Binding the ends of a Sámi belt.

A beautifully finished Sámi belt.

Sámi belts have a range of different endings. One of the most decorative is the multi-coloured binding.  This is easy to do.

This type of binding is called a three-strand plait in the Ashley Book of Knots on page 488. This is an amazing book. My copy has started to fall apart as I have referred to it so often. 

A Sámi belt 

Here is a belt that I wove using the Sigga heddle.

Sámi belt woven on the Sigga heddle. 

 

Sigga belt  width: 25mm  length: 172cm  Material used: Sámi band weaving wool

I wove it for a workshop at the International Conference on Braiding in Denmark 2022. The warp stretched across the room.

 

Weaving the belt at home

I made a number of belts and band samples to illustrate the different patterns made with this type of weaving.

Two samples of binding.

I am giving a workshop in Oxford this month.  I wove a number of short samples so that participants could learn how to finish a band. These bands are woven on a Sunna heddle with 9 pattern slots. 

Samples to practice binding.

The Decorative Binding Sequence.

Here is the sequence in pictures to show the process of binding.

Step 1 Divide the warp into four sections. Two sections are used to make the binding on each side. These are called the foundation groups.

Step 2 Take two strands of yarn from the right hand side. This is the working strand.Take them over the first group and then under the second group.

Step 3. Take the working strand over the left group and then under the first right hand group.

These two movements are repeated for the length of binding that is required.  movements 

Step 4. Take the working strand over the right hand group and under the left. Pull tightly and push up the working end to fully cover the group of threads. 

Step 5. Take the working strand over the left group and under the right hand group. Pull tightly and push the binding together. 

Step 6 Changing colour. The white working strand is over the left group.  It will be part of the  right hand group of threads for the next binding colour.

Take the next coloured binding thread from the right hand group.  Take the blue working strans over the right group and under the left group.

Step 7. Changing colour. The blue binding thread will be in the left hand group. The next colour, red comes from the left hand group. This is to ensure that each group remains approximately the same thickness. 

Keep binding until you are happy with the length.

Finish with a tassel or West Country Whipping.

The Working Thread.

It is important that the working threads are of the same thickness. The eight red pattern threads and the one blue central pattern thread are twice as thick as the other background threads. So for this binding, the working thread is two strands when using a background thread. This makes them the same thickness as a single pattern thread.  

The Ashley Book of Knots suggest that the binding thread, the working thread, should be at least five or six times longer than the area you wish to cover.

I have made a YouTube video to show the process in action.

Here is the link:

Sámi Decorative Binding

https://youtu.be/_9Qzr-9UEmc

Happy decorative binding!

Susan J Foulkes  June 2024