Sprang attempt 2

I’m determined to add Sprang to my crafting repertoire. This round, I secured the bottom of my small bent cane loom with some paracord so it was less loosey-goosey. I added life lines using hemp string, and used hemp for the header and footer ties. (Why hemp and paracord? That was what was next to me. The paracord is too thick for the lifelines (to me), so I replaced them with thinner hemp.)

Photo description: restructured small sprang loom with Izzy the cat investigating the string

Using wool yarn and making a wider sample did help with the bias twist a little while I was working. I did some interlinked rows, and tried some intertwined rows to the middle.

Photo description: orange wool yarn woven on a small sprang loom using lifelines and bamboo skewers

I went to finish the center with a crochet chain and everything went wonky. The chain crawled upward on the yarn, making the two uneven halves even more uneven.

Photo description: botched attempt at finishing the middle of the sprang with a crochet chain stitch

When I took the sample off the loom it curled unevenly, wonky and crumpled.

Photo description: sprang sample off the loom, twisted

I wove in the ends, catching the live loop of the crochet chain when I went up the side, and blocked the piece by wetting and pinning it to dry.

Photo description: blocked and slightly less wonky bit of sprang work in orange yarn
Photo description: same bit of sprang, opposite side, shown stretched, it really has a very pleasing sideways stretch

Undeterred, I made a third attempt. Rather than the chain finish, I tried warp and weft plain weaving the center part. Abysmal. The plain weave has no stretch and completely threw off the stretch of the sprang. I mention it only so I remember that I tried, and rejected, the method. It doesn’t even deserve its own post. I’m not giving up, though.