# Sprang Unsprung on a bus



## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

I am working on a sprang piece for the Halloweave Challenge on Weavolution.com

I only can make time for it during my commute on the bus.

You can see more pictures on my blog.
http://francosfiberadventure.blogspot.com/2011_10_01_archive.html

Have a good day!
Franco Rios


----------



## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

It's Sugar and Cream cotton yarn. This one is "self striping" pattern so all the colors are compatible.

Have a good day!


----------



## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Franco you are the champion of finding time to do your craft. Pretty colors! What will this be?


----------



## Ana Bluebird (Dec 8, 2002)

cool, I'll bet you get lots of questions----you enable as many as you can.


----------



## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

BW,

It's going to be a bag. That top edge will be a finished edge, the other edge will have a knotted fringe. The sides will be sewn up and the knotted edge will become a flap over the top of the bag. I may line it with some linen handkerchiefs for fabric. I don't think I'll put a strap, but I might.

Have a good day!


----------



## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

Here is the current state of the sprang this morning. Working my way down the strings. It's about 20 rows so far so I probably have 40 more rows to go. But the work is progressing.











A closer view. I am using safety strings to hold the row spacing. I have the safety strings anchored with lark's head knot to a holding string on the right side. I tie the left side ends of the safety strings with slip knots. There is ten rows held in position by string. I pull the safety strings from the top and move down the holding string. The strings are very important to keep the rows intact since I put the piece into a plastic bag and then jam it into my commuter bag for travel. Above the strings is the sprang web, holding shape nicely.












Here I am stretching the sprang web a little bit so you can see the structure of the mesh. I'm trying to work patiently for the best possible result on this piece. I can getting faster. A row takes about fifteen minutes now. There are no shortcuts to this simple process. It must be perfect or there will be holes in the web.

Patience comes to those who wait.

Have a good day !

You can see more pictures on my blog:
http://francosfiberadventure.blogspot.com/2011/10/sprang-progress.html


----------



## Mrs. Jo (Jun 5, 2007)

That is really neat. So is this a type a weaving? Is it is basically knots? Never heard of it before, it looks so cool. What is it going to be?


----------



## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

Mrs. Jo said:


> That is really neat. So is this a type a weaving? Is it is basically knots? Never heard of it before, it looks so cool. What is it going to be?


The techniques is called "sprang" and it is an old craft of interlinking fibers with the fingers. No crochet hook, no knitting needles. Not macrame, it has no knots. Not weaving, no loom is used. You can see more pictures on my blog.
http://francosfiberadventure.blogspot.com/2011_10_01_archive.html

The piece is planned to be a drawstring bag.

Have a good day!


----------



## SvenskaFlicka (Nov 2, 2011)

I just got a book about sprang this past week-- I've been itching to give it a try! Your work looks very nice and even.


----------



## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

SvenskaFlicka said:


> I just got a book about sprang this past week-- I've been itching to give it a try! Your work looks very nice and even.


Thank you for your reply.

What book did you get?

Have a good day!


----------



## SvenskaFlicka (Nov 2, 2011)

I got the book "Sprang: Thread Twisting, A Creative Textile Technique" by Hella Skowronski and Mary Reddy. Copyright 1974. Some textile professor in my area passed away and they were selling all of her books. I got a LOT of them.


----------



## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

Lucky you! I'd love to find a book like that!

Be sure you share your adventure here!

Have a good day!
Franco Rios


----------



## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

Oh yeah, this week was 10 rows forward, six rows back.

There was an error. I tried to fix it I just couldn't figure out the interlinking on all those rows. It was actually less stressful to undo six rows and start again.

I think I was trying to gather too much of the strings in my fingers and so I was losing track of threads. I also had trouble with the right side edge threads traveling too much. 

Carol James recommends putting a bead on the outside thread but I just tied a short piece of yarn with a larkshead knot because I didn't have a bead handy. It slides when I want it to and stays put otherwise. 

So I am back in the zone and I've almost reached the same spot as before. And everything looks okay.

Have a good day!


----------



## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Thanks for the update.
I havent commented on this thread, but I am alwways watching your progress.

I learn a LOT from clicking on all your links.
Sometimes I hear people say "I am so bored" and I am just baffled.
There are not enough hours in the day to try all the things on my list. 
That is partially your fault. 

I am curious how you will finish the bottom of this bag.
Is it going to have fringe? Knots? I cant picture it yet.


----------



## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

I'm not real sure how to finish it myself. I'm planning to finish the bottom with knots and sew the sides together to form a bag that will close with a drawstring at the top.

Have a good day!


----------



## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

Above we have the current unsprang (plain interlinking). Size is about 8 inch wide by 11 inch long (20cm x 27cm). This is about half as long as I hoped. There was a lot of shrinkage to the threads. Some threads are very short from being pulled unevenly over the top thread, leaving one end long and one end short, so I have to stop here.











I think I'll fold it over to make a long narrow bag. I'll tie off the bottom, sew up the side, and use a drawstring to close the top. The bag will stretch sideways.











I am knotting the bottom with overhand knots. I'm trying to tie in pairs one thread from each side of the bag.










Then I noticed the FLOATS! See the long diagonal threads? These were on the backside of the piece as I did the interlinking so I did not notice them. As a thread got pushed out of line and grabbed into another line the mistake occurs but was unnoticed by me. These long threads out of line in with the others are called "floats" in weaving and are often part of the design.

Okay, I already have a bunch of knots done. I will finish the knots, trim the strings, sew up the side and turn the piece inside out so the better side is showing outside. The knots will be inside and unseen.

Okay. I'll have to do better on the next one. Got to finish this one first.

Have a good day!


----------



## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Looks good to me, 'design elements' and everything.


----------



## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

Yeah, design elements!

Have a good day!


----------



## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

Bag is finished. A braid for drawstring. Bottom is kind of rough with the knots, I may sew it up another row to make it even. Bag is stuffed with a plastic bag for the picture.

Otherwise, not bad.

Have a good day!


----------



## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Nice work. What is next? :teehee:


----------



## rabbitgeek (Mar 22, 2008)

Here is the next project. It's a warp I started on Sept 18 and it's been sitting against the wall while I worked on the sprang piece. So that is next.

Have a good day!


----------

