Handmade Garter Ties version 1

**KenB** · 12th February 12, 06:13 AM

Great work! Love the garter ties.

**English Bloke** · 22nd July 12, 10:28 PM

This is a most impressive thread. I missed it first time around. I'm already thinking how I can bodge one of these up with a square foot of MDF and a yard or two of B&Q dowelling. Excellent stuff, and thanks for the accompanying pictures.

**cruiser348** · 23rd July 12, 12:25 PM

Wow, very well done for sure on both the garters and the loom itself. Was the pattern for building the loom itself one that you found somewhere or something you designed after doing the research on the matter?

**piperdbh** · 23rd July 12, 12:40 PM

I have a pair of Paul's garters and can tell you they're very comfortable, easy to tie, and don't stretch, so you don't have to worry about them losing or gaining tension as you wear them. I can heartily recommend them.

**brewerpaul** · 23rd July 12, 10:10 PM

Originally Posted by cruiser348

Wow, very well done for sure on both the garters and the loom itself. Was the pattern for building the loom itself one that you found somewhere or something you designed after doing the research on the matter?

The loom in the photos is one I designed from materials at hand. If you google Inkle loom patterns you will find the basic loom which is quite easy to make. This is what most the small loom patterns resemble.

I just expanded on the idea so I could whip up two garter ties in one warping. It also makes a good warp board for a larger loom. So feel free to plagiarize the loom and make one yourself. I used 1 inch dowel, counter bored with a forsner bit, and used screws from the back side to hold the dowels tight. The one dowel is movable so you can put tension on the warp. There are a couple of good sites on the net with basic info on patterns you can make with your yarn and also a pattern generator that lets you build your pattern using your web browser.

**figheadair** · 24th July 12, 12:03 AM

Nice job. This is how traditional Claddach Garters were made too. The difference between these and those is that the traditional garters were a warp faced cloth meaning that the stripes ran in only one direction (longways). Very comfortable to wear and easy to weave. I have some naturally dyed ones that I'll post when I get amoment. Garter knots also offer an interesting series of options and variations.

**brewerpaul** · 24th July 12, 05:16 AM

Originally Posted by figheadair

Nice job. This is how traditional Claddach Garters were made too. The difference between these and those is that the traditional garters were a warp faced cloth meaning that the stripes ran in only one direction (longways). Very comfortable to wear and easy to weave. I have some naturally dyed ones that I'll post when I get amoment. Garter knots also offer an interesting series of options and variations.

Inkle loom weaving is also a warp face weave. Usually the weft is kept to one color and the warp can be multiple colors for your design. Im sure as time evolved early warp face weaving became more intricate as you can do stripes, squares, chain knot and other designs. I found the Inkle was the catalyst to other weaving I now do. Here is a good wiki on Inkle looms.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inkle_weaving

The main thing I enjoy about this type weaving is I can put some design into the garter ties. I personally like the ties best but with some of the thinner less expensive kilt hose I will use the flashed and elastic for less bulk. When I wear my heavier bulky kilt hose the ties look great and the knot less noticeable. Also most commercial ties are single color and with hand made ones you can vary that. Id only wear the ties, not flashes, with my plus2's, military moleskin breeks and tweed hunting breeks (yes the only pants I will wear anymore). So really depends on what you want in a look as to flashes, no flashes or ties.

**Seawolf** · 24th July 12, 06:31 AM

Extremely well done!

It never ceases to impress me how much talent is out there and the creativity of the people on the forum. I only wish I had the patience and time to be as creative.

Great Job!

Seawolf

**cruiser348** · 24th July 12, 11:08 AM

Thanks for the added information. If I decide to add this to my list of undertaking I'll probably build closer to your set-up to allow doing two at once. I'd prefer to just build that style and when my skill level gets to where I can manage two at once do it that way than build one just to build another down the line. Now to google some ideas; just what I need another project.