# Explain Twining, please



## featherbottoms (May 28, 2005)

Could someone on here please explain twining to me in a very EASY to understand language?

We finished the Navajo loom and I think I have everything to make the warping frame. I'd like to get it together today and get the warp on but I am having problems understanding the actual process of twining.

I have looked at images online, looked at videos - what few there are - have Noel Bennett's book with pictures, and I am still having problems really *seeing* what I'm supposed to be doing (I am more a visual person than a flat picture person).

It looks like you just take the string/yarn/twine and kinda weave it around the warp, tying it off on one side and then tying it off to the other side once it's finished. I pictured it as a 3 string braid with only 2 strings instead of the 3? I tried this method on a small warp on something else and it didn't seem to be very sturdy or strong and seemed loose. Maybe I used the wrong type "weave" or "twine"?

Also, I have regular 2 ply white cotton string with a 3lb strength. Will that be strong enough? It's also not the same color as the yarn I'll be using. Does that matter? I know it doesn't matter to ME right now but if I wanted this to be a serious project would it matter?

I have other questions, too, about making heddles for a frame loom but I'm going to try that one time before I ask for help. I've just looked at the pictures so far.

Thank you to everyone/anyone in advance!

featherbottoms


----------



## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Twinning in weaving rather than knitting? I can't help sorry. Will be watching and learning


----------



## featherbottoms (May 28, 2005)

Yes, with the traditional Navajo warp the warp is attached to the warp frame by twining. You also twine(sp?) the outer edges (selveges?) but I'm not there yet.


----------



## weever (Oct 1, 2006)

I've seen the finished product, but not the process. Sorry!


----------



## Katherine in KY (May 11, 2002)

I'm not sure about Navajo twining, but this is how I understand twining. You have two strands of yarn/cloth. One goes under a warp thread, the other goes over that thread. Then they cross and the one on the bottom goes over the top of the next warp thread. The one on the top goes under the bottom of that next thread. Continue with the one on the botttom going over the top of the next warp thread and the one on the top going under that next thread. It's easy once you see what's happening. HTH


----------



## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

twining an edge
Franco's Fiber Adventure: Twining edge on backstrap loom

This group has a couple of fiber twining tutorials
fiber_twining : Fiber Twining

More twining links

Here is a link to a PDF file that will tell you how to start twining.

http://www.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/monographs/lily_bag.pdf

And some more links of interest.

http://www.santacruzhandweavers.org/twining/demo2007/index.html

Native American Basketry

NativeTech: Twining and False Embroidery

TWINED BAGS - Monica Moore

North American Indian Weft Twined Bag

http://www.nmai.si.edu/exhibitions/baskets/subpage.cfm?subpage=burden

Twined Woven Bags from Barking Rock Farm

http://www.uwlax.edu/urc/JUR-online/PDF/2009/karoll-amyARC.pdf

Have a good day!


----------



## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

I was waiting for Franco to show up ... I knew he'd have the answer!


----------



## featherbottoms (May 28, 2005)

Thank you all. I spent a lot of time today reading Franco's blog but didn't go to very many of the sidebar links. I'll look at some of those tomorrow but I am pretty sure I'm going to just sit down and give it a shot sometime in the next few days. I need to be able to devote several hours to warping and probably won't have that until Saturday.


----------



## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

featherbottoms said:


> Thank you all. I spent a lot of time today reading Franco's blog but didn't go to very many of the sidebar links. I'll look at some of those tomorrow but I am pretty sure I'm going to just sit down and give it a shot sometime in the next few days. I need to be able to devote several hours to warping and probably won't have that until Saturday.


I sat down and just went for it. The first ones were not pretty.

Have a good day!


----------



## weever (Oct 1, 2006)

Yup. With anything new, it's not pretty the first time. Big deal. Keep the first one so you can look back years later to see how far you've come.


----------



## featherbottoms (May 28, 2005)

So I checked out some of the links from Franco and the one that's "twining edge on backstrap loom" has just the images I need. I enlarged it and it looks a lot like what I did on the frame loom I've started. Thank ya'll for all your help. 

I'm going to post some images of the looms we've been working on so that's where I'm off to now.


----------

