This month is all about Valentine’s Day! While the heart is the most common symbol for the day, it is not a particularly easy thing to weave into a Mug Rug. So instead, we shall be weaving a diamond design (after all, they are a girls best friend!). It will be much simpler for beginners to follow along.
To download a PDF file of these instructions visit https://kromskina.com/mug-rug-weave-along/
For more information about this technique, please visit https://kromskina.com/saori-style-on-the-harp-forte/ .
The structure for this months design is called Clasped Weave. It requires two contrasting yarn colors. This pattern uses one of those colors as the warp as well. The example is done with Sugar’n Cream Red and White.
Because of the way that this is woven, only the red need be on a shuttle. The white can remain in ball form as it never actually passes through the shed.
Clasped weave looks far more complicated than it is. So don’t worry – this will be fun.
The name itself describes the action that creates this look. The 2 contrasting yarns will wrap around each other inside the shed (as if they are clasping onto each other in a Valentine hug!).
We used the Kromski Presto for this Mug Rug, but of course it could also have been done on the Harp Forte.
Let’s begin!
Warp 50 ends of red in an 8 dent heddle, 1.5 yards long. After your initial set up with waste yarn, weave 4 passes with the red. End with the shuttle to the right of the weaving. Don’t forget to leave a tail long enough for the hem stitches.
Open the shed. Pass the red yarn through. Do not close the shed.
Lay the tail of the white yarn over the red. Pass the red shuttle back through the shed, catching the white yarn as you do. Now use the red yarn to pull the white into the shed. Keep hold of the tail so that the end will stick out to the left.
Use the live ends of the yarn to gently tug the clasp to position it in the center of the warp. There will be 12 upper warp threads to the left and 13 to the right of the center. Check that the edge of the red yarn is not pulled in too tightly or too loosely before bringing the heddle forward and ‘beating’ the yarn into place.
Lower the heddle and again pass the red shuttle through to the left. Go under the white yarn, then back up, catching the white, and through the same shed. Drag the white yarn (and the tail from the start of the white) through the shed as before. This time, place the clasp slightly to the right of the center so that it rests in the gap between the next pair of upper threads. Bring the heddle forward to beat. Pull the very end of the tail to the back so that it lays nicely now that it has been woven in.
This same step will be repeated throughout the Mug Rug, with the exception of the placement of the join.
For the next row, the join should be placed to the left of center.
Follow that with one to the right and so on.
It may be helpful to hold a folded piece of paper along the edge to help with the placement of the clasps.
The angle of the path that the joins make should be as close to 45 degrees as possible. It the angle is too steep, it will not be wide enough. If the angle is too shallow, it will not fill the mug rug from top to bottom.
Of course, this assumes that you want your mug rugs to be like the example. Naturally, if you prefer a more elongated or flattened design then that’s what you should make!
Rows14 and 15 will be the center sides of the diamond.
After those rows start to move the clasp joins towards the center. Do your best to line them up with the corresponding rows from the bottom of the design.
When you have reached the center, cut the white yarn. Wrap the tail around the end warp thread and tuck it back into the same shed. Pull the end to the back of the weaving.
Weave 4 rows of red and finish with the hem stitch.
This weave structure can be used to create a multitude of designs! You can make random zig zags, squares or circles! Using multiple colors give things a whole new look as well.
The reason that the heart shape is more difficult is because of the center of the top area. It can be done, but would require a 3rd yarn to be introduced.
I hope you will take what you have learned from this simple Mug Rug and use your imagination to create more wonderful weavings!
Visit https://youtu.be/dN9j0WtS_Ko to watch a video tutorial of this months Mug Rug.