THE YARN: Brage
(1,687 yd/lb, 372 yd/100 g skein; 100% wool), Borgs via Vävstuga, 46 colorways.
This 7.5/2 sportweight yarn has endless applications. I usually use it where the yarn will be front and center,
such as for weft-faced bands or boundweave or in fabrics with weft pattern floats. Its strength and flexibility
make it a good choice for new weavers. It makes excellent dense fabrics for jackets or vests, tapestries, or
plain-weave bands.
I learned to weave using these yarns from many skilled Swedish weavers who generously shared their valuable
knowledge with me, and I have dedicated my life and my work at Vävstuga to perpetuating this kind of education
for generations to come. While Swedish weaving yarns might seem intimidating to new weavers, I encourage
weavers of all levels to try these beautiful, sturdy wool yarns in a variety of projects.
FINAL THOUGHTS
SAMPLE 3: SKILLBRAGD
Sample Yarns: Warp, 16/2 line linen (un-
bleached); pattern weft, Brage (#6006 Daf-
fodil, #6040 Pumpkin, #6021 Light Brick,
#6022 Burnt Orange, #6756 Sienna, #6042
Mahogany, #6037 Bronze, #6045 Deep
Purple, #6633 Silver, #6003 Dark Natural
Grey, #6004 Natural Brown); tabby weft,
16/1 line linen (unbleached).
Setts: 110 ends per 10 cm; 60 picks per
10 cm (28 epi; 15 ppi).
I wove this coverlet using Brage as the
pattern weft. The result is a supple and
heavily patterned durable fabric. Combin-
ing Brage with a linen warp and tabby at
this sett makes an excellent heavy-ish
coverlet weight. The coverlet can also be
successfully backed with a sheepskin.SAMPLE 4: Dukagång
Sample Yarns: Warp, 16/3 line linen (un-
bleached); pattern weft, Brage (#6099
Black, #6001 Unbleached, #6052 Apple
Green, #6759 Goldenrod, #6032 Yale Blue);
tabby weft, Möbelåtta (#3821 Brick).
Setts: 45 ends per 10 cm; 52 doubled
pattern picks per 10 cm; 208 tabby picks
per 10 cm (11 epi; doubled pattern, 13
ppi; tabby, 53 ppi).
Brage wool yarn is an excellent choice
for dense weft-faced decorative
weaving techniques. It is not so tightly
spun as to look stringy, but is squishy
and woolly enough to pack together
creating the appearance of a smooth,
solid surface of color as in the
dukagång design.SAMPLE 5: Bandweaving
Sample Yarns: Ground warp, 16/3 line
linen (unbleached); pattern warp, Brage
(#6032 Yale Blue); weft, 16/3 line linen
(unbleached).
Setts: 20 ends per 10 cm; 48 picks per
10 cm (5 epi; 14 ppi).
This is one of my favorite yarns to
weave into dense and durable warp-
faced bands. The bands are supple yet
stiff enough to hold their own and lie
flat after being tied or otherwise
abused. Note the clear solid colors in
the designs.SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 HANDWOVEN | 65