I had initially thought about using different colors, but decided that I liked the ones that are usually shown. So I'm using #10 big-box-store crochet cotton, in yellow, green, and dark red. The weft is, as usual, leftover doily-knitting cotton thread, probably #20 or #30, in a medium-light green (it was already on the shuttle from the last project).
I've done a few repeats and really like how it looks. I'm fiddling around with weft tension as I often do near the beginning of a band, trying to see how loose/tight I want things. I don't want the diamonds to be too elongated if I can help it.
I always forget how happy it makes me to see a nice tablet-weaving pattern grow under my hands, knowing that I did that.
I still want to play around with bi-color loops and patterns for 7-strand braids, both orthodox and different kinds of unorthodox. I also think it's time to learn the Spanish braid. The instructions make sense when I look at the description and/or watch the video, but I was having trouble making it work since I didn't have a good working angle with where I had attached my loops. Oh, well. Deep breath -- many of the braids I've been doing this year have been a bit mystifying when I first tried them. I'm patient and will try again, and I'm quite sure I'll get the hang of it soon enough. Plus my "mistakes" will also make useful braids so I should try to record what I did in case I want to do it again.
I'm also in the mood to do some inkle bands. And lots more tablet-weaving. And knitting/spinning/etc.
So, this band is kind of interesting in its asymmetry. It features yellow checkerboard diamond motifs on a green/red (or green/brown, I'm not sure) background.
The checkerboards are all alike. Even those are a bit weird for two-hole. Typically, from what I've seen in later patterns, two-hole patterns tend to work in blocks of two tablets and two turns. This one also has some blocks of three tablets (though still two turns).
The edge cards are asymmetric -- one card on one side, and three cards on the other. This is not atypical since it's meant to be sewn to the edge of clothing or something. There are no tubular edges, but this isn't too surprising since the Hallstatt bands are significantly older than the Finnish Iron Age bands that often include tubular edges, and they are also from a different culture.
The distance between the checkerboards varies. Sometimes there are 4 F/4B turns between them, sometimes 5F/5B turns. It has 2 checkerboards with 4/4 between them and then 1 checkerboard with 5/5. This number -- 13 -- is the same as the number of red and green threads. Dunno if that's meaningful or just a coincidence. Dunno if the different gaps between the checkerboards is deliberate or not.
The sections of red and green background colors that the checkerboards are on is asymmetric -- there are 2 greens and 3 reds on one half, 2 reds and 3 greens on the other. This one I do kind of understand, since this means that one uses the same number of threads of each background color (13 of each, as mentioned above).
I'm doing it as charted. It looks lovely. (I'm not going to write about other candidates on my to-do list since there are so many...)
I'm getting low on some of the colors of this crochet cotton. Once I'm almost out, I'll switch to the next batch of thread I have and will use the rest for simple bands, inkle bands, braids, weft, and/or crocheted snowflakes. But really, the thread is OK even though it's not uber-high quality. Most of my bands end up pretty similar in width to the archaeologic examples. The thread is reasonably consistent and not too full of knots or anything. I do want to use wool, silk, and linen eventually. I have some, but not in any kind of color range. Though I'm fine with monochrome bands, of course!
Cats are not particularly good weaving assistants, but it all worked out, at least so far.
No photos, but I'm sure there will be some soon enough. This is going pretty quickly and smoothly so far, as long as I pay attention and don't get distracted.
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