Weaving With Conductive Thread: Clasped Weft

by Lynne Bruning in Circuits > Wearables

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Weaving With Conductive Thread: Clasped Weft

Intro.jpg
Weaving with conductive thread to create electronic cloth.

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UPDATE -  My article on How to Weave the Starlight Table Runner is published in Nov/Dec 2012 issue of Handwoven Magazine.
online download from Handwoven website
and
How to Video on my website.

Warp the Loom.jpg
This is for the weavers, yet may give non-weavers some ideas!

Warp your loom....or find a weaver friend that will weave this for you.
Wind a bobbin with a fiber to suit your design.
Place bobbin in a shuttle.
My example show the shuttle in my right hand, but it can be from either side.

Clasp Weft.jpg
Detail 2.jpg
Detail 3.jpg
My example show fiber in right hand and conductive thread in left hand.
You can reverse this depending upon your design.

Raise the shed.
Throw the shuttle from the right.
Loop the conductive thread over the fiber.
Throw the shuttle from the left.
Position the clasp within the warp.
Lower the shed.
Beat the warp.
Throw another pic to insulate the conductive thread.

Detail 1.jpg
Detail of one conductive thread woven into the weft.

Detail Joining Warp.jpg
Final.jpg
If you want a continuous circuit ...
Feed the conductive thread up the outer edge of the warp, be sure to catch this thread in the weft.
At the location for the next conductive thread clasped weft....
Repeat Step 2