Weave a Snowflake Bookmark... Free Pattern!

Winter is still here! This lovely little snowflake bookmark will give you a nice winter project.

Carl Larsson, Young Girl Weaving

"Some people say life is the thing, but I prefer reading" - Logan Pearsall Smith

Who doen't need another bookmark?
When I travel around the country, I tend to stop at libraries, to find used books to read at my shows and sometimes check my emails. Plus, its a nice quiet place to hang out.
As an added treat, I pick up one of the free bookmarks at the main desk. Always colorful and fun, I can write on the back where and when I picked them up and they are a cheap, small and useful souvenir of the many places I have been.


Weave on your tape loom this blue and white pattern.

This pattern uses 46 Threads:
   23 Holes and
   23 Slots

Cut:
33 Blue Single Threads
26 White Threads (13 doubled)

In this pattern, the white threads are going to be the doubled pattern threads, and the blue threads will create the background. (Brown blocks will be Blue threads).


Pattern  Chart:

Pattern Draft:

Oops! This part 1 on the left was updated January 3rd, I left out a section!
I so apologize. Please reprint and try again!



New to Tape Loom Weaving or need more help? Check out my book, Tape Loom Weaving.... simplified at my web site: www.eastknollpottery.com or on Amazon.

The Tape Loom predates the Inkle... not that I don't like the inkle loom, but this year, put a little history into your repertoire at demonstrations.... make a Simple Tape Loom and wow your weaving friends with some fun bits of history!  Learn all about the fascinating history of  Tape Looms on other pages of this blog and in my book above!

Have fun... Be creative... It's a new Year!

Tradition of Carving a Tape Loom for your Sweetie

Years ago I found a crude paddle tape loom in my attic. It is just a plank of wood with holes and slots cut in for the heddle and  indentations to set between your knees.  It has holes and slots enough for 42 threads total. Then I met Roger about 8 years ago. Roger is Norwegian and lives in Minnesota where a lot of Scandinavians settled in the 1800s.  After seeing all his books on Scandinavian folk art, visiting the Vesterheim Museum in Decorah IA and meeting lots of other Scandinavian folk artists, I wanted to try out the elaborate patterns they wove.

Here in New England, we made simple practical bands to use as ties and trim. The Scandinavians love bright colors and took the patience to make elaborate bands. It would seem all women were weavers, knitters and sewers.  A girl learned these skills at a young age.

So a young Scandinavian man trained at a young age to carve wood and looking to please a sweet young girl, would carve an elaborate mangle board or tape loom for a chosen girl. He would sometimes carve her name and date or a little saying into the loom.  On presenting the loom to the girl, and if she accepted the loom, she accepted him and the courtship would begin.  However, if the girl refused the young man and his present, he would have to carve another one for the next girl.

Thereby the saying, "Beware of the man with too many mangle boards."

So, all you reenactors, weavers, crafters and romantics out there, why not carve a simple tape loom for your sweetie this Christmas, (or girls, get your sweetie to make one for you) there is still time!  If you google tape loom images you will find many ideas. None of them are perfect, none precise, all are beautiful and a cherished gift to hang on your wall when you are not weaving.

 Utstilt på Norsk Folkemuseum, Oslo. Norway

And if you are still not sure how to weave on it, you can check out my new instruction book, "Tape Loom Weaving... simplified", on Amazon or www.eastknollpottery.com

Life can be fun... go make it so!