Weaving Iridescence (eBook)

Bobbie Irwin has been studying and teaching how to weave iridescence for more than 10 years, and it has become her most popular workshop. She has written many articles for Handwoven magazine and is the author of three books: Twist and Twine, The Spinner's Companion, and Twined Rag Rugs. She resides in Montrose, Colorado.

TABLE OF CONTENTSAcknowledgmentsIntroductionChapter 1: What is Iridescence?Natural IridescenceIridescence in FabricChapter 2: Understanding Optics and ColorThe Nature of LightHow We SeeUnderstanding ColorColor SystemsChapter 3: Exploring Common Beliefs about IridescenceChoosing ColorsComplementary ColorsSplit Complements, Triads, and TetradsAnalogous ColorsColor SaturationValueCrossing Solid ColorsLusterFiber ChoiceThread SizeWhat About Plain Weave?Balanced WeavesChapter 4: Additional Color ConsiderationsDealing with High-Contrast ValuesThe Ultimate Value ContrastColor MixingWorking with Multiple ColorsOther Multiple-Color OptionsWarp vs. Weft—Does it Matter?Chapter 5: Choosing YarnsA Matter of TwistComments on Certain Fibers and YarnsCottonLinenSilkWoolRayonChenilleSewing ThreadRibbonNylon MonofilamentWireThe New YarnsChapter 6: The Influence of Weave StructureChoosing a StructureTwill WeavesThe Influence of Twist in Twill FabricStriped FabricsPile, Lace, and Supplementary Thread WeavesBalanced WeavesUnbalanced WeavesEchoTurned TaquetéComplex WeavesChapter 7: Specialty FabricsSheer FabricsLace WeavesWeaving with Monofilament NylonWeaving with WireLayered FabricsMoiré EffectsPleated FabricsPile FabricsSatin/SateenCapturing the Natural SpectrumChapter 8: Focus on FashionChoosing a PatternSewing with Handwoven FabricCaring for Your Iridescent FabricsAccessories for Your Iridescent Fashions Chapter 9: Options for Spinners, Dyers, and KnittersSpinning for IridescenceDye Your Own Color-Play YarnsIridescent Knitted FabricsChapter 10: What Isn’t Iridescent?Chapter 11: ProjectsSpectrum NapkinsAlternate ColorwayDouble-Weave Scarf6-Shaft Version4-Shaft VersionThree Scarves on One Warp3-Color Scarf in Half-Basketweave4-Color Twill Scarf4-Color Scarf with Clasped WeftVest Fabric in Double WeaveHuck YardageAlternate ColorwayChapter 12: Photographing Iridescent TextilesRecommended Resources

Twice in my weaving career, I've accidentally woven iridescent cloth. Both times, I chose a weft color based on a whim and ended up with magical, shimmering cloth. Bobbie Irwin, weaver and author of the aptly titled Weaving Iridescence, stumbled upon iridescence in a similar way. Her journey began, as great weaving discoveries often do, while sampling on the loom. Irwin decided to combine magenta with chartreuse, two colors she used frequently in her weaving with other colors but never together. The result was iridescent cloth and a desire to study this phenomenon, which is ultimately how this wonderful book came to be.Although Irwin is a master of all things iridescent, even those beyond cloth, she makes few assumptions about the knowledge of the reader. The earliest chapters in her book are all about education. She explains what iridescence is and how it relates to other "-escence" words such as opalescence and luminescence. The book also explores the nature of light and color, giving the reader a good foundation of knowledge on which to stand before getting to the meat of the subject at hand.The rest of the book is devoted to the subject of iridescence and how it works in weaving. Irwin teaches her readers the "rules" of iridescence (and how most of them can be broken) and how to choose colors, yarns, and weave structures to get this effect. She also, very interestingly, explains what iridescence isn't, giving examples of fabrics that are lustrous and often beautiful but not truly iridescent. The book ends with five projects designed to help the reader learn more about the nature of iridescence on the loom.Such a book cannot truly be successful without good photography--and lots of it. As beautiful as iridescence is, it's also notoriously difficult to capture on film, but photographer Reed Irwin did this spectacularly. The book is full of gorgeous fabrics that seem to shimmer even on the printed page. As Irwin mentions in her "Note on Photography" at the end of the book, this is no accident--she actually delayed writing the book until photo technology was developed that could adequately capture this phenomenon. She also gives plenty of tips and tricks for any amateur iridescence photographers out there.This book is a stunning work on a subject that has intrigued and delighted many a weaver throughout history. It is a must-have for any weaver who wants to harness the magic of iridescence.