RUGA - Gleann Abhann

Sprang

(Created by THL Karis apa Mehlan Er Kapas)

Estimated Length of Class: 2 hours. Suggest having open time afterwards for those who are having a difficult time.

Course Description:

Sprang is an ancient textile creation method found in both Egyptian and Viking burials. Instead of using a warp and weft as in typical weaving, there is only a warp and the warp strings are twisted or plaited and twined to create the fabric. Much like a hammock, the fabric created is symmetrical and flexible, consisting of “webbing”. Because of the nature of sprang, each row worked at the top of the frame creates a matching row at the bottom, thus making a fabric that is a mirror image of itself bisected at the middle.

This course will provide the an overview of Sprang and its origins, uses for sprang and the basic method of constructing a piece of sprang “material”

Demonstrate/Understand the use of a Sprang frame/loom

Understand the basic concept of Sprang.

Warp a sprang frame

Demonstrate/Understand working on the Sprang frame/loom.

Construct a simple section of Sprang “material”

Suggested Teaching Resources:

Oddny's Sprang Instructional Page: http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/donisfuff/sprang1.html

Phiala's String page on Sprang: http://www.stringpage.com/sprang/sprang.html and http://www.stringpage.com/sprang/sprang1.html

Thora Sharptooth's Early Sprang Bibliography: http://www.cs.vassar.edu/~capriest/sprangbib.html

Regia Anglorum: http://www.regia.org/sprang.htm

Collingwood, Peter. The Techniques of Sprang: Plaiting on Stretched Threads.

Syllabus kindly created for RUGA by Karis apa Mehlan Er Kapas, October 2008.