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For probably 40,000 years, people have used looped fibers to create nets, bags, sheaths, clothing and much more. There are now faster ways to make things, but nothing quite like this timeless off-loom technique. Each stitch connects with what came before and what will come later. I like the way the stitches link together in ways that are simple and complex at the same time, sort of like the connections between people. These stitching techniques are often pretty open, even revealing, with a deceptively delicate appearance. But whether it's a fishing net or a piece of fine lace, you can cut a thread and it won't unravel. There's strength and honesty in the technique, and infinite possibilities.
I had no idea how important this would become to me when I started to explore those possibilities more than 10 years ago. A friend gave me a pattern for a small looped neck pouch made from waxed linen. Like many things I taught myself, I just couldn't understand the written directions, got frustrated, and made something up. Since it worked, I kept doing it (anything you repeat becomes a pattern, after all). I also started working this technique over small jewelry gourds to create sheaths. It was when I was stitching a sheath on a large gourd that I had a breakthrough. Realizing it would take me forever to finish, I made some very large loops to make it go faster, then filled in with more stitches to continue the sheath. In other words, I broke the so-called rules where you increase by adding stitches and decrease by skipping stitches. This "shortcut" made a much more interesting surface. By this time I was hooked.
I tried adding intermittent core elements -- at first it was bark cordage -- to add even more texture to the surface. Then I used continuous core elements (see Fuegian Coiling). Then I tried manipulating stitch tension and placement to make raised textures. I played with skipped-stitch patterning. I used looping to fill in open areas I left in the walls of my coiled vessels. I added looping to the surface of my coiled vessels. I made flat mats out of the stitching and folded the mats into baskets. I went back to bags and learned to control color changes. I explored stitches with multiple intersections. I concentrated on how to control shaping to make more complex vessels and clothing. I started doodling with thread to create "scrumble" elements. I started picking up beads, one at a time, to work into the looping structure. So far I've barely scratched the surface.
Learn More About Looping -- Click here for more images, a few words about fibers used in looping, and reflections on the joy of quiet, contemplative handwork.
Learn About Looped Sheaths -- Click here for more images and a few words about looped sheaths and their historic uses.
Learn About Netting -- Click here to learn about fishing nets and the story of civilization.
Learn About Fuegian Coiling -- Click here to learn about looping over a core element.
Looping Workshop Topics
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