Change up the aesthetics of your blink and bling with these square light emitting diodes. They’re great for weaving!     Two of the leads will be positive and two negative. You’ll be able to identify this by looking at the top of the LED. Mark the positive terminals with a dab of paint or a magic marker to help […]

Way way back in 2010 I was working on a competition piece for the Handweavers Guild of America conference and wanted to improve the aesthetics and durability of the conductive thread I was using. Syne Mitchell of Weavezine connected me with Jaycee Boggs (@insubordiknit) and I sent her some conductive thread to see what she would do…… A few month […]

The right tools help make the project a success: Aligator Clips, wire cutters, pliers, LEDs, battery holder, yarns, and crimping beads. More Information about weaving with conductive thread, LEDs, and battery power packs: The Starlight Table Runner in Handwoven Magazine November 2012. Clasped Weft Weaving with Conductive Thread and LEDs  in Weavezine May 2009. or search ‘weave’ on The eTextile Lounge!

    Detail of how I use conductive thread strung with crimping beads in the warp to insert and secure the thru hole quadrate LEDs.  

Did you know the students at Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles learn how to weave?  Neither did I. Each loom in this lab is warped with a different weave structure.  The students     weave on each loom with a variety of fibers so that they understand the mechanics and possibilities afforded by a twill v a […]

Doubleweave on the loom The fabric’s weft is a variety of novelty fabrics of varying weights. Detail

Chains of Conductivity Twisted Warp two hours later Finally!

At 11 PM last night I realized I didn’t have enough of the orange tencel to complete the last 3 inches of this warp. So I went to bed. in the morning’s light I’ve selected a few options from my stash. Desperation is the motivator for much of my innovations. a selection of possibilities getting closer neon orange twine, peachy […]

The warp threads are the long threads that feed thru the heddles of the loom.  They are the 1 and 0’s of the fabric computer and create the pattern in the fabric. the vertical purple cotton threads is the warp. This is a plain weave one shaft up (1) and one shaft down (0). The next row will reverse with […]

Way back in April 2012 I was writing an article on how to weave LEDs into a conductive thread warp. I was frustrated that I couldn’t share the progress on the interwebz. In my tech world I support open source and creative commons. Yet, with media and competitions I have to respect first rights of publication. Its a difficult balancing […]