Alphabets for Swedish Weaving & Huck Embroidery

By Katherine Kennedy

Adding names and dates to a Swedish weave or huck embroidery piece creates a unique one-of-a-kind item that is sure to be cherished for years to come. You will love personalizing your projects with this wonderful book filled with a wide variety of alphabet and numeral styles to choose from. Whether you are just beginning or have been stitching for years, you will find this book to be an invaluable resource for customizing your hand-stitched piece for yourself or to give as a gift. There are 11 unique and fun projects in this book plus numerous border patterns that can be used to embellish any number of pieces.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Annies Attic
• Release date: Aug 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9781590126264

Book preview

Chart

Introduction

Swedish weaving—also known as huck weaving or huck embroidery—first became popular in the United States. Today, it is experiencing a resurgence in popularity in part because of its unique, beautiful look, but also because it is quite simple to do. The loop stitch is incorporated into most traditional designs, like those found in my previous book, Learn Swedish Weaving & Huck Embroidery. The loop stitch is primarily used to create letters and numbers, allowing the crafter to personalize their items, but is also used to create motifs such as flowers, animals, etc.

Swedish weave items take on a whole new dimension when the stitcher is able to add names and dates to the project, often creating heirloom pieces that are treasured by their recipients. This book offers a number of different design styles and sizes so the stitcher can choose which style best suits the project. Some are more suitable for smaller projects, some for larger. Some are more formal, while others are lighter or more whimsical.

Meet the Designer

Katherine Kennedy has done needlework, mostly cross stitch, for as long as she can remember. But when she discovered Swedish weaving, Katherine just knew this was what she was meant to do. Her other passion is creating, so when she couldn’t find patterns for this newfound needlework, making her own designs was the natural solution.

Within a short time, she was selling items at shows and in local Scandinavian shops. Katherine also started teaching, and it was her students who really encouraged her to look into publishing her design patterns. Just over a year later, her first book, Easy-Does-It Swedish Weave Towels, was published. She now has a full line of chart packs and kits that are distributed worldwide.

Many times I have had someone respond wistfully that they remember their mother or grandmother doing this type of needlework, perhaps even teaching them the basics, and they haven’t seen it for years. Just as exciting, though, is the reaction I get from those who are discovering Swedish weave for the first time, says Katherine.

She has been asked if she ever stitches just for fun, or whether it’s always for publication or sale. Katherine answers that it is always for fun, because she never tires of Swedish weaving, whether it is creating a new design, stitching one of her many designs, or charting patterns.

General Instructions

The loop stitch, when used to create lettering or motifs or borders, can be done on any fabric used for traditional Swedish weaving and huck embroidery. The loop stitches are always connected with a straight stitch and both stitches are described in detail in the Swedish Weaving Stitch Guide section. A variation on the loop stitch that is sometimes used is called the twisted loop stitch and instructions for that are included as well. Whether doing a loop stitch or a twisted loop stitch, the straight stitch is always used to connect the stitches.

When deciding which alphabet style to use, keep in mind the size of the project you are working on as some styles are more appropriate for smaller projects while others are more suitable