have in your warp?
• How many threads are in your wrap sequence?
• Do you want or need multiples of each thread in the wrap?
• How many repeats of your wrap will you need across the warp ?
• Remember to allow for that “balancing” stripe on the far end of the warp if you are planning for one.
• It most likely will not work out exactly right, so now you need to “fudge” by going back to your wrap and adding or deleting threads here and there to get it to fit into your warp plan.

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Challenge

• Try doing a few yarn wraps
• Choose your favorite and plan a project with it - maybe a scarf, a towel, a napkin...
• Then weave that project.
• Have fun!

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The End - Whew!

​-- Pattie Lamb

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