Rigid heddle weaving

Clasped Weft Weaving – Step by Step Tutorial

Just when you think you’ve tried everything in weaving, you come across something different, like Clasped Weft Weaving!

Clasped weft can be a great “next step” for newer weavers with a few plain weave projects completed and who are ready for something a bit more adventurous.

So, What is Clasped Weft Weaving?

The cool thing about weaving clasped weft is that, similar to Colour and Weave, most of the work is in using colours to make your weaving look fancy, when in actual fact it is quite simple.

The clasped weft technique uses 2, 3 or 4 interlocking weft colours. Using 2 colours to begin with is the easiest and least complicated approach. If you have done any tapestry, you may already be familiar with the interlocking technique.

*This post contains affiliate links. for more information, see my disclosure policy.

We mainly use a plain weave structure (though clasped weft can actually be used in other structures, such as twill). It is a perfect technique for a rigid heddle loom, because, although it’s simple, it looks special and has big impact.

The Mechanics of Weaving Clasped Weft

Before we go through the tutorial steps, let’s look at some (rather poorly drawn, sorry about that!) diagrams to get a clearer idea of how this works. The drawings are over simplified, as I haven’t drawn in the warp and weft interlacement, but I have drawn in the edge warp threads:

Clasped weft with 2 weft colours.

Clasped weft with 3 colours.

Clasped weft with 4 colours.

Now let’s go through the tutorial steps so that you can get clear on how clasped weft is actually woven.

Clasped Weft with Two Colours

Today, we are just focusing on working the two weft colour technique, as I believe this is the best place to begin if you’re not familiar with clasped weft or haven’t attempted it before.

Begin with two contrasting weft yarns of the same weight. I have used one with a dark navy colour and another that is variegated with bright colours. See the tips section below for more on why variegated works perfectly.

My warp and weft yarns were all light worsted/dk/ Australian 8 ply weight. Wool, acrylic or cotton are all fine.

One weft yarn is loaded onto a stick shuttle, in my case this was the dark navy. The other colour is left in a ball or on the cone. My variegated colour was in a skein and so I wound it into a yarn cake with my ball winder.

A yarn cake (also known as a centre pull ball) is particularly good to work with for clasped weft, because it sits nice and flat on the floor and won’t roll away. The yarn also feeds off the yarn cake seamlessly, which makes the whole process that little bit easier. If you have a round ball or a cone, you may want to sit it in a box or basket on the floor to contain it.

Place the ball of yarn on the floor at your left. It doesn’t matter if you place it on the right or left, but for the purpose of this tutorial it’s on the left.

Because the ball (let’s call it the contrast yarn) is on the left, we enter the shed with the stick shuttle on the right. Again, it doesn’t matter whether you are in the up or down shed, but I am beginning in the down shed.

Take your stick shuttle across from the right hand side to the left as though you’re going to weave a regular plain weave pick.

When you get to the left, take your stick shuttle underneath the contrast yarn. An easy way to do this is to pick up the contrast yarn as the stick shuttle exits the shed and place it on top of the shuttle.

On the right hand side (where your shuttle entered), tidy up and prepare your weft yarn at the selvedge as though you’re going to beat the pick in. If you’re not familiar with how to do this, watch my free video on How to Weave Neat Edges. DON’T BEAT.

Take the shuttle straight back into the same shed. Don’t change sheds, and don’t beat! Take the shuttle through, back to the right where you first entered the shed.

As you return the shuttle to the right, you will find that the navy yarn is linked or clasped with the contrast yarn. This means that the contrast yarn is pulled into the shed. Now you get to decide how far you will pull the contrast yarn into the shed. A little? A lot? Your choice, depending on the effect you want to achieve.

Hold both yarns under tension on either side to manipulate where you want the two yarns to go.

When you’re happy with the yarn positioning, beat the picks into place. You will notice that both yarns are now doubled in the shed.

Change to the next shed (in my case I had been working in the down shed, so I go on to change to the up shed).

Continue weaving in the exact same manner in the new shed and repeat until you’ve finished weaving.

Isn’t your head just swimming with all the possibilities of this wonderful technique?

Clasped weft can be extremely planned or extremely random. It looks wonderful both ways and is just so much fun to weave.

Here are a few recommendations for best results:

1. Use contrasting weft colours.

Light and dark will make the weaving pop.

2. Use the same weight yarn for both warp and weft.

You will get better results and avoid the not so pretty lumps and bumps that can occur at interlocking points.

3. Variegated yarn is perfect for this.

For the 2 colour clasped weft technique, a variegated yarn with a contrasting yarn looks really cool! (See photos below and above).

4. Using the same colour as the warp for one of your weft colours works great.

Too much colour can confuse the contrast of the clasped weft lines. In the tutorial, I used the same navy yarn for warp and weft no.1. I then used a contrast yarn for weft no.2.

If you like the look of clasped weft as much as I do, I have some great news for you!

I have 3 free Youtube video tutorials that will teach you each of these techniques. Start with video 1 so that you can practice the technique, before moving on to the others.

Clasped Weft with 2 colours

Clasped Weft with 3 colours

Clasped Weft with 4 colours

I mentioned that the clasped weft technique can also be used for other weave structures. This can create really interesting and impressive special effects. One of my patterns, The Cityscape Scarf is a perfect example of a clasped weft combined with a twill.

Try it out and let me know what you think.

Leave me a comment here or under any of the Youtube videos, I love to hear from you!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

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How to sit correctly at a rigid heddle loom

by Kelly 16 Comments

In my last post, I spoke about my back pain journey and gave all my best hints to help you avoid experiencing pain while weaving on your floor loom.

That post was very popular and many of you asked if I could do something similar for weaving on your rigid heddle loom. A floor loom and a rigid heddle loom are quite different when it comes to seating, and while a lot of the same principles I talked about in my last article regarding posture still apply, I think it’s worth going over the options.

*This post contains affiliate links. For more details, please see my disclosure policy.

I’d like to point out that, even though some of these are not my personal preference, that doesn’t mean that they’re not right for you. And, if you are using a seating arrangement currently that works really well and allows you to weave pain free – don’t change it!

Regular chair-

Some weavers use a regular, straight backed dining chair to weave. This is what I started off with when I began my rigid heddle journey, but it did not suit me at all. I did find it better if I bolstered my lower back by wedging a cushion between my back and the chair when weaving, but it was still not comfortable for me.

Weaving bench–

I would not use a weaving bench or piano stool with my rigid heddle. The length of the stool does not allow me to get right in close to the loom, and there is no back support.

Office chair–

This is what I use and I’m going to go over in more depth why I think it is the best option in a moment.

With a stand-

I do recommend weaving with a stand for loom sizes 24″ and above. This is because the larger/wider the loom, the more difficult it is to prop against a table to weave, and the longer your reach distance will be. A longer reach distance means more stress on your body.

Without a stand-

I don’t use a stand for my Sampleit 10″ loom because it’s so small, light and portable that I can weave on it just about anywhere, it makes a great lap loom. You don’t have to have a stand for your rigid heddle, but I do think it’s really worthwhile investment. If you have or are looking at purchasing a really large loom, such as a 32 or 48″, I would definitely be wanting a stand.

I want to talk now a little more about my office chair and why I think it’s the perfect solution. I was lucky enough to get my chair for free when my husband’s workplace was closing an office and it was barely used!

Height adjustable
Contoured
Back rest adjustable
Tiltable

All of this means that I can sit right in close to my loom and adjust the chair to be as comfortable as I could possibly want to be. My back, shoulders and neck are not stressed because my body is so well positioned.

Because my chair is on wheels, it’s really quick to make minor adjustments to get closer to or further from the loom.

My feet are either flat on the floor or positioned on top of the stand’s stabilising bar, meaning the loom is very stable.

Now, just because we have a super duper chair with nice back support doesn’t mean we can get lazy about posture. Yes, it’s still possible to slouch, bend or tilt your body in ways that will wear on your back over time.

So don’t forget those good posture points – a straight back, level shoulders, elbows resting comfortably on the front beam.

Regular breaks are important, to give your body an opportunity to move about in a different way after being in one position for a while. If you want to read more about posture, breaks and stretching, I recommend you read over this post.

And to see my seating position in action, I’ve made a video for you. The video shows both how I sit with my loom on a stand and how I sit when not using a stand. You can click below to check that out:

I hope this post was helpful to you and gets you thinking about ways you can maximise your weaving time by minimising back, neck and shoulder pain.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

What do I need to get started in rigid heddle weaving?

by Kelly 9 Comments

I’m going to make a bold statement. 2020 is the year of the weaver!

Yes, this year has been very difficult, very strange, and frequently lacking in positivity. But as I’m the kind of person who likes to look for the good things in the face of adversity, I think in many ways it has been a really wonderful year, full of opportunity and promise!

*This post contains affiliate links. For further information, please see my disclosure policy.

I don’t have any exact figures, but I know that weaving, and rigid heddle weaving in particular has seen a massive popularity surge this year.

It totally makes sense. Most of us have been through some sort of lockdown (some of us multiple lockdowns!) and have found ourselves shut in our homes with a lot of extra time on our hands.

I’m so happy to see that so many people have used this unprecedented time to start something new or to dive in to something they always wanted to do.

Perhaps we can use this as life inspiration for going forward. So many of us are waiting for just the right time to do what we truly love. The fact is, for some, that right time may never come. If we have learned anything this year, I think maybe it should be – DON’T WAIT! START NOW!

So, if you are one of the many who have started weaving this year or are waiting on your new loom to arrive, welcome! It’s so good to have you on the journey.

I thought that it might be useful today, to look at the bare basics you need to get started in rigid heddle weaving. I’ll break down and explain each item you will need to get up and running.

A rigid heddle loom

That’s a can of worms right there! There are a lot of choices and in the interests of not keeping you here for the next 3 days, I’m going to keep this section brief and refer you to further learning resources if you need them.

I do want to say, you do not need the biggest, most expensive loom if you’re just starting out. If you’ve never used a rigid heddle loom and are not sure what to expect, start out small. A Sampleit (I have one of these!) or Cricket is a perfect size for practicing weaving, and you might be surprised at the range of items you can weave, even on a small loom.

If you have already tried out a loom and have goals for the types of items you want to weave, you may want to go with something larger. As a general guide, a 24″ loom is great for scarves, towels, table runners and bags. A 32″ and larger is great for large shawls, baby blankets and yardage fabric.

For a larger loom you will also want to consider purchasing a stand for ease of use.

If you want to know more about various looms available, how to choose a loom that will suit you and what you can achieve with a rigid heddle loom, go here.

2. A heddle/reed

You will receive a heddle/reed with your rigid heddle loom. It will either be a 7.5 or 8 dent, depending on the brand. This is a great size to start out with and you don’t need to purchase any other sizes initially unless you are really keen to work with some lighter (fingering weight, 8/2 weight) yarns.

If you do want to grab an extra heddle, I recommend a 10 dent – it’s a great all rounder.

3. A stick shuttle

You should also receive a stick shuttle appropriate to the size of your loom when you purchase. This is what you wind your weft yarn on to in order to weave.

If you want to weave with more than one weft colour (say if you’re weaving stripes) you will want more than one stick shuttle. They are quite affordable, and some weavers even make their own.

If you need to know how to wind a stick shuttle, check out this video:

4. A threading/reed hook

You may or may not receive a threading and reed hook with your loom, but you will definitely need them! They can be purchased as a separate threading hook or reed hook, but I love to use my double ended heddle hook.

These are two tools in one, they are cheap, I like that they lie flat and don’t roll off surfaces and I find the flexibility of the plastic great when threading. I have also found that metal hooks tend to split my yarn when I’m using a thicker yarn, whereas the plastic is a little kinder.

If you need tips on how to thread your rigid heddle loom, check out this video:

5. Separators

You will need something to separate your warp with when rolling it on to the loom. This is crucial for good tension. You have a few options for separators.

Cardboard stick separators
Corrugated cardboard
Roll of thick paper (this is my favourite)
Drawer liner

6. Warping peg

Most weavers start out warping their looms directly, using a warping peg. This is a really fast and easy way to warp and also means you don’t have the added expense of a warping board, frame or mill. A warping peg and clamp may come with your loom, as well as an extra clamp for fixing your loom to a table.

7. Inch ruler

This is used to determine the correct sett of your yarn. This is particularly important when you’re starting out and getting to know how different yarns behave in different projects.

You could also use a wraps per inch tool or yarn gauge or a sett checker.

If you need to know how to determine sett for your yarn, have a look at this video:

8. Scissors

A nice, sharp pair of scissors will save you a lot of headaches. I have a large pair of dressmaking shears for cutting off the warp and cutting my handwoven fabric and a smaller, embroidery sized pair I keep close to the loom for snipping weft threads. Some weavers like to use thread snips as their smaller pair.

9. Tape measure

You will need a tape measure to measure out your warp length and to measure your weaving as you advance your warp. I am frequently seen with a tape measure hanging around my neck, I use them so often!

They are very affordable, so I like to have a few that I can leave in different places and always have one near at hand.

10. Yarn

We’re not going to be able to achieve much with our looms and equipment unless we have the yarn to play with! Many of you will have come to weaving from knitting and crochet and will already have a healthy stash to delve into. Knitting yarns are great for beginning weaving.

For those of you with no stash, don’t worry, just start out simple. Don’t go out and buy all the yarns – plan your project and just get the yarn you need to begin with. Or weave a sampler with small amounts of yarn.

But wait, you say! I have no idea where to start with yarn. You’re not alone in that, but relax, I have created resources to help you with that:

Choosing and using yarns in weaving

3 Yarns beginners should avoid

Which weight of yarn should I choose?

If some of the terminology I’ve used in this article is confusing to you, why not head over and check out my Weaving Glossary? I suggest you bookmark it so that you can refer back to it as much as needed.

Once you have all the tools you need to begin, then it gets really exciting! If you are ready to dive in and get weaving, I recommend you check out my Online Weaving School. You will find classes for all levels, including free and paid classes.

If you are an absolute beginner, you definitely need to enrol in my best selling From Woe to Go! Beginner Rigid Heddle Weaving course.

If it’s a free project you’re looking to start out with (or for a second or third project perhaps), have a look at my list of free tutorials here. In particular, I want to recommend a project that has been massively popular this year, the Wash Your Hand Towels.

I hope this article has been useful to you, if you have any questions or comments, leave them down below!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Troubleshooting loose slot threads

by Kelly 33 Comments

Loose slot threads when weaving on a rigid heddle loom are very common. The fact is that a rigid heddle loom just does not hold the same amount of tension as a floor or table loom.

This means that the rigid heddle weaver can run into a bit of bother when warping up with fine, rigid weaving yarns. An 8/2 cotton is a floor loom weaver’s dream but can be quite a challenge on the rigid heddle.

*This post contains affiliate links. For further information, please view my disclosure policy.

Knitting yarns or slightly thicker weaving yarns with some elasticity work beautifully on a rigid heddle loom, as they don’t need a lot of tension and are very forgiving.

How do I know if my tension is good enough?

This can be a personal preference, but there are certainly a few guidelines for knowing whether your tension is suitable or not:

Too loose

Your warp threads bunch in between weft picks (rows)

You have floats or skipped warp threads often

Your stick shuttle keeps snagging on warp threads as you enter the sheds

Your heddle doesn’t click easily into the up or down shed

Too tight

You struggle to get your heddle/s into the up position

You have warp threads breaking

You feel a lot of resistance when trying to beat

Does this mean that rigid heddle weavers should not weave with weaving yarns? Not at all! There are too many wonderful weaving yarns in a massive variety of colours out there to try! With the right approach and strategies, all yarns can be used successfully.

1. Getting the warp right

The warping the loom stage is the most crucial time to get that tension as good as you can. Not as tight as you can, necessarily, but even, consistent and firm. When I have a good warping experience, I just know that the project is going to go smoothly.

There are a few key strategies for getting good tension during the warping process. I talk about it in this webinar but I also want to mention some of them here:

Have someone help you. Your helper can hold on to the end of the warp, providing great tension, while you focus on standing behind the loom and winding on.
Pack the back beam as you roll on. You can use cardboard or wooden sticks/ separators, a roll of thick paper, a blind or a drawer liner. My personal favourite here is the roll of paper which you can cut to size if needed. 125 gsm is a good weight.

For a wider warp, use more than one warping peg. This helps distribute the threads over the width of the loom in a more practical way and is more economical, as threads don’t have to travel as far to loop around just one peg.
Take your time. Extra time spent in warping is well worth the investment. Remember – good warp = happy weaving experience 😄
Pay particular attention to the middle of the warp while rolling on, particularly if warping independently. The middle is the most likely place to lose tension and get saggy threads.

2. Consider a shorter warp

A rigid heddle loom can take quite a lot of length in a warp, but I haven’t found a long warp to be best practice. If I have the opportunity, I will break a warp into smaller increments where possible.

This doesn’t bother me, because the rigid heddle is so quick to warp for more simple projects, so it doesn’t take much extra time. I find that the longer my warp on the rigid heddle, the harder it is to keep a good tension for the duration of the warp.

3. The tie on

The tying on step is also important for your overall tension. Whether you tie directly on to the apron rod (as I do 99% of the time) or lash on, this step is another opportunity to “get it right” before beginning weaving.

Once again, I don’t aim for really tight tension when tying on, but I do aim for the best consistency I can manage. This means going over the tied on threads once, twice, thrice if needed so that they all feel about the same.

I gauge this tension by bouncing my hand across the warp (like a trampoline!) Any bunch of threads that feel much looser than others will get a re-tighten.

4. Know your yarns

There are certain threads that are harder to tension due to their inelastic structure. I already mentioned 8/2 cotton, but many plant based or cellulose fibres (cotton, linen, hemp, etc) are quite rigid and easier to weave with a higher level of tension. Animal fibres or protein fibres (wool, alpaca, etc) generally have a little more stretch.

The amount of twist, number of ply and thickness or weight can also effect how rigid a yarn is. It helps to know your yarns – to sample yarns you’r unsure of and accustom yourself to all their particulars.

If you need a little more guidance with yarns, I have some resources that will help:

Choosing and using yarns in weaving

What is a superwash wool yarn?

3 yarns beginner weavers should never use!

5. Stuff it!

Packing, stuffing and wedging your back and front beams will always help with tension. If, despite your best efforts, your warp is just not tensioned well enough then start packing! You can use stiff paper, cardboard, sticks (either separators or pick up sticks) or whatever else you can come up with that works, to wedge under or between your warp at the beams.

When advancing your warp, start packing the front beam. This will prevent the knots from the apron rod from sticking into your weaving as it rolls around them beam (which can damage or distort your weaving and mess with your tension) and provide overall better tension each time you advance.

You can insert a pick up stick or something similar into a shed that is giving you particular trouble (usually the down shed) and slide it to the back beam. Push it right back so that it becomes wedged between the thread layers and tightens that shed for you.

You can also wedge something directly under the warp at the back beam to increase overall tension. To see this in action, watch this video, which also includes additional tips for working with fine threads:

6. One sided looseness

Perhaps your loose tension problem is at the selvedge? To be more specific, one selvedge is fine while the other is loose? You end up with neat edges on one side and not so great edges on the opposite side.

If you want generally to improve the neatness of your edges, check out this post for more resources.

One thing you can try in this instance is to begin and finish threading in a hole. When we thread for plain weave, we usually thread one thread in a hole, one in a slot, and so on. Most of the time we are threading an even number of threads.

But for this technique, we thread an uneven number of ends on purpose, so that the last thread gets threaded through a hole. The reasoning behind this technique is twofold. Firstly, the threads are threaded in holes, which hold better tension than the slots. Secondly, the outermost threads will be under the same or similar tension (both being in holes) so the results of your woven edges should be more similar looking.

If that sounds confusing, check out this video where I show you how to thread both selvedge threads in holes and you will see how simple it is:

7. Warping in down shed

As a disclaimer, I have not tried this technique, I have only heard about it. The idea is that it’s the down (slot) sheds that have looser tension, so warping your loom with the heddle in the down shed potentially tightens the slot thread tension. If you decide to give this a go, I would be interested to know how it turns out for you!

I hope this article was useful to you. As always, questions and comments are welcome, please leave them down below! ⤵

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

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Baubles and Candles on a rigid heddle loom

by Kelly 11 Comments

With Christmas fast approaching, I wanted to gift you all with something fun and achievable, as well as having a festive theme.

I came up with some simple baubles and candles that I’m confident is suitable for any level of rigid heddle weaver.

This project is very decorative and better suited to low wash items.

*This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my disclosure policy.

For the project, I just wove a sampler to illustrate the patterns, but you can use the designs however you please.

What you will need:

A rigid heddle loom (any size is fine if you just want to weave the sample.

A 7.5 dent heddle

A threading/reed hook

A stick shuttle wider than the width of your weaving

A pick up stick wider than the width of your weaving

A tapestry needle

Yarn options:

For my warp I used a light worsted/dk weight wool in white. I used this same yarn for my plain weave. The same yarn, but in different colours was used for the pattern weft. Please see the video for colours used.

For embellishments, I used small amounts of DMC embroidery floss.

Sampler Specifications:

If you wanted to weave a sampler just like mine, here are the basic measurements.

Number of ends: 64 (32 slots)

Approximate width on loom: 8″

Sett: 7.5

Total warp length: 35″

The baubles and candles use the same overshot weaving technique as my reindeer, snowmen, gift boxes and winter trees.

There is a pattern weft that forms the picture or design, and in between every pattern pick is a plain weave pick (either an up or a down shed).

Weaving Instructions:

The Baubles –

I left a border either side of my designs in order to centre them and make sure that none were inadvertently cut in half! I left 6 threads on each side. This is optional, and you an adjust the border threads to suit.

I’m not including the border threads in the weaving steps, but if you watch the video you won’t have any trouble following along with these instructions.

Remember that you need to weave a plain weave row in between every pattern weft.

Step 1. 6 up, 2 down, *7 up, 2 down, repeat from * (7 up, 2 down for the rest of the way across)

Step 2. *5 up, 4 down, repeat from *

Step 3. 4 up, 6 down, *3 up, 6 down, repeat from *

Step 4. Repeat row 3, with a contrast colour

Step 5. Repeat row 3, with the original colour

Step 6. *5 up, 4 down, repeat from *

Step 7. Repeat row 1

The Candles:

For the candles, I left a border either side of 5 threads instead of 6, to work in better with the required calculations for the design.

Step 1. *4 down, 4 up, repeat from *

Step 2. Repeat row 1, alternating plain weave rows with pattern rows.

All of these details are available in a handy PDF for you to print out. You can download and print that right here:

Baubles-and-Candles Download

And you will want to watch the video and follow along with the instructions. You will find the free and detailed video here:

I hope you enjoy this project! Thank you all for your AMAZING support this year!

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas! 🎄

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Weaving Glossary: Essential Terms Every Weaver Should Know

by Kelly 11 Comments

Starting something new can feel overwhelming—especially when it seems like everyone is speaking a different language! Weaving is no exception, with all its unique terms and jargon.

The good news? It won’t take long before these words become second nature. But in the meantime, having a quick reference guide is a lifesaver for those moments when you think, Wait… what does that mean again? That’s exactly why this weaving glossary is here—to help you feel more confident at the loom, one term at a time!

This simple guide is arranged in alphabetical order.

Beat – The action of pressing the weft threads into place. For a rigid heddle loom, this action is performed with the heddle/reed.

Closed shed – No shafts are engaged. In rigid heddle weaving, the heddle would be in neutral. There is no space to weave through. See also “shed”.

Direct warp– Common with rigid heddle looms, a warping peg is used to make your warp by drawing threads through the heddle/reed and looping them around the peg.

Draw in– The amount that your weaving decreases on the loom. It is expected that you will have at least some draw in and we calculate for that in the project planning stage.

Ends per inch (epi)– The number of warp threads you have in an inch.

Heddle– In rigid heddle weaving, the terms “heddle” and “reed” are often used interchangeably. For a rigid heddle loom (RHL) the heddle performs multiple functions. The threading of it allows the manipulation of sheds by placing it in the up or down position. It also spaces the warp threads and is used to beat the weaving.

In floor loom weaving a heddle is a single, detached texsolv cord or metal loop that is positioned on a shaft. It has a hole in the middle, through which the yarn is threaded.

Indirect warp – The warp is made on a warping board or mill and then taken to the loom.

Floating selvedges– An extra warp thread on either side of your weaving that is threaded in a slot and weighted over the back of the loom. Floating selvedges are not necessary for plain weave but are invaluable for other weaving structures where your weft thread may not always wrap around the outer most warp threads.

Open shed – Shafts or heddles are engaged. In rigid heddle weaving, an example would be that the heddle is in the up or down position – there is an opening to weave through. See also “shed”.

Pick– A weft row

Pick up stick – A smooth, flat stick used to pick up weft or warp threads to create patterning by creating additional sheds or lifting additional threads.

Plain weave– A weave structure with a balanced one over, one under interlacement of warp and weft threads.

Reed hook- Used to thread or “sley” the reed. In rigid heddle weaving, it is used to thread the slots during direct warping.

Selvedge– The edges of the woven fabric, or during weaving, the edge threads

Sett- The number of warp threads in an inch. An easy way to think of it is how close together or far apart the warp threads are.

Shed– the space or gap created for the weft shuttle to enter into. In RH weaving, this happens when the heddle is either raised or lowered ie. shed one and shed two.

Shot- Another name for pick or weft row.

Sley- Threading the warp threads through the heddle/reed. In multi shaft weaving, sleying refers to threading the reed. See also “open shed” and “closed shed”.

Tabby- another name for plain weave, but particularly used when the plain weave is used to create structure in the fabric in between pattern rows. A classic example is the weave structure overshot.

Threading hook– Used to thread the holes in the rigid heddle.

Thrums- loom waste, or amount of thread left over from the loom when the project is finished.

Warp faced– the warp threads are dominant in the weaving. This is not a balanced weave. A good example is inkle weaving, where most of what you see in the end weaving is the colour of the warp.

Weft faced– the weft threads are dominant in the weaving. Not a balanced weave. A good example is krokbragd.

Wet finish- The wash process at the end of the weaving that completes the project by allowing yarn to absorb water in order to bloom and settle into place.

This weaving glossary is taken from my super helpful e-booklet, The Weaver’s Toolkit.

I wrote this 22 page toolkit to provide weavers of all levels with a handy reference guide. It is beautifully designed and can be viewed on your screen or printed out.

Included in the guide are:

*Warp and weft calculations sheets

*Project record sheet

*Yarn conversion sheets

*Sett explanations

*Recommended tools

*Measurement conversion sheets

*Size guides for woven pieces

You can find the Weaver’s Toolkit in my design store for a very affordable price.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Diamond Stripe Towel Weave Along

by Kelly 88 Comments

The Diamond Stripe Towel Weave Along is a very popular project that usually runs in January.

My Diamond Stripe Towel pattern has been such a popular seller that many buyers requested a video series as well. I love running weave alongs as they are so much fun and foster a huge amount of enthusiasm.

January is usually the perfect time, after the hustle and bustle of Christmas and New Year’s have died down and weaving folks are looking to settle in with a new project.

This year enrolments will open on January 15th (Australian calendar).

This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for further information.

Let’s go through some questions I know may be springing to mind for you.

So, how will the weave along work?

All participants will need to purchase the pattern to join in. The pattern is available here as a digital download and can be purchased anytime in the lead up to the weave along.

For those who are members of my Online Weaving School, participation in the weave along is free (but the pattern needs to be purchased separately.)

For non members, there will be a small purchase fee of $5USD to join in to the weave along, in addition to the purchase of the pattern.

Can you tell me about the pattern?

The pattern is for weaving two kitchen (tea) towels on one warp. We use two heddles to weave the pattern, and both towels are the same apart from the weft colour. The design is reversible and looks wonderful on both sides.

I find that using bright and strongly contrasting colours works really well and shows up the diamonds beautifully – but of course, as the weaver you can choose whatever colours you wish.

What level of weaver will this project be suitable for?

If you have never woven with two heddles before, I highly recommend that you first go through my Weaving with Two Heddles class. This will give you the knowledge, practice and confidence to leap right into the weave along.

Some weavers will be able to follow the weave along just fine with the videos and the pattern – others may find the introduction of two heddles in a project a bit overwhelming. In the Two Heddles class you weave a sampler and explore all the different things you can achieve with two heddles before you ever commit to a project.

What kind of loom will I need to participate?

You will need a rigid heddle loom with a 20″ weaving width. Yes, you can make skinnier towels on a smaller loom if that is what you’re working with, but obviously they will be a little different to mine.

What other tools will be needed?

As I mentioned, we will be weaving on two heddles. Yes, you can weave these towels on one heddle with heddle rods, but I will not be providing instructions on how to do that.

I have used 2 x 12.5 dent heddles. Yes, you can use 2 x 10 dent if that is what you have, your sett would just be a little looser than mine.

You will need a stick shuttle, threading and reed hook, scissors, etc.

I use a serger and a sewing machine to hem my towels and will be showing how to do this in the weave along. My preference for kitchen towels is to not have a fringe. I understand however, that not everyone has a sewing machine and knows how to use it, so hemstitch with a short fringe is perfectly acceptable.

I only have a 16″ rigid heddle loom. Can I still participate?

Yes! I have provided some helpful instructions to assist those with a smaller loom.

I already have 2 x 10 dent heddles. Do I need to purchase the 12.5 dents to participate?

No. I’m a big fan of using what you have on hand and not making unnecessary purchases. I will be providing some helpful details for adjusting the numbers to suit 10 dent heddles.

What yarns will I need?

The full yarn details and amounts are provided when you purchase the pattern, but you will want to use plant based fibre for kitchen towels. Here are a couple of my favourites for kitchen towels:

Maurice Brass ard 8/2 cotton

Maurice Brassard 8/2 cottolin

Can I weave these towels with 8/4 cotton?

Yes, you can! In fact, in last year’s weave along, I updated the content to include a supplementary section for those who wish to use 8/4 instead of 8/2 cotton.

I highly recommend that you use 12 or 12.5 or even 15 dent heddles, if you have them. I feel that 10 dent heddles would be a bit looser than I would like for this size of cotton.

You can also double 8/2 cotton in the weft if you like. More information on this is available in the class. Here are the yarns I used:

Maurice Brassard 8/4 cotton

Ada 8/2 cotton

Will there be a deadline for completing the weave along?

Enrolments will be open to non members for several days before closing and commencing the class. Members will be able to access the class permanently, as long as their membership is active.

Once you are enrolled, there is no time limit on completion of the class. It is always fun to weave along with all the other enrolees so you can share progress photos and troubleshoot, but the choice is yours.

So, what if I’m away when the weave along starts, can I still participate?

Yes, you can still participate, but if you are a non member you will need to enrol in the class within that opening window. Members can enrol anytime.

Where will the weave along take place?

At my Online Weaving School. Weaving School members will undergo automatic enrolment and non members will be able to purchase the weave along as a separate class.

If you already have an account with my weaving school, it will be quick and easy for you to join in the weave along. If you don’t have an account, I recommend that you make one (this is free) so that you are ready and familiar with the site when the weave along begins. I also have a short, free class on using the site if you need that extra input.

There is also a weave along community group on Facebook, and the link to join that group is contained within the weave along course.

How will I know when the weave along is released?

You will need to be on my mailing list, where I’ll be giving updates and reminders in during the time leading up to the weave along. If you are already on my mailing list, all you have to do is open my emails when they arrive in your inbox.

If you need to purchase materials for this weave along, I recommend the following suppliers:

The Woolery (US)

Revolution Fibers (US)

Thread Collective (Australia)

I participated in the last weave along, can I join in this one as well?

Absolutely, I would love to have you back! If you have an active membership at the time the Weave Along is running, you can jump in and participate. If you purchased the class as a single purchase when the weave along was last open, you can also just jump back in.

I hope this post has you super excited about joining in to the weave along!

This year there will also be some fun giveaways in the Facebook group 😉

Please do leave any additional questions you may have in the comments sections so that I can address them for you.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

How to weave Leno on a rigid heddle loom

by Kelly 14 Comments

Leno is a finger controlled weave that gives a lovely airy and lacey look to your weaving.

You can set up Leno on a plain weave threading, as all of the pick up is done at the front of the heddle with a pick up stick and your fingers.

I love that this is a fancy looking but easy to implement technique. Yes, it’s a little slow, but there ain’t nothin’ wrong with that! It can be worked either on an open or closed shed. Today’s tutorial shows you how to work Leno on an open shed.

*This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please read my disclosure policy.

Grab my FREE Finger Controlled Weaving Ebooklet to help get you started ⬇

Leno can be used for any project you want an open weave for, but some suggestions are:

Curtains

As a border on a table runner, coupled with plain weave

A bag (my Farmer’s Market Bag pattern is available in my Etsy shop).

For my Leno sample I’m using my Sampleit loom with a 7.5 dent heddle, a worsted weight wool, a stick shuttle and a pick up stick. I didn’t use the full width of my loom, I just wanted a smaller sample.

Leno and plain weave are great friends and I like to combine them for aesthetics. If you don’t plan on using plain weave bands within your Leno, at least start with a few picks of plain weave to begin with as a base.

*Handy Tips:

You will want to advance your warp forward a little more than usual. This is because we are going to be building up warp twist and then making a shed with the pick up stick to pass the shuttle through. If your last row of weaving is too close to the heddle/reed, it will be difficult to find the space to pass the shuttle through.

2. You will want your shuttle to enter from your dominant side. I’m right handed, so I have woven my last pick of plain weave so that the shuttle is on the right of the warp.

3. Your outer most warp thread on the side you’re starting from (in my case, the right) should be in an up position. That doesn’t necessarily mean that your heddle will be in your up position – you will need to try the up and down heddle positions to see which is suitable for that outside warp thread to be up. I placed my heddle in the down position to ensure my outside thread (a slot thread) was up.

Begin by holding the top warp threads aside so that you can see the down shed threads underneath. Take your pick up stick underneath the first thread in the down shed so that sits on top of the stick.

Now release the next warp thread along, which is a top or “up” thread. It will naturally go underneath the pick up stick, which is just what you want.

You now have 2 threads picked up and you may notice that they twist around each other. Dive the pick up stick back down into the warp, holding those top threads out of the way still. Take the point of the stick underneath the next down shed thread so that it sits on top of the stick.

Release the next top thread along, and as before, it naturally springs underneath the stick. At this point you have 2 warp threads on top of the stick and 2 underneath. Dive the stick back down into the warp and repeat the steps, right to the other side.

As you continue your pick up across the warp you should notice that the warp threads are twisted in pairs both below and above the stick. This is how you know that you’re picking up correctly.

When you’ve completed your row of pick up, slide your pick up stick back towards the heddle and leave in place.

Turn the pick up stick on edge and pass your stick shuttle through the shed.

Be sure to fix up and pay attention to your edges, just like you would for straight plain weave. If you need to know more about techniques for weaving neat edges, please watch this video:

Remove the pick up stick and beat. You will feel resistance as a result of the twists being in place, so be gentle and try to beat straight. Remember, this is an airy fabric, we’re not going for densely woven fabric here!

Change to the next shed. I was in the down shed, so now I change to the up shed. Enter the shuttle from the left and pass through the shed, fixing up your edge to weave neatly as before. You will note that the second row of twists that was above your pick up stick when working your pick up has now transferred underneath your new pick.

Beat the new pick, remembering to be gentle and not too firm with your beat. You now have two rows of Leno.

Now you can choose whether you go back and repeat more rows of Leno, or you can do what I’ve done in this photo – alternated bands of plain weave with bands of Leno. Both are very effective, it just depends on the look you’re going for.

If you would like to see a video version of this tutorial, you will find that here:

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial, and if so, please leave me comment to let me know. Also feel free to ask any questions you may have down below, I’m happy to help.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving

Italian Hemstitch Step by Step Tutorial

by Kelly 4 Comments

You all know that I love hemstitching, right?

I have quite a lot of resources available on the topic, including articles and videos, some of which you can find in this post.

In addition to the basic hemstitch we all know and love, there are variations for an even more visually decorative, but still functional hemstitch. Italian hemstitch is a beautiful example.

*This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my disclosure policy.

The hemstitch doesn’t have to just be a way to secure your warp threads so that the weft doesn’t unravel when you remove your weaving from the loom. It can also be used within the weaving as a feature.

In the member’s only “How to Hemstitch” series, I have a separate class just to highlight and demonstrate how you can use hemstitch as a feature in your woven piece.

That brings me to today’s topic – the Italian Hemstitch. This is a gorgeous, decorative and functional stitch. It secures your warp ends just like an ordinary hemstitch does, but it stands out as a real feature. Embroidery lovers, this one is right up your alley!

Italian hemstitch looks great either as a single row at each end of your weaving or as rows within the weaving. It can be stitched in a variety of sizes, depending on how large you want it to look. It looks wonderful both from the front and from the back.

I love the way Italian hemstitch looks on a plain weave background, using a contrasting yarn so that it stands out and takes centre stage. You could choose to use a weight of yarn that matches the weight of your warp and weft, or something thicker, or something thinner. Experiment and see what your own preferences are!

For this tutorial I’ve used a light worsted wool for warp, weft and hemstitch, just in different colours. I’m going to be working a 2 x 2 Italian hemstitch.

Start by threading up a tapestry needle with the yarn you want to stitch with. Make the length around 5 times the width of your warp (I like to have a little more rather than run the risk of running out part way through).

I have to take a moment to extoll the virtues of this Clover Jumbo Bent Tip Needle. I used a regular tapestry needle for a long time before I purchased a pair of these needles, and wow, what a world of difference it’s made to my hemstitching! The large size, the coating that slips through your weaving just beautifully, and the bent tip all come together to make it a perfect tool to hemstitch with.

Secure the hemstitch yarn in your weaving, bringing the needle through to the front from the back. You can see one way that I work lock stitch in this free video. I work this about 2 – 3 warp threads in from the edge on the right hand side.

Count 2 warp threads in from the edge (above your last woven pick) and take the needle down through the gap to the back of your weaving.

When you pull the yarn through, there will be a loop around those first two warp threads, right at the top of the fell (where you last wove your weft).

Count across 2 warp threads again, but this time count down 2 weft threads. Bring the needle up from the back through that space.

Here is how this step looks once the needle and thread have been pulled through.

Take the needle and yarn back to the right edge. Now bring the needle up from behind, through the exact same hole that your last stitch came out of. This will make a new loop as you pull the needle through once more.

Pull on this loop to tighten it up a little. That gives us 2 horizontal lines – 2 sides of our box shape. Now we need to make the 3rd line as a vertical to close the box shape.

To get the vertical stroke of thread, we take the needle straight up to the left of those first 2 warp threads and pull through.

Now you can see your first block/box shape. Each box at the very edges of your weaving will be open ended on one side, the rest will be closed.

To continue working the boxes, count off the next 2 warp threads, bring the needle up and pull the needle and yarn through.

Take the needle back to the start of the second set of 2 warp threads and underneath.

Bring the tip of the needle (this is where that bent tip makes your life a whole lot easier!) up 2 weft threads down, in line with the 2 warp threads you have counted off.

Pull yarn through and tighten the loop. Take the needle back to the start of the pair of warp threads and down into the previous stitch’s hole.

Now bring the needle back up (thank you again bent tip needle!) through the hole that the working thread is in and pull through.

Finish off the box shape with a vertical thread again, by taking the needle down to the left of the warp threads just worked. Continue on across the warp and before long you will have something that looks like this:

It may seem a little complicated at first, but it’s really only a couple of steps more to complete than the regular hemstitch, and once you’ve “got it” your needle will fly!

If you would like a detailed, step by step video on how to work the Italian hemstitch, you may want to consider signing up for a membership at my Online Weaving School to access this and other great tutorials and classes.

The Italian Hemstitch class is available to all members of the Online Weaving School. It is a bite sized, technique focused class to further your learning in the wonderful world of weaving!

Thanks for stopping in for a visit today, if you have any questions or comments, please leave them below, I always love to hear from you!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

How to Change Weft Colours in Weaving (Without Messy Selvedges)

by Kelly 20 Comments

Frequent weft colour changes are common when weaving stripes, colour blocks, or weft faced weave structures like krokbragd. While these colour changes can create beautiful effects, they can also introduce problems such as messy selvedges or uncertainty leading to less than pleasing results.

In this article, I’ll explain the most common issues that arise when changing weft colours often, and show you three simple, reliable methods you can use to manage frequent weft colour changes with neat, secure results.

If you’ve ever wondered how to change weft colours without creating bulk, holes, or untidy edges, these techniques will help you weave colour changes with confidence.

Some of the most common questions and confusions around weft colour changes include:

“Should I cut the old colour when introducing a new one? If so, what do I do with the cut tails?”

“Should I not cut the colours, but weave them continuously, swapping shuttles as I go and carrying the colours up the edges?”

You may be wondering about which method is the best?

Well, that all depends on how wide the stripes or each band of colour are going to be. I’ll explain further.

Avoiding Floats That Are Too Long

If you are weaving wide bands of colour, it will likely not be practical to carry the yarns up the selvedges as you weave. This will create long floats.

Now, floats at the edges can look great as a design feature, but the length does need to be practical.

Floats that are too long will get caught or snagged once the woven piece is in use – they will get stretched and end up looking, well, a bit ragged!

Weft floats a design feature in the Candy Store Scarf.

There is no hard and fast rule with what length of float is too long or how wide a stripe should be before deciding on which method is best. But, one example that I use would be, if I’m weaving with light worsted weight yarn and intended to carry the yarn up the side, I wouldn’t make my stripes more than 4 picks wide.

Another example might be that I’m weaving 3 picks of a colour before changing, weaving another 3 picks in a different colour and then going back to the original colour. For this situation, I would choose to keep the yarn colours continuous and carry them up the sides.

Basic Method For Thicker Stripes

Introduce the new colour and leave a tail of a couple of inches on the cut end. Weave that pick and change to the next shed.

Take the cut tail around the edge warp thread and into the new shed, around 3 warp threads deep. Pull down to the back of the warp, making sure that it is nicely arranged at the edge warp thread.

Weave the new pick, and continue to weave until your stripe or band of colour is as thick as you want it to be. Finish the pick on the opposite side to the one you introduced it on.

Cut the yarn, again leaving a tail of a couple of inches. Change to the next shed.

Tuck the tail into the new shed as before.

Bring the new colour in, ensuring the tail is on the opposite side to where you finished the last colour. Continue with the initial steps for each colour change.

Pretty straightforward?

The only thing you need to pay particular attention to here is to alternate the sides that the tails are on to prevent a build up on one side. Leave the excess parts of the tails hanging from the back as you weave (they don’t get in the way) and when your piece is wet finished and dried, cut them close to the fabric, being careful not to cut the fabric itself.

Now let’s go over the two methods you can use when your stripes are thinner or colour changes are more frequent:

In my demonstration I’m using 3 different colours and weaving 2 picks of each colour.

1. Catch the Wefts At The Edges

The first technique is to make the colours go around each other at the edges. This ensures that every colour is carried up the edges while it’s not actively in use.

This method does have its drawbacks. I was using 3 weft colours for my stripes and found that, for the picks where all 3 colours were on one side, carrying up the side created bulkiness in the form of a noticeable bump where all the colours meet.

While this method would work well for 2 weft colours, for 3 it is not the method I would naturally choose. I can’t live with those bumps – to me they just stick out like a sore thumb!

2. Weave The Wefts Independently Of Each Other

So, for my 3 weft colours, this is my preferred method:

Weave the weft colours in the same way but don’t make them go around each other at the edges. Just weave them independently of each other and ignore the colour that you’re not using at the time, let it just sit where it finished off and wait.

When you’re ready to weave a new colour, you can just pick up the colour you want and continue weaving. Obviously, this works best for repetitive colour patterns so that your edge floats look harmonious and continuous.

I find this method gives a very neat and pleasing finish to the edges.

To the left you can see the first method I used of taking the colours around each other. On the right is how the second method looks – much neater, I think!

When you are using a thinner yarn (say an 8/2 or 10/2 cotton) it is much easier to hide what you’re doing at the edges and it won’t be very noticeable in your finished piece. But for thicker yarns, like the light worsted I’ve used here, these techniques are a “must know”.

Further Learning Resources

If you’re interested in exploring these techniques further, I have a mini class 3 Options for Frequent Colour changes available to members of my Online Weaving School.

As an additional resource, you may find this video helpful. It shows how I weave the wefts for log cabin:

Have you tried any of these techniques? Which one do you prefer and why? Let me know in the comments, I love to hear from you!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!