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HAND-LOOM WEAVING

A Manual

[Illustration: WEAVING ON A HAND LOOM

_Showing the necessary positions. The rug the little girl is weaving is
made of heavy carpet wool. The body of the rug is golden brown, with
stripes of deep blue and green, separated by narrow stripes of white_]


HAND-LOOM WEAVING

A Manual for School and Home

by

MATTIE PHIPPS TODD

Of the Motley School, Minneapolis, Minn.

With an Introduction by Alice W. Cooley

Formerly Supervisor of Primary Schools, Minneapolis, Minn.

With Fifty-seven Illustrations







[Illustration]

Rand, McNally & Company
Educational Publishers
Chicago         New York          London

Copyright, 1902,
By Mattie Phipps Todd





THE TABLE OF CONTENTS

                                                                     PAGE

An Introduction.      By _Alice W. Cooley_                              7

_Chapter One._        The Primitive Loom                               13

_Chapter Two._        A Chat on Weaving                                22

_Chapter Three._      First Steps in Weaving                           30

_Chapter Four._       Methods of Stringing Warp                        42

_Chapter Five._       Materials                                        51

_Chapter Six._        Directions for Dyeing                            58

_Chapter Seven._      Methods of Splicing Materials for Weaving        83

_Chapter Eight._      Wool and Silkoline Rugs or Mats                  86

_Chapter Nine._       Hammocks                                         93

_Chapter Ten._        Face and Dish Cloths and Bath Rugs               99

_Chapter Eleven._     Raffia Mats                                     101

_Chapter Twelve._     Oriental Rugs                                   122

_Chapter Thirteen._   Navajo Blankets                                 135

_Chapter Fourteen._   Songs, Games, and Stories                       143

_Chapter Fifteen._    A List of Helpful Books and Magazine Articles   153

The Index                                                             159


    The highest
    aim of art is
    to make some
    useful thing
    beautiful.

    Kenyon Cox.




AN INTRODUCTION


For many years we, the teachers of the United States assembled in
village, city, State, and national conventions, have recited our creed
and chanted it in all keys.

[Sidenote: _Our creed_]

We believe that man is a trinity, three in one--head, heart, and hand,
one soul made manifest; we believe that this union is vital and
indissoluble, since "what God hath joined together" may not be rent
asunder; we believe that this three-fold man, being "put to school" on
earth to grow, may devise and bring to successful issue no scheme of
education that is out of harmony with the plan of the Creator.

Congratulating ourselves upon our ready and distinct utterance of this
lofty thought, we have calmly returned to our man-devised book-schools
for the acquisition of knowledge, in order to forward some plan for the
accumulation of more knowledge.

[Sidenote: _Deeds, not words, are now necessary_]

But "wisdom lingered"! Here and there voices were raised that would not
be silenced: "You sang your beautiful song; what are you going to _do_
about it?" In the words of John Stuart Mill, "It is now time to assert
in deeds, since the power of words is well-nigh exhausted."

Investigators, studying this union of head and hand from the
physiological side, hurled truths at us that startled us from our
lethargy.

[Sidenote: _Physiological truths_]

Every stimulus poured into nerve cells through the avenues of the senses
tends to pass out in motor action, which causes muscular movement. In
every idea are vitally united the impression and the tendency to
expression in action. The nervous system consists of the fibres which
carry currents inward, the organs of central redirection, and the fibres
which carry them outward--sensation, direction,