The purpose of the Apprentice exercise is to show you can weave with a variety of fibers, and that you have technical competence with:

• even beating

• pleasing effect

• even edges

• error-free weaving

• proper finishing

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I.   Weaving requirements

Submit four finished articles, all woven on a loom with shafts. Items woven on a computer assisted loom are not acceptable for Apprentice (see Submission Requirements listed below).

• Each article submitted should be different. For example:

  • placemat

  • table runner

  • pillow cover

  • dish towel

  • stole

  • guest towel, etc

• Each article should be woven on a warp of a different fiber. Yarns of the following fibers must be used:

  • all wool

  • all cotton

  • linen or cottolin

  • your choice (but none of the above), such as silk, rayon chenille, polyester, mixed fiber yarns, etc.

• The weft material is your choice. It must be compatible with and appropriate for the warp size and sett. The weft may not completely cover the warp.

• Use at least four different weave structures.

• Each finished article should be no smaller than 8" in width (the warp in the reed must be sufficient to produce a finished width of at least 8") and 15" in length, excluding fringe. It may be woven larger.

• Selvages must be visible on each article.

• Use four different edge finishes. One article must be finished with hem stitching.

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II.  Color and Design Exercises

• Using all the same kind of yarn, present a twelve-hue color wheel of your own making. Pay particular attention to maintain color values.

• Make three different color wrappings by winding yarn on heavy cardboard. Illustrate the following in your wrappings:

  1. use of proportion in a black and white sequence

  2. use of proportion in an analogous color sequence

  3. use of textures in a color composition

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III. Technical Requirements

• For any one of your finished articles calculate the amount of yarn needed for the warp and for the weft. Submit your calculations for this and include samples of the yarn.

• Make a drawdown, by hand, of each of the following:

  • Broken Twill.  This is a warp drawdown.

  • Overshot (do not include tabby) This should be a weft drawdown.

Show at least 1 1/2 repeats pattern in both warp and weft.

• Submit a notebook containing information about each article. See Submission Requirements listed below.

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