Stone Weaving with ELKA Textiles
Ellie, creator of ELKA Textiles, shows us how to make a simple weave using natural materials.ELKA Textiles is made up of mother-daughter duo Claudia, who makes naturally dyed yarns, and Ellie who weaves the yarns into textile works of art. Based in Hampshire, they run craft workshops and online weaving courses from their beautiful creative studio. You can read more about the duo in our interview here.
This stone weaving tutorial comes from Ellie who has been weaving since 2006. “One of the things I love about stone weaving is that you can fit all the materials and equipment you’ll need in a small pocket.” says Ellie. She uses naturally dyed linen for her yarn and a stone with flat(ish) edges to stop the yarn from sliding off, but you can use whatever you have to hand.
Terminology
- Warp: All of the threads that are aligned vertically before weaving begins
- Weft: All of the horizontal threads, which interlace with the vertically aligned warp
- End: A single warp thread
- Pick: A single pass of weft through the warp
Materials and Equipment
- A stone, or piece of driftwood
- Warp yarn
- Weft yarn
- Scissors
- Tapestry needle
- Paper tape (useful but not necessary)
Method
1. Take your warp yarn and, leaving at least a few inches of tail, trap it against the back side of your stone (you may find taping it down helpful).
2. Flip the stone to the front and wrap the warp yarn around the stone, placing each warp end close to the next.
3. Once you’ve reached your desired width, cut the warp yarn and tie it to the start tail in a secure double knot.
4. Measure out a length of weft yarn that’s long enough to wrap around your stone multiple times. Thread one end through a tapestry needle. Trap the tail with your thumb to the back of the stone, or stick down with a piece of tape. If you run out of yarn, simply knot a new piece to the end, making sure the knot sits at the back of the stone.
5. Pull the length of the weft around to the front of the stone and weave it through the warp, going over and under every warp end.
6. Now wrap the weft all the way back around the stone before weaving it through the warp again, lifting alternate warp ends to the pick below.
7. Use your tapestry needle to compact the picks. You can choose to compact your weft into a solid surface…or space them apart.
8. Once you’ve finished weaving, cut the weft and tie it to the start tail at the back.
Share your woven creations with us on Facebook or Instagram @SeasaltCornwall.
If you’re inspired to try your hand, follow ELKA studio Instagram or Facebook. Or, you can head to their website to find online courses, in-person workshops and order Ellie’s new book, Weaving as Art Therapy for Beginners.