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This is more for my benefit than anyone else's... But if you're really that much of a masochist, help yourself.
Project: Tabby Woven Wool fabric with Z-spun warp (commercial) and weft (hand spun) representative of fabric found in London during 1300-1400 CE.
Skills: This project was two-fold in that it represents 2 separate skill sets that I have learned for the purpose of enriching my re-enactment experience: Spinning wool yarn using a spinning wheel, and weaving fabric using a rigid heddle loom.
Tools:
• Ashford Kiwi double treadle spinning wheel
• Ashford rigid heddle frame loom
Supplies:
• Commercially produced z-spun black (dyed) wool yarn (warp)
• Natural brown (un-dyed) blue faced Leischester wool roving (spun into single strand s-twist yarn)
• Natural grey (un-dyed) Corridale wool roving (spun into 2-ply z-twist yarn)
Techniques:
• Spinning was performed as two separate operations. First the initial spinning of the roving into s-twist thread, and then the plying of multiple (2) threads into a thicker, sturdier z-twist yarn.
• The loom was warped in a manner that would produce the simple tabby weave seen in many extant fabrics excavated in London and determined to date to the period between 1300-1400 CE.
• The weaving was performed initially using single ply s-spun yarn (brown) but switched to z-plied 2 strand yarn, which was much easier to work with and produced a more satisfactory weight of fabric. The latter; therefore, comprises the majority of the work.
Historic Background:
• Pictures seen in the Luttrell Psalter and items cataloged in extant documents such as the will of Agnes Stubbard of Bury St. Edmunds (Crowfoot et al. p. 17) demonstrate that the spinning wheel was in use during this period, but it was the great/wool/walking wheel that was being used and not the treadled variety that was used for this project.
ABOVE: Image of a woman at her spinning wheel as depicted in the Luttrell Psalter, c 1325-1335, England.
• BELOW: (Table) A recreation of a table found in the book Textiles and Clothing c 1150-c.1450 (p. 27) showing the weaves of wool textiles present in London deposits of c.1150-1450. The sections of the chart highlighted in light grey represent the extant textiles found in London excavations that are representative of that which was created in this project.
• BELOW: Cloth patterned with narrow bands woven in extended tabby in red (madder-dyed) and natural dark brown wool, No 115. Height 106 mm. From deposits dating to the first half of the 14th century. (Crowfoot et al, p. 20)
Rationale/Interpretations:
• Wheel Choice: It has been noted by various scholars that the product of walking wheels was rarely ever used as warp for weaving, because of noted quality issues in the finished yarns produced by walking wheels. (Crowfoot et al, p. 17) (N.B. Harte and K. G. Ponting, 1983, p. 175). I have not the room in my house for a great wheel (usually measuring about 6 feet long), nor do I have the funds to afford more than one wheel. The treadle and flyer on my spinning wheel were not invented until about 200 years later than the period that is the focus of this project; however, the yarn that I am able to produce on my double treadle spinning wheel is closer in quality to that which would have been produced by hand with the use of a drop spindle. I chose to use a wheel, rather than a drop spindle because I am able to produce spun fiber at a rate that is approximately 4 times faster than that which can be produced with the latter method. The speed advantage was duly appreciated, as spinning is not my full time job.
• Loom Choice: While the rigid heddle/frame loom was known and used in the period selected for my project, it was generally utilized for making narrow/band yardage such as trim. While the mechanisms involved in creating sheds are different in treadled vs rigid heddle looms, the overall use of sheds for the purposes of creating a tabby weave is the same. The final product, is virtually identical. For my purposes, while more awkward to use for yardage weaving, the rigid heddle loom has a simpler design and is more compact – both are factors which ultimately affected my choice of this loom based on budget and space restrictions.
• Dyed and naturally colored fibers: Extant fabrics show the mixed usage of both dyed and naturally colored wools for the purposes of creating decorative weaves, as can be seen in the early 14th century sample included previously (Crowfoot et al, p. 20), so although my color choice was fairly random and ruled mostly by the availability and price, the blend of dyed and naturally colored wools that I ended up with is historically supported.
• Warp Choice: Several extant medieval tracts (Crowfoot et al, p. 17) (N.B. Harte and K. G. Ponting, 1983, p. 175) attribute the use of the product of drop spindles for warp to the greater strength and consistency of the threads produced over that which could be created using a walking wheel. I chose to use a commercially produced warp yarn for these same reasons (strength and consistency of yarn), as I am still a relatively new spinner and the warping process is a complex one that leaves little room for error.
• Weft Choice: Initially, I attempted recreate the z-spun warp with s-spun weft that was used for the predominant number of extant samples found in London. (The portion of the project that is done in brown wool is representative of this technique.) I was somewhat dismayed to find that I disliked this technique for two reasons: Firstly, the single ply yarn did not produce a cloth that was heavy enough for my eventual purpose (garment making) and secondly, the single strand s-spun yarn tangled and knotted itself constantly. By switching to a 2 stranded z-plied yarn (grey) I eliminated both of these problems. Harte and Ponting cite a Bruges language manual from the end of the 14th century wherein a Bruge schoolmaster comments on the “prevailing bias against products of the spinning wheel (s-spun): the yarn produced by the wheel, he said, had too many knots.” (N.B. Harte and K. G. Ponting, 1983, p. 175) I was amused to find that even 500 years later, I completely agree.
Resources:
• Crowfoot, et al. 1992, 2001, Medieval Finds from Excavations in London: 4, Textiles and Clothing c.1150-c.1450, London. pp 17-76
• N.B. Harte and K. G. Ponting, 1983, Cloth & Clothing in Medieval Europe, London. p 175.
• Luttrell Psalter c. 1325-1335, England.
Project: Tabby Woven Wool fabric with Z-spun warp (commercial) and weft (hand spun) representative of fabric found in London during 1300-1400 CE.
Skills: This project was two-fold in that it represents 2 separate skill sets that I have learned for the purpose of enriching my re-enactment experience: Spinning wool yarn using a spinning wheel, and weaving fabric using a rigid heddle loom.
Tools:
• Ashford Kiwi double treadle spinning wheel
• Ashford rigid heddle frame loom
Supplies:
• Commercially produced z-spun black (dyed) wool yarn (warp)
• Natural brown (un-dyed) blue faced Leischester wool roving (spun into single strand s-twist yarn)
• Natural grey (un-dyed) Corridale wool roving (spun into 2-ply z-twist yarn)
Techniques:
• Spinning was performed as two separate operations. First the initial spinning of the roving into s-twist thread, and then the plying of multiple (2) threads into a thicker, sturdier z-twist yarn.
• The loom was warped in a manner that would produce the simple tabby weave seen in many extant fabrics excavated in London and determined to date to the period between 1300-1400 CE.
• The weaving was performed initially using single ply s-spun yarn (brown) but switched to z-plied 2 strand yarn, which was much easier to work with and produced a more satisfactory weight of fabric. The latter; therefore, comprises the majority of the work.
Historic Background:
• Pictures seen in the Luttrell Psalter and items cataloged in extant documents such as the will of Agnes Stubbard of Bury St. Edmunds (Crowfoot et al. p. 17) demonstrate that the spinning wheel was in use during this period, but it was the great/wool/walking wheel that was being used and not the treadled variety that was used for this project.
ABOVE: Image of a woman at her spinning wheel as depicted in the Luttrell Psalter, c 1325-1335, England.
• BELOW: (Table) A recreation of a table found in the book Textiles and Clothing c 1150-c.1450 (p. 27) showing the weaves of wool textiles present in London deposits of c.1150-1450. The sections of the chart highlighted in light grey represent the extant textiles found in London excavations that are representative of that which was created in this project.
• BELOW: Cloth patterned with narrow bands woven in extended tabby in red (madder-dyed) and natural dark brown wool, No 115. Height 106 mm. From deposits dating to the first half of the 14th century. (Crowfoot et al, p. 20)
Rationale/Interpretations:
• Wheel Choice: It has been noted by various scholars that the product of walking wheels was rarely ever used as warp for weaving, because of noted quality issues in the finished yarns produced by walking wheels. (Crowfoot et al, p. 17) (N.B. Harte and K. G. Ponting, 1983, p. 175). I have not the room in my house for a great wheel (usually measuring about 6 feet long), nor do I have the funds to afford more than one wheel. The treadle and flyer on my spinning wheel were not invented until about 200 years later than the period that is the focus of this project; however, the yarn that I am able to produce on my double treadle spinning wheel is closer in quality to that which would have been produced by hand with the use of a drop spindle. I chose to use a wheel, rather than a drop spindle because I am able to produce spun fiber at a rate that is approximately 4 times faster than that which can be produced with the latter method. The speed advantage was duly appreciated, as spinning is not my full time job.
• Loom Choice: While the rigid heddle/frame loom was known and used in the period selected for my project, it was generally utilized for making narrow/band yardage such as trim. While the mechanisms involved in creating sheds are different in treadled vs rigid heddle looms, the overall use of sheds for the purposes of creating a tabby weave is the same. The final product, is virtually identical. For my purposes, while more awkward to use for yardage weaving, the rigid heddle loom has a simpler design and is more compact – both are factors which ultimately affected my choice of this loom based on budget and space restrictions.
• Dyed and naturally colored fibers: Extant fabrics show the mixed usage of both dyed and naturally colored wools for the purposes of creating decorative weaves, as can be seen in the early 14th century sample included previously (Crowfoot et al, p. 20), so although my color choice was fairly random and ruled mostly by the availability and price, the blend of dyed and naturally colored wools that I ended up with is historically supported.
• Warp Choice: Several extant medieval tracts (Crowfoot et al, p. 17) (N.B. Harte and K. G. Ponting, 1983, p. 175) attribute the use of the product of drop spindles for warp to the greater strength and consistency of the threads produced over that which could be created using a walking wheel. I chose to use a commercially produced warp yarn for these same reasons (strength and consistency of yarn), as I am still a relatively new spinner and the warping process is a complex one that leaves little room for error.
• Weft Choice: Initially, I attempted recreate the z-spun warp with s-spun weft that was used for the predominant number of extant samples found in London. (The portion of the project that is done in brown wool is representative of this technique.) I was somewhat dismayed to find that I disliked this technique for two reasons: Firstly, the single ply yarn did not produce a cloth that was heavy enough for my eventual purpose (garment making) and secondly, the single strand s-spun yarn tangled and knotted itself constantly. By switching to a 2 stranded z-plied yarn (grey) I eliminated both of these problems. Harte and Ponting cite a Bruges language manual from the end of the 14th century wherein a Bruge schoolmaster comments on the “prevailing bias against products of the spinning wheel (s-spun): the yarn produced by the wheel, he said, had too many knots.” (N.B. Harte and K. G. Ponting, 1983, p. 175) I was amused to find that even 500 years later, I completely agree.
Resources:
• Crowfoot, et al. 1992, 2001, Medieval Finds from Excavations in London: 4, Textiles and Clothing c.1150-c.1450, London. pp 17-76
• N.B. Harte and K. G. Ponting, 1983, Cloth & Clothing in Medieval Europe, London. p 175.
• Luttrell Psalter c. 1325-1335, England.
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From:
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For some reason, this line struck me:
"enriching my re-enactment experience".