Sprang making with comb

Sprang technique by means of comb (LAV , RUS )

Have you ever noticed the most widespread use of old braiding technique — sprang — in common fences? Of course, fences technically are made differently, but the result is the same. An idea to make something in a different way to achieve the same result often leads to technological “revolution” or, at least, makes the things go easer.

The well-known sprang technique, restored by Danish archaeologist Margrethe Hald (Hald M. Olddanske textiler. — København, 1955. — Fig. 258.), allows to make wide and short pieces of textile. If there is a need to make long belts — you must have a great deal of place to work. Besides, it is really hard to leave unfinished work — it tends to get into disorder.

Sprang technique with comb allows to make long pieces of braided material as in bobbin lace-making. There is no need for a special place and special tools, and it is simple to learn.

All the “tools” you need:

1) A comb. The best comb is with strong teeth and small gaps, because wool threads are placed 2 in one gap, one over other. The thinner the threads — the smaller the gaps.

2) A pillow or something like roller-pillow as in lace-making. Every little and not fluffy pillow would fit.

3) 3-4 pins, preferably — long and non-flexible.

4) Woolen yarn.

5) Patience. Oh, yes.

Let’s begin?

Calculations

Material usage in length: the length of the intended textile piece + 1/2 of it + 20–30 cm for endings.

Example: for a 3 meters long belt, 4,8 meters of threads will be needed. This counts: 3 m + (1/2 of 3 m) + 30 cm.

Width — as you wish and need. Number of threads will depend on pattern and number of the comb’s teeth. The piece of work will shrink as many as 3/4 of initial (braiding) width.

Number of threads — 2 threads for every pattern element + 1.

Sprang technique

Threads are attached to a cord. The cord is fixed to a pillow with pins.

The left-most gap will start with 1 thread in it, all the others — with 2 threads, one atop another.

Schema shows the way of braiding, from left to right. (Next row will be braided from right to left.) The starting point every time is the gap with only one thread in it. The two threads in next gap are crossed (the upper thread returns atop) and the upper thread is placed one gap left (or right, depends on row count). And so on, until the last tread solely remains in last gap.

Sprang is not very rich in patterns, because two threads can be crossed only in two different ways — left or right. So the main elements in sprang patterns are triangles and diamonds (rhombi). But they can vary in sizes and directions, and combinations.

Some sprang patterns

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