Roughly 2 years ago, I was introduced to a 3rd cousin, Dawn. We immediately found out we had a lot of the same interest, and what was different we were both interested in learning more. On our Route 66 trip last fall, we came back by her town in Colorado which strangely has the same name as my town here in Kentucky! Dawn knew I liked to sew and showed me a baby blanket she had weaved using the Swedish technique. We came up with the idea that I would take it home and sew on the binding. I recently, finally, mailed it back to her.
Dawn wrote and provided the following information about this art, and I wanted to pass it on to you as I showed you her blanket.
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The weaving technique was found in linens dating back to the 1600s. Height of popularity in the 1930s and 1940s in the US… mostly huck kitchen towels and linens.
Some say this faded when the advent of the dishwasher made kitchen towels unnecessary. Today, I feel there has been a resurgence in both Swedish weaving and huck embroidery methods.
In the Swedish style of stitching, the larger Monk’s cloth is used for Afghans, blankets, table runners, placemats and baby blankets. I’ve even used it for curtains.
The huck or Swedish weaving is different because it is worked completely on the top of the fabric, so that thread is rarely seen on the back of the fabric. Mine is never perfect.
To weave, pick up the vertical threads (floats) on the front of the fabric so the stitching does not show on the back. Good luck on that one. Good for either left or right hand people, stitches are done in a repeating pattern that is easy to follow. Using a blunt yarn needle, I thread the yarn. Find the middle of the cloth, put a safety pin in that float and start the pattern.
(Dawn found the following video on tube that provides easy to follow instructions as well.)
By stitching alternating sides, it keeps the cloth from stretching unevenly.
Monk’s cloth is an even weave fabric. 100% cotton usually 60” wide, 7 count per inch. The floats go evenly in both direction Best to pre-wash for shrinkage. Machine zigzag the edges to keep it from unraveling. 2½ yards for an afghan, 1¾ yards for a baby blanket.
Finish by hemming, fringing, single crochet, bound, or lace. (Yours truly, zig-zagged the edges and ironed a strip of interfacing on both sides of the edges and then I cut off the excess yarn.)
Colors that I personally like to use are white, ecru, black, but there are other colors such as turquoise, lime green, hot pink, and red. I’ve only used 4-ply worsted yarn, but I know others have used #3 pearl cotton, multiple strands of #5 pearl cotton, or ribbon. There is also a Swedish weaving technique that is done on a loam. I’ve never done that.
(Yours truly chose to zig-zag the binding as well because of the lose weave.)
Yours truly hopes this blanket ends up with a family baby as we claim this piece of art with our names.
....and carries on our interests in the fiber arts.
Update:
10-25-2022- In doing an image search to find this pattern, I found at "I Hold All the Cards."
She called it "Tree Design."
It looks like lots of websites offer patterns now. Just use your favorite search engine.
I had to delete the one I offered, because it showed to be corrupted. Good thing I had a virus program.
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Thanks to the FREE programs:
possibly used for this post
GIMP for cropping & other digital effects
PicMonkey creating collages used on this page
