3 ways to level up your rigid heddle weaving

We all know that the humble rigid heddle loom is capable of a lot more than first meets the eye. That is why it’s such a wonderful loom for beginners – you can use it for it’s most basic function (plain weave) to begin with and increase your skills and exploration from there.

Many newer weavers though, are unsure of exactly what they can do with a rigid heddle loom. Or, on the other hand, there seems so much you can do but they are unsure of what to choose?

A bit of fear comes creeping in from a lack of confidence. “What if my skill level isn’t ready for the next step?” “What if I mess it up and lose my confidence entirely?”

These are really valid concerns that are common to many newer weavers. That is why I encourage new rigid heddle weavers to build skills in steps rather than leaps. Some weavers are ready to leap – many are not.

So, how does the fledgling weaver get his/her wings?

By taking off slowly. First the steps, building up, quickening as you go until you’re finally ready to stretch out those wings and fly.

If you feel like you’re in a bit of a rut with your weaving or you’re unsure of what to try next, here are a few suggestions to get those creative juices flowing!

Pick up sticks

Grab a pick up stick and hop to it! Pick up sticks are so easy to use but can totally transform your weaving. For my first foray into the pick up stick world I just put on a warp (not too long, not too wide) and just explored.

At its most basic level, pick up stick weaving can be started by placing your heddle in down and picking up whatever threads you like behind the heddle. I suggest starting with every second thread, so 1 up, 1 down. Next you can try 2 up, 1 down. Then 2 up, 2 down, and so on.

Once your stick is installed, place your heddle in neutral, slide the pick up stick forward and then place it on edge. Weave that pick and then change to a plain weave shed (up or down). Repeat, alternating between the plain weave sheds. An example of a repeating sequence could look like:

1. Heddle up
2. Heddle neutral, stick on edge
3. Heddle down
4. Heddle neutral, stick on edge

Then repeat the sequence from the top as many times as you would like. The variations on these theme are enormous, for example you could do a pick up stick row as a pop in between a few plain weave rows.

Next up with your pick up stick installed you can place the heddle in the up position and slide the stick forward (behind the heddle). Weave that row and note how it’s different to the other heddle/stick position.

Now you could try out the same 4 step weaving sequence I detailed above but this time use the heddle up/stick forward combination.

Once you’ve played around with those ideas, you can then start combining techniques. Here is a quick example for ideas:

1. Heddle up
2. Heddle neutral, stick on edge
3. Heddle down
4. Heddle up, stick forward

And then go back to the top and repeat. Are you starting to see how many variations you could come up with here?

Colour

Colour is one of the simplest and most effective ways to branch out in weaving. Again, it can be a bit of stumbling point for some who feel they have no talent when it comes to selecting colours. But I don’t think you need to be a colour expert to use colour effectively in weaving.

Most people are able to select 2 contrasting colours that they like and think go well together. That is a great starting point – one colour for the warp and one for the weft. Subtle, but classy!

Or if you’re looking to make a bolder statement, do blocks of colour in the warp and blocks of colour in the weft for Colour and Weave techniques.

If you’re not confident yet with changing colours in the warp, just change them in the weft. An example might be that you warp with a grey yarn. You use that same grey yarn in the weft but you add in a red. You alternate blocks of grey weft with blocks of red weft and voila! You have stripes!

You may feel ready to explore houndstooth or other colour and weave techniques.

What about variegated yarn? I love these yarns, as they do the colour work for you. You can choose to use it in either the warp or the weft (or even both – though the results may get messy!) One of my favourite ways to use variegated yarn is to warp with it and then weave with a solid colour. A more open weave (like one you might achieve with a pick up stick) can be the perfect pairing for a variegated yarn as it lets the range of colours really shine.

The scarf above was woven with fingering weight wool. For the warp I dyed a gradient, using the rainbow as a guide. In the weft I sed the same weight and type of yarn, but in a solid and commercially dyed grey.

Another example of a similar project is my free The Heart Scarf project.

Luxury yarns or special yarns

It’s true that not all yarns are going to be ideal for weaving, especially for the newer weaver. But there is a huge range of yarns available to today’s weaver, plus knitting yarns are often great to use with a rigid heddle loom.

A special or luxury yarn can really transform a weaving project. Think silk, or silk blends, tencel, cashmere and so many more.

For the pictured scarf I used a dk weight silk that I hand dyed. The end result was rather like a waterfall!

Luxury yarns can give your project new dimensions in a few ways:

• Iridescence – silks, tencels and bamboos in particular create a wonderful gleam to your weaving.
• Touch – All of the yarns mentioned are pleasing to the touch. They are soft, often slightly slippery and in the case of cashmere or a blend the softness factor can be next level!
• Luxury/high end value – naturally more expensive yarns are going to be considered high end products. A luxurious gift or a higher ticket item to sell.

I hope these ideas are just what you needed to go to the next level with your rigid heddle weaving!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!