L-M BRIC News

ILLUSTRATED INSTRUCTION: KUTE-UCHI How to make kute   FOR MAKING KUTE OF LINEN RUG WARP Materials 1. The strap: Linen rug warp 8/8, approx. 28" (75 cm) for each kute. 2. The bridging string: 3-ply fine cotton or poly thread thinner than the linen yarn. Two approx. 10" (25 cm) long pieces for each kute. 3. Small amount of bee's wax. Tools Scissors, ruler, marker, cushion, thread twister, small jar for melting bee's wax, pan for hot water bath. Thread twister may be something like the items listed below: 1. A weightof approximately four to eight oz (100-200 gm) to which an 8" (20 cm) piece of string with a hook at the other end is attached. The hook is hooked to one end of the string you want to twist, while the other end of the string is fixed on a support (a cushion, for instance). The string gets twisted when you twirl the weight hanging at the end of the string. 2. Yarn twister is a hand operated device with a turn handle with several hooks that turn as you crank the handle for making practical as well as decorative twines. The device is made so that the hooks can turn either clockwise or counter clockwise. There also are electric twisters. 3. Yarn winder is a device to wind weft yarns on a quill or a bobbin. There are hand cranked models as well as electric. Attach a hook or a paper clip on one end of a paper quill. Then mount the quill on the shaft of the winder with the clip at the tip end. Attach one end of the string you want to twist to the hook while you hold the other end of the string. Keep the string taut. As you turn the shaft of the device the string get twisted in the same manner as spinning at the great wheel. Finished length: strap approx. 8" (20 cm), bridging string 4" (10 cm) within the accuracy of 3/8 " (1 cm). You at least need 9 kute. You may want to go up to 17. For a double-face kikko braid, the total number of loops used is 72 with each braider working with 18 loops. INSTRUCTION to make kute using linen rug warp yarn 1. Mark the point about 3" from one end of the linen warp piece. Mark on the other end of the piece 20" (50 cm) from the first mark. 2. Tie a small knot at one end of the piece and a small loop at the other end. 3. Using a sturdy pin secure the knotted end to a support such as a cushion. Take care so that the secured point does not twist with the string as the string is twisted. 4. Attach the hook of the twister to the loop of the string. Twist the string in the same direction of the linen yarn while holding it taut. Stop twisting just before the string start to snarl. 5. While holding the twisted string taut, make a loop by tying it's ends using the weaver's knot at the two marked points. Or you may make it into a loop less conspicuously by overlapping the two ends matched at the marks and twisting them together in the direction opposite to the primary twist. Hook the loop on the pin secured on the cushion at the point about 3" (7 cm) away from the knot (so that the knot will not come to the mid point of the finished strap). The other end against the circumference of the loop is hooked on to the twister hook. Turn the twister in the direction opposite to the primary twist. Try to even out the twist. You get a double ply string about 10" (25 cm) long with a small eye at each end. Leave the hanging yarn ends on until the strap gets waxed. 6. When you have made as many strings as you need, put the bee's wax in a small container and melt it by immersing the container in a pan of hot water. Soak the strings in the melted wax. Take them out and let the wax solidify. Remove the excess wax by ironing them through sheets of news paper. Another good way of removing excess wax is boiling the strings in plain hot water. Dry them out completely. 7. Tie the two ends of each of the bridging strings by an overhand knot. Try to make the length of the loops equal as much as possible. Tie each bridging loop using lark's head knot through each eye end of the straps. FOR MAKING EASY RUG WOOL KUTE Materials: 1. 3-ply rug wool about 10" (25 cm) for each kute. 2. Bridging string: sturdy string thinner than that for the strap. Two approx. 10" (25 cm) long pieces for each kute. 3. Drops of liquid glue. Tools: Scissors, ruler. How to make: 1. Put a small drop of the liquid glue on the end of the yarn strip and make an overhand knot, wrapping the glued potion inside the knot. This keeps the knot from untying. 2.Tie the two ends of each of the bridging strings by an overhand knot. Try making the length of the loops equal as much as possible. When the glue is dry, tie each bridging loop using lark's head knot to each knotted end of the straps.