Swedish Weaving

My new project is Swedish Weaving, but the book I’m working from calls it a Monk’s Cloth Afghan. Monk’s cloth is available in white, natural, black and lots of other colors and it’s 59 – 60″ wide.  It has an interesting texture due to the weave: four vertical and four horizontal threads that create blocks.  By slipping yarn behind the blocks of vertical threads at prescribed intervals, a design can be created.  I work from a graph.

I was at a Master Gardeners Meeting some years ago and saw this afghan and, needless to say, fell in love with it.  I asked around ’til I found somebody that could help me get started.  I had had a piece of Monk’s cloth for years and never got going with it.  I got that piece out and used it for my first afghan; however, it was not quite long enough to finish all the pattern.  I make fringe on the ends of my blankets, but the fringe on this one is not as long as I like it.  I now buy 2 1/2 yards.

This cloth ravels really bad and first we have to put a zig-zag stitch across each end and then the fabric is washed.  Now the fun begins — the center thread has to be found and marked — see my safety pin in Picture 1 — it can be marked with a piece of yarn a different color.

Stitching is worked only under blocks of vertical threads and must be started in the center and worked to the edge.  I measure off enough yarn to do the whole row,  put a slip knot at the center (instructions tell what the length of yard should be).  Work begins at the center and goes to the edge — then I come back to the center and work the other side.  The reason for this is that if worked all the way across, the afghan will be warped and, too, the yarn would show wear.

Accuracy is the name of the game.  If you don’t get the very first row in correctly you’re in trouble and that means you have to pick out back to the error.  In picture 2 I’m working the second row and in picture 3

I’ve completed half of the middle section.  Now I’m ready to work in the diamonds (the open work). I’ll complete the first half of the afghan and than turn it around and do the other half.  Yarn ends are left after each row and then cut off and hidden in the hem.  When the border pattern is complete I do another zig-zag stitch; and then cut the bottom thread to the desired length and pull the cross threads making a fringe.  If the fringe is left long enough it can be knotted, which is really pretty.  I have made five of these babies and have knotted fringe on only one  I used over-hand knots — it’s tedious and time-consuming.

I showed a friend how to do this and she has run with it.  That was probably a year ago and she has made about 50 — sold some, but said, “I want to make all Mama’s grandchildren one.”  This lady is from a very large family, too.  Whew!

As you already know, I love needlework and count it some of the best of country living.