September 2025: Pseudo-Crackle Weave Upholstery; From the Archives, March 1975
Woven by four members of the Kitsap Guild: planned by Alice Streutker, written by Nita Minard, adapted from Mary Syder’s workshop for Kitsap Guild 1968.
Crackle weave is one of the few weaves which fives four design blocks on four harnesses and avoids long weft overshoots.
Profile: Left selvage; DDD CCC BBB AAA; right selvage.
Warp: Lily Mercerized Perle Cotton - 5/2 Old Gold #79, 10/2 Buff #1432, alternating.
Sett: 20 epi 10 dent reed.
Weft: Pattern - 3 or 4 different yarns together, mixture may differ in some units.
Tabby the two warp threads together.
This differs from true crackle weave in that it produces skips in weft of seven, six, and two threads whee crackle has three thread skips which are tied down by the fourth. There are a few two thread skips where blocks join. These eight thread units may be threaded continuously as far as desired, followed by an incidental thread (down arrows (V) in figure).
In real crackle, Unit A weaves on both 1-2 and 3-2 and the area produced by two units look alike. In this we get three different looking design blocks, but the fact that two weave at the same time remains.
The alternate fine and heavy war gives interest and causes part of the above mentioned result. Most used 10/2 & 5/2. I any case, one was twice the thickness of the other.
The use of both warps used together for tabby weft unifies the fabric and a heavier sort of tabby is needed for a good upholstery material. The use of several strands of wool for pattern weft in one color range adds more interest than the same yarn doubled.
