Mercy Grym

Warp & Weft with Azure Hound

I've been a part of the SCA for over 20 years having traveled from the Barony of Vinhold progressively down to my home in the Barony of Darkwood. I started like many people in the SCA, in the fringe, as a college student. Being poor, we did what we could with what we had and that lead to some really interesting attempts at art.

My primary art is the process of spinning thread and weaving cloth. I started on my journey with a drop spindle and some not quite natural fibers in 1999. That, as you can imagine didn't work well but taught me a lot and further fueled my need to learn more and more about the spinning process.

In 2010 I had the opportunity to start learning how to weave. I started out like many people who pick up weaving in the SCA, with tablet and inkle weaving. But my passion was that sheep to shawl process and that lead me to learn how to weave with a harness loom. Once I started there really was no going back.

Historically, I've researched pre-10th century cloth in various regions of the world and worked diligently to understand the processes, colors and shapes that people in that time period actually used and for what. I've woven using many different mediums and colors and will continue to weave for a long time in the future.

I use the moniker Azure Hound because the first thing I ever learned how to make was a blue dog, embroidered in cotton. Which brings me to remind you, that though my passions are spinning and weaving, I also have dabbled in illumination, embroidery, costuming, naalbinding, knitting (recently) and needlework. Mundanely I also enjoy quilting and crochet.

Things I Have Made

What Are You Looking At?

You are about to embark in a whole lot of pretty pictures of cloth. What are these things? you may ask. What's it made of precious? What are these notes? In order to prepare you, here is Mercy's crash course in weaving:

Warp: The threads that go up and down on the loom

Weft: The threads that go left to right on a loom

Threads per Inch (TPI): This is the individual threads, regardless of ply so a 3 ply string can be 3 threads; when you buy sheets, they are talking about total threads warp and weft, in the below I talk about warp only.

Ends per Inch (EPI): The actual number of warp ends in one inch plied (will usually be double or triple Threads per Inch (TPI)

You will see wool, silk, alpaca, blends and linen

Broken twill (meaning the twill goes two passes of the shuttle right then doubles back 2 passes of the shuttle left) 60 TPI/30 EPI; wool; Blue Wool & Black Weft

2 x 2 twill (meaning the weft thread passes over 2 warp threads then under 2 warp threads across the length of the warp) 48 TPI / 24 EPI ; Linen

Broken diamond twill (Set up as a 2x2 twill going in opposite directions every 8 threads, the pattern is created by offsetting reverses): 36 tpi / 12 epi Wool Grey warp/ Blue Weft

Tabby (meaning the weft thread passes over 1 warp thread and under 1 warp thread): 30 TPI / 10 EPI; Wool Warp; Cotton Weft; Black Warp/Blue Weft

Rosette (A rounded pattern designed to look like little flowers along a path; part of the rose path family); 54 TPI / 18 EPI Wool; White Warp; Blue Weft

Herringbone (Set up as a 2x2 twill going in opposite directions, offset by 1 thread) 56 TPI / 28 EPI Linen; Yellow Warp; Black Weft

Herringbone (Set up as a 2x2 twill going in opposite directions, offset by 1 thread); 56 TPI / 28 EPI 60/40 Alpaca & Silk

Tabby (The weft thread passes over 1 warp thread and under 1 weft thread) 56 EPI / 28 TPI; 60/40 Alpaca & Silk

Broken Diamond Twill ; (Set up as a 2x2 twill going in opposite directions every 8 threads, the pattern is created by offsetting reverses) 60 TPI / 30 EPI Wool; Blue Warp / Green Weft

Brocade / Overshot; Pattern is similar to many patterns in early illuminated manuscripts and is the beginning of a transition between monks belt; Made of a tabby with the purple shooting over or under the same area; Cotton tabby & wool overshot

Broken Diamond(Set up as a 2x2 twill going in opposite directions every 8 threads, the pattern is created by offsetting reverses); 45 TPI / 15 EPI; Warp brown, Weft Green

Monks Belt (This technique makes use of both a tabby and an overshot to create blocks) Cotton warp, Cotton tabby, wool overshot

Broken Diamond Twill ; (Set up as a 2x2 twill going in opposite directions every 8 threads, the pattern is created by offsetting reverses) 68 TPI / 34 EPI Linen; Orange Warp, Red Weft

Rippenkopper and various patterns of twill in different sizes.; wool 40 TPI / 10 EPI

Herringbone (Set up as a 2x2 twill going in opposite directions, offset by 1 thread) 40TPI / 20 EPI Cottolin; Green Warp / White Weft

Broken Diamond Twill ; (Set up as a 2x2 twill going in opposite directions every 8 threads, the pattern is created by offsetting reverses) 60 TPI / 30 EPI 60/40 Alpaca & Silk

Broken twill (meaning the twill goes two passes of the shuttle right then doubles back 2 passes of the shuttle left) 60 TPI/30 EPI; wool; Blue Wool & Black Weft

Cotton & Cotton Twill

Herringbone (Set up as a 2x2 twill going in opposite directions, offset by 1 thread); 70 TPI / 35 EPI Wool; Purple Warp / Blue Weft

Houndstooth! Yes this is period (This is a twill pattern where both warp and weft colors are alternated creating blocks) 36 tpi / 12 epi Wool

Broken diamond twill (Set up as a 2x2 twill going in opposite directions every 8 threads, the pattern is created by offsetting reverses): 36 tpi / 12 epi; Wool

Broken twill (meaning the twill goes two passes of the shuttle right then doubles back 2 passes of the shuttle left) 60 TPI/30 EPI; Silk; White, off white & silver white