How to Weave a Fringed Wall Hanging

Directions

1. Start by warping your loom with a 4-5" wide warp using the cotton warp yarn. You can make it wider if you like, but I find working in this smaller scale is more comfortable.
2. Next, pick your yarns. Here I use a greyscale that goes from a charcoal grey up to a bright white. I recommend using yarns of varying thicknesses, fiber contents, and sheen. This creates a visual interest to the finished piece, which makes each section pop a bit more.

3. Place your darkest yarn or inclusion. Here you can see 3 sections of rope that I created a while back on my Incredible Rope Machine. This adds both a literal and visual weight to the piece.

   

4. Now take 48" lengths of your first yarn (in groups of threads to make 1/4" round sections)  and tie a row of ghiordes knots. For a detailed tutorial on how to tie these knots, check out this project.

   

5. Once you have laid down that first row, tie the section of fringe together with scrap yarn, so you can separate it more easily later.

   

6. Tie another row of knots just above the first row, but shift over to the right by one thread in order to lock in the previous row. Tie off this section as well.

   
7. Holding enough yarns together to make a 1/4" bundle, weave plainweave for approximately 4 inches.
8. Then repeat this process (fringe and plainweave) using your next yarn making sure your bundles of threads are about 1/4' round.
   
9. Take your next yarn and repeat the process of fringe and plainweave, using bundles of about 1/4". Then take similar bundles of the yarn and lay them in row after row to create some side fringe for a shaping effect similar to the rope or inclusions at the bottom of the piece.
10. Finally, take your last yarn (mine was a white cotton weaving yarn) and tie one row of ghiordes knots using sections that are 1/4" round.
11. Take a stick and insert it above the ghoirdes knots and start snipping the top of your warp and tie it around the stick to secure. Add a piece of yarn or handmade rope as a hanger.

12. When it comes off the loom, it looks a bit like a be-bedraggled muppet, but after a trim of each individual section of fringe, the finished piece emerges. I recommend holding off on cutting the fringe until you have it hanging up on the wall. This allows you to see exactly how the piece is going to hang, and each trim may change the balance of the piece (this is especially important for a wide warp).

    

13. Using sharp scissors trim each section on an angle, creating a cascading effect from the very top to the very bottom. Get creative! Choose a crazy color scheme or get funky with your fringe. The sky is the limit!

14. If you make one of these awesome wall hangings, let us know on Instagram by using the hashtag #schachtspindle. We can't wait to see what you create!