Spider Web Wall Hanging

Supplies

1 skein of the CARON Collection's Watercolour thread (or similar thread)
1 thin wire clothes hanger (the kind you get from the dry cleaners)
Scissors
Marker
Cardboard approximately 1" x 2"

Instructions

Remove the label from the skein of thread and untie the knot at the end of the skein.

Untwist the skein and open it up so it is one large loop and you can separate the threads. Cut a piece of the thread to start with that is about 4 feet long.

Take wire hanger and shape the bottom triangular portion into a circle.

With the magic marker, make a mark on the hanger at the bottom opposite the hooked part used for hanging. Then divide each half of the circle into 3 approximately equal sections. You should have six equal sections marked.

Using the 4 foot piece of thread you just cut and starting at the top under the hooked hanging part (starting at the right side), attach a thread to the wire hanger with a double knot, moving to the left attach the thread with a double knot to the left side as well. (the knots will be only about 1/2" apart.)

Then still moving left take the same thread and make a knot at the first mark on your hanger. Continue around the circle making a knot at each mark around the circle until you reach the top starting point. Keep your thread fairly taut as you work your way around the circle. Make a double knot a the top to secure the thread and cut off any extra. Your hanger should be stretched with six segments of thread like the example on the left. (All knots can be trimmed neatly later.)

Take the remaining thread (left over from the skein) and wrap it around the 1" x 2" cardboard to make it easier to work with. (Start by wrapping only 10 to 15 feet of the thread so it is more manageable.)

Cut a new piece of thread about 1 foot long and attach it with a knot to the middle section of the top left thread. Stretch it diagonally to the opposite side and knot it in the center of that thread too. Repeat the same process 2 more times attaching a thread in the middle of each segment and stretching it diagonally to the opposite side until you have the center crisscrossed with threads as shown on the left. (Trim thread ends as needed.)

Next cut another 1 foot long piece of thread and knot it at the base of the hooked hanger and stretch it diagonally to the opposite side knotting it around the hanger and thread. Repeat the same process at the two other points where the thread was attached to the hanger each time stretching the thread diagonally and knotting it at the opposite side. You'll end up with a total of 12 threads coming out of the center.
 
Using the thread you wrapped around the cardboard and starting in the middle of the circle (where all the threads crisscross) secure your new thread with a double knot to keep all the threads in the center together. When this is secured take your thread and weave it in a circle, going from left to right, making a left to right knot on each thread as you come to it. Keep your thread fairly taut as you do this. Keep following this same procedure as you make ever widening rotations around the circle. Leave approximately 1/2" to 3/4" between each successive row of circles that you are creating. Do this for as many rotations as it takes to reach the outer edge of the circle. This should give you 8 to 12 rows depending on how far apart each rotation is. If you run out of thread while you are doing this, start with a new batch of thread and simply knot the old and new thread together.

When you get to your starting point (at the top) on your last rotation secure your thread with a double knot below the hook of the hanger. Make sure all the knots you've made are secure and trim them as close as possible. Print out the spider below (glue it to some heavier paper if you wish) cut it out and tape or attach to your web. Now you have a magical spider web and have to wait and see what prey it will attract this spooky Halloween!