Tablet Weaving: Public Displays of Yarn Tension

I've returned to early morning belly dance practices which means I'm energized and focused the rest of the day.

This also means I have to ALWAYS be doing something with my hands or moving.

When I'm teaching that's awesome, but when the students are working on projects, I'm a nuisance!

To keep me from interfering with their work, I assigned myself the same project the theatre class has: choose some aspect of theatre and create three or more deliverables.

I've chosen costume design to prep for my summer/September camps and to demonstrate the process of a project.

These are my deliverables (one piece can be bought)

1. Two tablet weave belts or trim

2. A linen shirt or tunic (buying this!)

3. A sword frog/holder

4. A pouch

5. A sheath for my seax if it arrives before May

The last two days I've made the tablet weave pieces in class following this procedure.

1. Used two chairs to create the warp threads (or weft? Still confused on that)

2. Threaded the cards

3. Tied one end of the yarn to my white board and the other to a chair

4. Turned and counted, turned and counted, turned and lost count...

I made two belts from cotton/bamboo yarn, AND taught a lot of interested students about the existence of tablet weaving.

Teaching through example and curiosity--the educational sweet spot!