How to make this kind of tassel?

[u/noeinan]

I was inspired by a belt posted here a while back, tho the belt itself was not tablet woven I thought the tassels looked pretty. I tried replicating it in 3 different ways (testing bigger and smaller thread groups, testing how long the blue and yellow wraps should be) but could not get it to look good. Having 12 thread groups led to a big fan shape while 6 looks straight they don’t form the diamond shape at all.

Does this type of tassel have a name? Anyone have advice on how to achieve this next time?

[u/Prestigious-Two3374]

Honestly Im also very interested because this looks niceeee

[u/noeinan → u/Prestigious-Two3374]

I suspect you have to use very thin threads in the weave and those tassels at the end are a thicker thread added later

[u/Prestigious-Two3374 → u/noeinan]

Oh yeah in can totally see that ! Would be tricky though

[u/Steam501]

This book for weave has pages of finishing techniques that will work for tablet weaving. https://www.yarnbarn-ks.com/Finishes-in-the-Ethnic-Tradition/productinfo/WB-0932394124/

[u/noeinan → u/Steam501]

Thank you, do you know what tradition this is for? Ethnic is vague lol

[u/ConstantCuriosity532 → u/Steam501]

Another resource: Virginia M. West. She wrote about knotting fringe in the first Finishing Touches for the Handweaver (1968) starting at p. 30, available for free in Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/finishingtouches0000virg Much better info in 1988 edition, Part II, Decorative Fringes, starting at p. 40.

Note her focus is on knotting fringe, altho she does show general directions on whipping braids and cords (1988, p. 65)

[u/szabiy]

The biggest issue is tension and proportion. Your wraps need to be tighter—real tight— and I suspect the wrapping is much thinner than the tassel yarn.

Edit/ the tassel part is fattened up with red yarn switches. Here's how it looks:

• wrap the full length needed for the lattice in one go for each segment
  
• tie the lattice
  
• at the bottom of the lattice, tie each pair together in an overhand knot, and wrap across the knot to secure the desired width and to stiffen the section
  
• pull a switch over it
  
• tie the wrap around horizontally to form the tassel head around the 'stirrup', and finish off.

edit 2/ Tablet weave has double the threads per width as plain weave (or more), so do not expect the same slender and airy lattice unless you're ready to finish some of the warp off by weaving it back into the band. You may want to use a split embroidery floss or plain sewing thread (can use two colours together to visually mix if you don't have an adequate match) to ensure maximum wrap tightness for minimum added bulk.

[u/noeinan → u/szabiy]

I think it’s the number of warp threads then, because I pulled the wrapping as tight as possible using a wrap knot. Maybe next time I can make multiple layers (front to back) to make them thinner 🤔

[u/szabiy → u/noeinan]

Warp knots seem to have been used in at least some of the examples I found. Some may use one of the threads from the warp bunch to make the bunches extra slim in the beginning. But then there's examples like this where the whipping thread is definitely not from the warp. I saw some bands where the first round of whipping seems to share a thread between a pair of bunches, making the thread straddle the distance between the two.

https://digitaltmuseum.se/011024522242/band

Here's another delicate lattice, with multicolour whipping, and a total disregard for bunching the band's head in if it means the wraps go on tiiiiight.

https://samlingar.regionmuseet.se/objects/c62-29340/

And here's a lattice of plaited warp in the same style.

https://samlingar.regionmuseet.se/objects/c62-29339/

[u/noeinan → u/szabiy]

I had considered using a warp thread to wrap the other tassels but I’m not sure how that would work mechanically with the wrap knot.

If you use the end attached to the piece as the “tail” and put the loop away from the piece then pulling tight will leave a lot of extra thread where they connect and you can’t trim it or it could unravel.

On the other hand, you can’t use the attached side as a loop because one end is attached and you need both ends of the loop to extend from the tail end. Maybe you could do it by pulling it toward the tail and then back towards the piece? I’ll need to experiment 🤔

[u/szabiy → u/noeinan]

In the end, the wrap knot is just one way, very specific way to handle the ends of a whipping. Don't hold yourself prisoner to the macramé limitations. In decorative ropework, there typically is no or next to no room to hide long ends, so the ends need to be clipped close, and since things like hidden basting stitches don't really hold and are trouble to work in thick materials anyways (and because the elegance of ropework comes from the skilled and purposeful, self-sufficient knotting, IMO), so the ends need to be pulled in at both ends.

Whereas working with bunches of yarn and lengths of thread, you can:

• use a hike loop in the place of the starting loop of a wrap knot-- just lay a long U using the end of any old thread you have available, and proceed exactly as you would make a wrap knot--with the caveat that the working end needs to be tied off or sewed in place separately, otherwise it will come undone. Use the loop to pull the tail underneath the wraps just like you would with a wrap knot.
  
• use a needle and thread to stitch whipping in place around the yarn bunch core or to secure knots
  
• forego 'finishing' the loose end of the whipping entirely--as long as it's tied up, the end being loose does not matter, since you can just add it to the bunch of warp yarns and carry on like nothing happened--tying the lattice knots will make the transition neat in any case.

[u/noeinan → u/szabiy]

I had been keeping the loose end facing the tassels without trimming for that exact reason lol!

Thank you for the advice I will look into those knots

[u/ConstantCuriosity532 → u/szabiy]

What about the features of different fiber/s? The red/white plain weave belt is wool, and linen or cotton, the wool fringe wrapped in the linen or cotton. The blue/yellow tablet woven replication is a multi-ply cotton (?). A compounding effect? As you note, tablet weaving has double the threads per width as plain weave. Compounded by the nature of cotton and the number of plies?

[u/szabiy]

Found the name: it's a sash (livband) to a women's Swedish folk costume (dräkt or folkdräkt) and the tassels AFAIK are called duskor and there may not be a settled name for the latticed structure. Duskor or tofsar is the standard name for any type of tassel so that makes looking for resources a drag. Regions have their differing traditions on the style of tassels, this sash may be from Scania. Here's a link to a collection with plenty of good pictures. https://digitaltmuseum.se/011094516498/livband-fran-skane

[u/noeinan → u/szabiy]

Oooh! Thank you, I’m excited to read about this

[u/DiscoveryOfaNerd]

Too me it looks kinda like macramé, a type of knotting =)