Our most popular yarns for weavers: While most any yarn can be used for weaving, some are better suited than others. I haven’t used the heavy yarn much, so if you do, let me know what you think! It is an aran weight yarn, thicker than light worsted, so it weaves up quickly. Harrisville makes the yarn in 64 colors. Their 2-ply tapestry wool weaves well with one strand at 8 epi. Can you use knitting yarn for tapestry weaving? But, during our time of confinement, you may need to make do with something from your stash, something that is the closest size possible in a non-stretchy, strong cotton or wool rug warp. Additional Bockens yarns: Though I have mostly only used Faro, this company also makes other yarns that are great for tapestry. You want a firm yarn that will pack easily and make a sturdy fabric. Two-ply crewel weight needlepoint or lace weight wool yarns such as Appleton, Anahera, or Mora work well, as do the Norwegian yarns such as Alv and thin Vevgarn. With these size yarns you are able to weave a standard 6 EPI for tapestry with a lot of different weft yarns. This can be a gorgeous option for tapestry weaving. I have dyed this yarn myself, but in general I just buy their colors because there are so many available. This means that the yarns blend well. Further Reading. In fact, my Beginner Rigid Heddle Weaving course project uses the popular US cotton, Sugar n Cream. Color choice is important and if you are a dyer, you have the advantage of being able to make whatever color yarn you want. Using a yarn that is very thin that you can bundle in the weaving gives you more color options. If you are new to tapestry and want to use just one strand of yarn at a time, you're going to have to look for a fatter yarn that matches the warp sett you want to use. EPiC is a yarn made in Portugal that was not being sold in the US for a few years after the original owner died. It was an incredible thing that Teresa and her family were able to dye this yarn themselves for so many decades and offer it to the general public. I dye my own yarn and I sometimes dye for my workshops and I will tell you that the work is fiercely difficult labor. Kathe says she uses 4 strands at 10 epi. It is sold by Kathe Todd-Hooker at Between & Etc. It is a stiff yarn, but if you want a hand-dyed look to your yarn and you don't want to dye yourself, this yarn may be right for you. selling retail directly from their website, a whole post about knitting yarns for tapestry. I will note that a lot of the values for this yarn are in the middle of the grayscale range and this can mean a muddy-looking composition if you don’t consciously try to add some lighter or darker values. Yarn Needle Tapestry Needle Sewing Needles Weaving... Editor's Choice. Just because I do it does not mean that you should. Our brains design better in analog. See my terms and privacy policies  HERE. Traditionally used for suiting fabric and upholstery, a worsted yarn is ideal for weaving tapestry. The thickness of worsted wool is traditionally measured in the 'worsted count' (WC) but … When a yarn wants to bounce back on itself (as a nice knitting wool will do), it will want to do that in your weaving which causes problems with weft tension and makes your edges draw in. For churro, contact Shepherd’s Lamb in Tierra Amarilla, NM. They also make a thicker yarn. If you like texture, you can bundle a plied yarn of course! There are wonderful tapestry yarns all over the world that I know nothing about, so if you know of one, please leave it in the comments. This yarn dyes very nicely, comes in 108 colors, and comes from HiilesvÃ¥g Ullvarefabrikk, a spinnery on the west coast of Norway. Here are some things to look for in yarns used for tapestry weaving. To have full control over your weaving, you need to know how the fibers work with each other. Ask around. After I cut my little tapestry off the loom, I made 3/4″ hems on the top and bottom. One strand works at 8 epi. Click on thumbnails to enlarge, hover for captions, use arrows to scroll. Woven sample at 8 epi. It is made in the USA by Saco River Dyehouse in Maine. All of the yarn that I am using is from Love Fest Fiber's amazing weaving pack. I use one strand at 12 epi or two strands at 8 epi. Use on an 8, … What are your favorite tapestry yarns and why? This yarn has been hard to get for a few years since the original dyehouse closed. Find the posts here: Tapestry Weaving Adventure, all about planning color and picking yarns from your stash. One strand of the worsted weight works well at 8 epi. Sample woven with Frid Vevgarn, 2 strands at 8 (or maybe 10) epi. These are great setts for a beginning tapestry weaver, so this yarn is a good introductory yarn. Halcyon Yarn Rug Wool, a thicker yarn that will weave up very quickly and create very strong hardwearing projects. Look for cotton and silk fibers to start with. If you're not a dyer, color choice is going to be very important to you. You can find it through many dealers in the USA. It is made in Norway and is a 2-ply yarn which is slightly thicker than the Harrisville Shetland. This yarn is sold in the USA by Norsk Fjord Fibers. Search Rebecca’s blog with the search box below or via categories. It is sold by Kathe Todd-Hooker at Between & Etc. Yes, I’ve tried it. Though I don’t have a wealth of knowledge on non-protein fiber tapestry yarns, there are people out there who use them and you should not let reactions to one fiber keep you from using others or from weaving! You also need to know which fiber is best suited to your project. It isn't easy to get in the USA since the only North American dealer went out of business. You can unsubscribe from my emails at any time. It has a little more shine than the Harrisville due to the kind of fleece used. Harrisville Highland yarn, hand-dyed in balls, commercially dyed in brown and orange cones behind. This yarn is available in many places and might be the easiest yarn to lay your hands on in your LYS. ALV vs Frid comparison. The 9.5/2 is twice the size of the 18/2. Really thin yarns aren’t always ideal for tapestries unless you are weaving something intricate – unless you want to be weaving forever. Weaving Southwest yarns lined up behind this color wheel at the recent Taos retreat. Notice as you use that yarn at the sett recommended, what you think about it. Mallo is a gorgeous thick and thin cotton slub yarn that is sure to be a new favorite. When the knots at the ends of the piece are tied, the tapestry is complete. Paternayan is coming back! Though I recommend two embroidery yarns above, many embroidery yarns are not great for tapestry. It is a singles yarn. Color choice. These chunky or thick-thin yarns are beautiful for other projects, but they are not appropriate for tapestry weaving as I am discussing it in this post and on this blog. A firm yarn that is not lofty. They are now selling wholesale again and they say that within a few months they will be selling retail directly from their website. Paternayan, Waverly from Brown Sheep, and the ball to the right is Appleton Crewel. The warp is set widely enough that the weft slides down over it to cover it completely. Warp and Weft: Learning the Structure of Tapestry. Not every tapestry yarn listed here will be liked by every weaver. It can be a little overwhelming to choose yarns. Flax, ramie, and hemp are some of the more popular weaving yarn fibers in this group. This means that it is rather shiny and a fun thing to try for tapestry weaving. It dyes beautifully and I like the way the yarn acts in the weaving. https://timeless-textiles.com/. Whether you’re crafting for baby, the bedroom or for the family, we’ve put together a collection of yarns that have a strong ply to minimize pilling and increase durability. This is a yarn made in the UK. It comes in the same 64 colors that Highland does. I tried some of it while teaching at Penland a few years ago and I thought it was way too soft for tapestry especially in large-format. Cotton is also a great choice, but should be chosen a little more carefully for beginners. The use of Tapestry Wool in needlework began when the art of needlepoint was young, and most people thought of it as tapestry work. Most tapestry weavers do not ply their singles--they just lay them in in bundles. I have used pearl cotton, a common weaving cotton, for small tapestries with good results. If you’re a dyer, this is a fantastic choice. You can bundle singles (yarn that is not plied or consists of only one twisted piece of fiber) or plied yarns (yarns that have two or more bits of fiber twisted together in a consistent way) if they are thin enough to use more than one together. It’s pretty darn cheap to buy too! This yarn was used by the Scheuer Tapestry Studio in NYC in the 1980s and has long been a favorite of US tapestry weavers largely because of its color range. If you are weaving something for which you want 5 reds in gradation, most commercial yarn sources are not going to provide that (with the notable exceptions of Weaver's Bazaar, Australian Tapestry Workshop Yarn, Appleton crewel, and Paternayan).