Weaving

Do you want to start selling your weaving?

There are numerous reasons why a weaver may decide it is the right time to begin selling their work. These are some of the most common reasons:

An ambition to make a living doing what you love

You have more woven items than you know what to do with (I think we can all relate to this one!)

You would like some spare money to buy more yarn or weaving supplies

Although there is a lot to learn when it comes to beginning to sell your work and it can feel intimidating, you can start out very small and learn as you go along. Don’t feel as though you need to know “all the things” before you start selling.

I’m going to talk about a few key points to think about when you start selling. It’s not an exhaustive list, but more of a guide to get you thinking in the right direction.

Key Points to begin selling:

The Why?

Have a serious think about your personal reasons for wanting to sell your hand wovens. This will help to determine the kind of approach you might want to take when starting up.

For example, if you are a hobby weaver and wish to make a little money on the side to fund your hobby, your approach will be quite different to a weaver who wants to work towards making a full time income from selling.

Deciding on what level of selling you want to get into will help to determine all of the next steps.

Space

Many weavers will begin by weaving items in their own homes and then selling them. Consider whether you have the right space and enough space to house your woven pieces ready to sell. Do you have a good work flow, or is your space a total mess? Do you need to rejig your space to make it more viable, or find a different space within your home that is more conducive to weaving for a business?

The weaver who is more serious about selling may have to consider other avenues for making a space just for weaving. When I was selling physical handmade items, I did have a space within our home, but it was a shared family space. This became increasingly difficult over time, as my tools and items made their way into other parts of the home, and other items of the home made their way into my space. It was a great way to start out, but not all that viable over time.

If you don’t have a dedicated space for your weaving, you may also find the constant set up and storing away of tools and materials difficult.

Time

Are you in a position to devote the time to selling? Being realistic about the time you need to put into selling is important. It’s not just the weaving of items to sell, but possible liasing with customers, wrapping and packing, set up and pack up for markets, business recording requirements.

Sustainability

Is a weaving business going to be a positive thing for you? Are you prepared for the bookkeeping, packing and shipping, photography, travel and all the possible necessities revolving around being a business owner? I don’t detail any of these points in order to put you off, but I think it’s fair to say that many people have no idea what goes into a business behind the scenes – this has certainly been an eye opener for me over the years!

As I pointed out earlier, all of these things can be learned, but some weavers, after consideration, may well decide that they would be more content keeping their weaving as a hobby.

Will it pay?

This is very relevant to sustainability, but also deserves it’s own section because it’s a major consideration when selling your work.

I have experienced first hand how difficult it can to have to let go of a business idea because it is not financially viable. Many years ago, when my children were small, I handcrafted Waldorf style dolls for sale. I started out making dolls for my children, but really loved the creative process and so began selling them also.

These dolls were a really big time investment, you can’t hurry the process of first making the doll, embroidering the face, sewing on (and sometimes knitting the wig first to sew on!) the hair, then completing further details like sewing a full outfit. I chose to use beautiful, natural materials like the best quality cotton tricot for the skin, mohair for the wigs, gorgeously carded wool for the stuffing and European fabrics for the clothes.

It was after a my first negative experience with a customer who felt the customer doll I made for her did not look enough like her daughter (!!!) that I started to ponder how much time I was spending making a doll and what I was actually getting paid for all that work.

I used a calculation formula and was absolutely dumbfounded with results. I was making negative $1AUD per hour! That is correct, it was actually costing me $1 per hour to run that business.

I was a little bit heartbroken, but I stopped offering my dolls for sale.

The point is, I never did my research in the first place to determine if it was a viable business venture, and so I learned the hard way.

Here is a basic formula to get you started:

Supplies cost + labour (your time) + 10% (other costs eg. fees, packaging, insurance)

Here is a practical example for how you might use this formula for a weaving business (these calculations make the assumption that you already have a loom and all the tools you need to actually weave the project, and also that the customer is paying for shipping, if applicable –

The item – A bamboo scarf

Materials cost –

Warp – 2 cones Bambu 7 @ $18AUD each = $36
Weft – 1.5 cones Bambu 7 @ $18AUD each = $27

Total materials cost = $63 AUD

Labour cost-

This is how much you wished to be paid per hour. This is a very personal decision, but for the sake of this exercise, I will put my desired hourly rate at $20AUD.

Now is the tricky part – how much time does it take to weave a scarf? In this example, I’m using a floor loom, which takes a good while to set up! I also have to allow for weaving time, things like hemstitching, wet finishing, packing time and even liasing with the customer if that applies. I’m going to estimate 5 hours for this, though that is probably too low. I never time a project, so it’s just an estimation.

5 hours of labour at $20 per hour = $100AUD.

So far we have total materials cost of $63 + labour of $100 = $163

Now we take that figure and add an extra 10% to allow for other, often hidden or forgotten costs.

So, $163 + $16.30 = $179.30

Here I’m going to insert my personal opinion again 😊 You can take it or leave it, I’m just sharing thoughts. Pricing is a delicate and sensitive issue, it’s essential that you do what works for YOU. I’ll make a couple of points to ponder over:

It’s very important to not “cheapen the weaving industry” by charging too little. People complain that non weavers don’t understand the time and skill that goes into a woven item. Well, the best way to change that perception is by charging appropriately for your work.

When you are starting out selling, it is likely your work will not be as good as someone who has been weaving professionally for some time. That is OK, there is absolutely nothing wrong with selling pieces that are “not perfect” but be realistic in your pricing. I’m not talking about being cheap. But you may expect to price your work lower than someone who is known as a professional weaver, has an excellent reputation and consistently delivers high quality. You can adjust your pricing over time, as your work improves and there is nothing wrong with that. Everyone has to start somewhere!

Your time is valuable. If you are weaving as a business, make sure your hourly rate (labour) is an amount that is sustainable for you and that you feel good about. Again, this can always be adjusted over time, but trust me, you are not going to feel motivated to weave beautiful things for customers if your hourly rate is below minimum wage or worse.

There are many more points to discuss when it comes to selling, some of which include:

Avenues for selling and finding the right avenue for you.

Legal and tax requirements.

Getting the word out.

If you would like to dive deeper into this subject, have a member’s only class – Selling Your Weaving class, which is a 40 minute discussion workshop to get you thinking about whether selling is right for you.

I also have a video that discusses many of the points listed here, plus more:

And if you are interested specifically in selling on Etsy, I have this Youtube video from the perspective of 10 years of selling there:

In addition to my Etsy shop I now have my own store Kelly Casanova Designs. I use Shopify to host this store and I think it’s a great option for weavers who want to sell and have an interested audience already.

You can get your first month for just $1 when you sign up to Shopify for a free trial.

If you are ready to start your own email list, I recommend using Convertkit. This is the company that I use for my mailing list and I think it’s awesome. Perhaps you want to see what my emails to my list actually look like? You can do that by signing up to my mailing list.

I hope this post was helpful to you! I would love to continue the discussion, so if you have any comments or questions, please leave them in the comments section down below.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

The Heart Scarf Free Project

by Kelly 12 Comments

The Heart Scarf is my free project for the year of 2021. Let me give you a little bit of background as to why I’m doing this and how I came about designing this project.

Last year, when the pandemic hit, I released the Wash Your Hands Towels project, which was a hugely popular project. I know that all of you appreciated so much, having something concrete, beautiful and creative to be able to fix your minds on in a time where there was such uncertainty.

I loved doing that project so much for you that I wanted to do something similar this year. And something that has really been on my heart and in my mind for most of this year in particular, is that I know there are so many people out there that as a result of everything that’s been happening in the world are chronically lonely.

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

So I wanted to create a project whereby you as the weaver would be weaving this beautiful scarf called The Heart Scarf. And you’d be weaving it with someone in particular in mind, someone who may be struggling with loneliness, perhaps they’re not able to get out and see their family and friends like they normally would.

Or you might know someone who’s struggling, feeling down, perhaps they live alone, or they have some other difficulties that cause them to feel that loneliness, really, that’s one of the most heartbreaking things for me to think of is that there are people out there who are just desperately lonely.

If we, as the makers of beautiful things, can do anything to make someone’s day a little bit brighter, then that’s definitely something that I want to be a part of. And I know that many of you would want to as well.

I’ve written a short poem from my heart. This poem is available to print out in either cursive or print, along with the free pattern. Once you’ve finished your scarf, you can package it up with the poem if you so choose, or perhaps with something that you want to write yourself and send it off to the recipient.

Perhaps you’re feeling really lonely yourself, perhaps it’s been an awful year for you, perhaps you’re having a hard time for other reasons. If that’s the case, I would love for you to weave this scarf for yourself and you can consider the words of the poem from me to you.

Let’s get down to the nitty gritty and go over the project details, starting with what you need to complete this project:

A rigid heddle loom.

Now, the width of my scarf on the loom is 11″ and I used my 24″ rigid heddle loom. BUT, if you have a smaller loom, you can absolutely weave this scarf. If you have a 10″ Sampleit or a Cricket, just warp the full width of the loom for a slightly narrower, but equally lovely scarf.

A 7.5 dent heddle/reed.

Again, this doesn’t have to be sett in stone. (Get it? Sett in stone?) If you don’t have a 7.5 dent heddle, you can use your 8 dent. If you want to change the heddle size completely, yes, you can – but you would also need to change to a more appropriate yarn size, so just bear that in mind.

Pick up stick

We use a single pick up stick to create the beautiful, textural scarf pattern. The pattern is simple to pick up with your stick and also simple to weave with a 4 step repeating weaving sequence.

Stick shuttle

You only need one stick shuttle for this project, as we use the same weft yarn and colour throughout the project. As long as it’s wider than the width of the piece on the loom (11″), you’re good to go.

Tapestry needle

This is an essential for hemstitching. My favourite tapestry needle of all time is the Clover Gold Bent Tip Needle. I’ve talked about these needles before, but I love them for several reasons:

They slide through hand woven fabric beautifully
The bent tip makes it really easy to dive down and come up through the fabric without having to perform hand contortions!
They are affordable
They are gold! Who wouldn’t love that?! (And if you’re prone to, ahem… losing things, the gleam of the gold is quite helpful!)

Fringe Twister

Whether you twist your fringe or not is optional, but it is a beautiful way to finish your scarf. I talk about some other options for fringes in the finishing video if you want to choose a different way. There are many brands of fringe twisters available, I have had a LeCLerc Fringe Twister for many years and have been very happy with it.

Reed and threading hook

Most rigid heddle looms will come with one or both of these, but I would like to recommend the Ashford Doubled Ended Hook for it’s durability, ease of use and affordability. I have a whole bunch of these little hooks around my studio and my old metal threading hook that used to split all my threads doesn’t get a look in anymore.

Yarn

To see all the yarn details, please download the pattern. For the warp, I used Lion Brand Mandala yarn in Gnome, dk weight. This yarn is an acrylic, but I have some other suggestions in the pattern if you prefer to look at other options. My weft yarn was a super wash wool in dark grey in a fingering weight.

Weaving level

I designed this project to be achievable for beginners but interesting enough for more experienced weavers. If you are an absolute beginner, I recommend that you take my Woe to GO! Beginner’s class before attempting a project like this.

How to get the pattern

The file underneath has a “download” button at the bottom. Click on that to download, then choose either to print the file or view it on your screen. The pattern PDF includes all the details you need for the project, including yarn amounts, materials, pick and weaving sequences plus the poem in either cursive or print – your choice!

The-Heart-Scarf-Free-Pattern-1 Download

You can view the first of 6 videos on Youtube –

The full video lessons and printable pattern are also available all in one spot at the Online Weaving School if you would prefer to watch there.

I hope you love this project and bring joy to someone’s life (or to your own!) by taking part.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

What you need to get started with tablet weaving

by Kelly 12 Comments

If you strip tablet weaving (also known as card weaving) right back to the basics, you actually need very little to get started.

You can get started in tablet weaving for for a tiny to moderate investment, depending on how you choose to set up.

One of the most basic ways to set up is to use backstrap style weaving, using your body, rather than a loom to tension your warp. For this style of weaving, all you really need is a couple of strong clamps and your cards/tablets. Making your own cards is also an option and very budget friendly.

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

If you are in a position to invest a little more, I’ll take you through the equipment I personally use for tablet weaving, and why.

To tension my warp, I use an Ashford inkle loom. If you’re unfamiliar with inkle looms, I’ve written many articles but you could start with this one. Schacht have a handy tablet weaving kit available that includes an inkle loom, belt shuttle and cards.

I love that I can use my inkle loom as a frame for organising and threading my warp as well as to weave on. The tensioning is excellent on an inkle loom and it’s purpose built for band weaving. I can get great tension while warping and threading my tablets and then fine tune with the tensioning peg when I’m ready to weave or advance my warp.

My inkle loom came with a belt shuttle, but if yours didn’t, you will need one.

For my tablets, I use Lacis cards. I haven’t actually tried making my own cards, and I think part of the reason is that I’m just so smitten with the ones I have! The Lacis cards have a smooth coating that allows for easy turning and they have just the right balance between being strong but slightly flexible.

They come in a pack of 25 and can be a bit pricey, but one pack is all you need to get started. At this stage of my tablet weaving journey, I am ready to add on another pack (for wider bands).

The final thing you need is some yarn! There are a variety of yarns you can use to weave bands, my favourite all purpose yarn is 8/2 cotton. I almost exclusively use Maurice Brassard 8/2 cotton because it’s reliable, affordable and comes in a fabulous range of colours. In Australia, I purchase my cotton from Thread Collective.

My Tablet Weaving on an Inkle Loom course is the perfect learning tool. With step by step instructions and over 4.3 hours of video content, multiple printable PDF’s and links to additional resources, you will be weaving beautiful bands in no time.

I also recommend the book Card Weaving by Candace Crockett if you’re just starting out.

I hope this post was helpful to you, if you have any comments or questions, I would love to hear from you in the comments section below.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Make your own roll on perfume

by Kelly 5 Comments

I’ve never been a great fan of commercially available perfume. It’s very challenging to find a scent I actually like enough to wear and I find a strong scent is overpowering and sickly.

I do love essential oils though, so when I made my first roll on perfume, I was hooked!

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

I think roll on is an awesome alternative to shop bought perfume for several reasons:

There are so many essential oils available so it’s not hard to find scents you enjoy.

2. It’s cost effective. Yes, good quality essential oil can be expensive, but you only use 20 drops per 10ml roller bottle.

3. A bottle lasts a long time and the scent lasts well on your skin.

4. The ingredients are all natural.

5. The scent is less “cloying” and more subtle than many commercial perfumes.

6. You can custom make your own scent combinations.

I know a lot of people talk about the health benefits of essential oils and I’ll be completely up front about the way I personally use them. I have never discerned any physical health benefits from my use of essential oils. I just like the scents, both on my skin and diffused into the air. Nice scents make me happy, and that is why I use them!

You don’t need to be daunted by the idea of making your own perfume, it’s really so simple you won’t believe it!

You will need a few key ingredients though, and you may not have these already.

For Australian readers, these products can all be purchased from an Australian based company:

Essential oils You can purchase these as either single oils (eg. lavender) or blended (will usually have a name eg. “harmony blend”.)

Fractionated Coconut oil (This oil is formulated to not solidify at room temperature. This is important, as we need a liquid carrier).

Glass roller bottles in amber OR deluxe

Or, for my international visitors, these products can be purchased on Amazon.

Essential oils. You can purchase these as either single oils (eg. lavender) or blended (will usually have a name eg. “harmony blend”.)

Fractionated Coconut oil

Glass roller bottles

Safety warning:

Not all essential oils are recommended for use on the skin. Many can be used safely when mixed with a carrier (as we do to make the perfume roller bottles) but you should always spot test before you start using them routinely, just to ensure there is no reaction. There are some oils that should not be used during pregnancy.

There is a really good article here that lists the potential dangers of oils if not used correctly, and this page lists oils that are either safe or not safe during pregnancy.

Let me show you how easy it is to make these!

The recipe for the bottle I’m making here is my absolutely favourite. It’s like candy floss without the sickliness! This is for one 10ml roller bottle:

A little less than 10ml of fractionated coconut oil
14 drops lavender essential oil
3 drops geranium essential oil
3 drops rose 3% essential oil

Firstly, gather all your ingredients together, including the essential oils (if using more than one) you will need. Remove the lid and the roller seal from the top of your bottle so that it’s open at the top.

Pour in the coconut oil until the bottle is around halfway full.

Now drip in your chosen essential oils. If you have a larger bottle of essential oil without a stopper, you may want to use a drip tool for better precision.

Continue to fill the bottle with your coconut oil, but don’t fill to the very top, as this leaves no room for shaking and could overflow when you put your roller top back on.

Place the roller top back on, pushing it down so that it seals. Replace the lid.

Give the bottle a light shake and you’re good to go!

I like to roll my scents onto my wrists and on my neck, below my ear lobes.

I also love to diffuse scents in my studio while I’m working or in my bedroom, it feels so luxurious. I use a diffuser similar to this one, which is great for someone as forgetful as me, as it shuts off automatically if the water dries out. I hope you enjoy making your own perfumes! If you make some of these, I would love to hear what you think of them, so be sure to come back and leave me a comment 😊

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Targeted wedging for better tension

by Kelly 17 Comments

In an ideal world we would have perfect tension every time we warp our looms, but that is just not realistic!

There are many challenges to achieving great warp tension, but the good news is that practice helps a lot and this is something you will improve on over time.

But, even for the seasoned weaver, there can be the occasional curve ball just to keep us humble 😆 For me, that was a recent double width project on my rigid heddle loom.

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

I warped independently, which is do-able but not 100% ideal when you’re using thicker threads and those threads are doubled. When I started weaving, I found that my tension was firmer in the middle than on either side.

This began interfering with the “cleanness” of my sheds, meaning that not all my warp threads were settling into position well when I changes sheds. And for double width weaving, that can be a huge headache!

I’ve covered wedging before, as you can see in this video:

But I also wanted to get a bit more specific about wedging problem areas in your warp. This is very quick and easy to do and can make a big difference to your tension.

I start out by identifying the areas that need help. For me, that was either side of the middle section, towards the edges. If I wedges all the way across the warp at this point, that would also increase the tension in the mid section, where it is not needed.

There are several materials you can use for wedging (like cardboard separators, cut to size) but I chose to use everyday A4 printing paper. I folded the paper to the approximate width of the loose warp section so that the paper had been folded about 4 times. This provided me with a bit of thickness, but not too much.

It may be easiest for you to pop around the back of your loom with the paper to get close to the warp.

Take the paper underneath the entire warp (both heddles are in neutral at this point) and start to wiggle and jam it into place.

Push the paper in towards the back of the loom. You will feel resistance from the threads and this is good, because you are tightening everything up. There is no set amount for how far back the wedge should be pushed, just until you can feel that the threads have increased in tension in that section.

As you weave and advance your warp, your wedges will move out of place and you will need to reposition them at each advance. This is actually a good thing, because it ensures that your looser threads are constantly being re-tensioned!

If you would like to see the way I place the wedges, please check out this video:

I hope this short tutorial was useful to you! Have you used targeted wedging before? Has it made all the difference to your project? Let me know in the comments, I would love to hear from you!

Do you love the look of the project I’m working on in this tutorial? This is from my Plaid Double Width Blanket Ebooklet, which is available now.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

What is a rigid heddle?

by Kelly 16 Comments

I’ve talked a lot about rigid heddle looms in general here, but today I’m going to focus on the actual rigid heddle.

I’m going to explain what it is, what the measurements mean, how you can match up different sized yarns with different heddles, and basic care of your rigid heddle to ensure longevity.

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

Sometimes you will see a rigid heddle referred to simply as a “heddle”, and
sometimes you’ll see them called a “reed”. I usually refer to it just as a heddle to simplify.

They’re actually a combination of both, because the frame contains a way for you to thread your yarn and also doubles up as your beater, for beating in the weft. This is really a very unique piece of equipment.

For more traditional or multi shaft weaving, the heddles are made of string, texsolv, or metal, and they are movable. Every single thread has its own heddle.

But a rigid heddle is basically just what it sounds like. The heddles, or the spaces through which the threads go are set in the frame and don’t move.

Generally, a rigid heddle is constructed from wood for the frame and plastic for the heddles and slots, though the entire heddle can be made of wood. You will find some “toy” style rigid heddle looms made entirely of plastic, and some folks are utilising 3D printers to print their own rigid heddles these days, which is pretty cool!

This article was prompted by a student question, which was “what does the dent mean“.
Well, when we’re referring to rigid heddles, we talk about the dent as basically a space through which
your thread can go.

If you look up to the top of your own rigid heddle there will probably be some numbers. This depends on the manufacturer, as some loom companies leave their heddles blank. (It’s much easier if the numbers are there, in my opinion!)

This one says 7.5 at the top, and that tells me that it’s a seven and a half dent heddle. But what does
that actually mean to you as the weaver?

Well, it means that if you use this particular heddle, you can achieve 7.5 ends per inch. This is one of the differences between a rigid heddle loom and a different kind of loom. The sett or the ends per inch are already set in place by the size of your heddle.

So, you choose a heddle that suits the type of yarn or the size of the yarn that you want to use at any time. I’ll
talk about that a little bit more in a minute, but first I want to show you how the measurements on your heddle work.

I mentioned that this is a seven and a half dent heddle. So, looking at my tape measure over about an inch, I’m
going to count every single space through which a thread can go on this heddle.

I’m counting the holes because we use both the holes and the slots on the rigid heddle for a balanced plain weave.

I begin by counting from the first hole at the start of the tape measure, and continue to count every hole and slot until I reach the one inch mark.

Because this is a 7.5 dent heddle, I won’t count the last slot at the one inch mark as a full slot, but as a half. This is reflected in the fact that the counted holes and slots don’t fit evenly within the inch measurement. For a heddle that has a rounded number, for example, a 10 dent heddle, you will find that you can measure exactly 10 spaces in the inch.

So, how does this information actually translate to the loom?

Well, it’s extremely important that we match the right yarns to the right heddles. Let’s say that
hypothetically, I wanted to do a balanced weave on my seven and a half dent heddle. The first thing you need
to do is your sett test.

If you’re not familiar with sett, or you’re not sure how to figure out the sett for your
particular yarn, I have two videos that will help:

What is sett?

How to determine sett.

Once you know about sett you have such freedom, something will click in your brain and you will suddenly
understand so much better how yarn size relates to the size of your heddle.

Here is an example of how they tie together:

I wrap the yarn I want to use around my inch ruler and find that it has roughly 15 wraps per inch. Divide the wraps in half for a balanced plain weave. This gives me 7.5.

Now I know that if I want to do a plain weave on my rigid heddle loom, the 7.5 dent heddle is almost perfectly
matched to this particular yarn.

When you have a heddle size that doesn’t exactly match the sett that you’ve determined for your yarn, then
you can start making decisions. The decisions will usually be based on the project itself and how you want it to turn
out.

If the sett you determine for your yarn is not exactly the same as any of your heddle sizes, but is very close, you may choose to either go up or down in heddle size.

As an example, imagine that the wraps per inch for my chose yarn comes to 18 wraps. Divided in half, this will be 9 ends per inch (or a sett of 9.)

There are no loom companies that make a nine dent rigid heddle. But that’s okay, because we can compromise, based on what the planned project is. Do I want a lighter, airier and softer fabric? Or do I want a firmer and denser fabric?

For placemats or a table runner I would be looking for a firmer fabric, for a scarf or wearable I would be hoping for something softer and lighter. For the firmer option, I would choose to weave the yarn with a sett of 9 in a 10 dent reed. For the softer option, I would choose the 7.5 dent heddle.

These decisions become easier over time and experience with all different yarns and different types of
projects.

There are a couple of other things that I want to point out about your rigid heddle. When you have a look at the information at the top of the heddle frame, you’ll notice that, at least on an Ashford, there are some other numbers printed. In the case of the 7.5 dent heddle, the other printed figures are 30/10. This is metric information rather than Imperial. The 30/10 just means that over 10 centimetres, you will fit 30 threads in that 10 centimetres.

Also, if you look in between where it says “Ashford” and “7.5” you’ll see a dot. That dot means that directly underneath this is the very middle of your rigid heddle. This is really handy information!

I like to keep a piece of waste yarn tied at this middle marker for easy visual reference. It also makes measuring out your intended project before you begin warping. Simply place a measuring tape and line up the half way measurement with the half way mark on the heddle.

For this 10″ wide piece, I line up the 5″ mark with the centre of the heddle. I can then mark the start of the tape measure and the 10″ mark with more waste yarn tied onto the heddle for quick and easy warping.

The last thing I want to go over with you today is some tips on the care of your rigid heddles for their longevity.

New heddles are not cheap to buy, especially if you want to have a lot of sizes.
If you’re getting into weaving with two and three heddles you will be looking at quite an investment. Some basic care will help prolong the life of your heddles.

The first thing is to not store heddles in a place that is damp. Doing that will probably warp your wood over time and may render the heddle unusable.

Another thing is to not keep heddles in a place that is too hot. We are dealing with plastic here, so if it gets too hot, or it gets near a source of heat too much, the plastic component can melt and warp as well.

The third point is to go easy on your heddle. Don’t be overly rough on it when you’re threading. I know that might sound a little bit silly, but a heddle like a 15 dent heddle is very thin and not as strong as a larger sized heddle. Rough threading could bend or break the plastic.

The basic moral of the story is that if you treat your rigid heddles right, they will treat you right!

If you would like a handy guide for your rigid heddle loom, I recommend The Weaver’s Toolkit. It includes information such as the right yarns for the right sized heddles, yarn conversion sheets, calculation sheets and many more useful guides.

The Weaver’s Toolkit ebook is available for purchase here.

Would you like to view this post in video format?

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Which size inkle loom?

by Kelly 2 Comments

Inkle loom weaving has really taken off recently, and it’s not hard to understand why.

An inkle loom is portable, affordable and fun. Some weavers start their weaving journey on an inkle loom, others discover it and use it to compliment their other weaving skills and projects.

As with a rigid heddle loom, on an inkle you can start with the basics and weave just on two shafts, or plain weave. In fact, because the bands you weave are warped faced and all the colour is in the warp, you could weave plain weave bands for a very long time without tiring of the simplicity.

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

If you’re new to the world of inkle weaving, you might be wondering about size. Not all inkle looms are the same size. You may wonder which one is best suited to your needs.

As I own and use an Ashford inkle loom, it makes sense for me to compare the two sizes Ashford have available.

The Ashford Inkle Loom is the largest of the two.

This loom is capable of a 110″ warp length and width of 3″. Bear in mind that your warp width is usually reduced by around half for the woven band.

The Ashford Inklette is the smaller size.

You can warp the Inklette with 70″ in length and 2″ in width.

So, the main differences between the two?

Size
Price

The Inklette is much more petite than the regular size. Here is a photo comparison of the two:

The inklette is extremely portable (you can throw it in a bag and take it with you). It is affordable ($60USD cheaper than the regular size).

But the trade off is the amount of warping space. The smaller size of the Inklette means a smaller band.

The questions you might ask yourself are:

What sized bands do I want to weave? Do I want the flexibility of being able to weave a wider, longer band or am I happy to weave narrower, shorter bands?
How much do I want to spend to start out in inkle weaving?
Do I want a loom that I can easily take with me to weave on the go?

If you are interested in learning more about inkle weaving before you decide whether it is something you want to pursue, I have some helpful resources:

7 tips for inkle weaving plus a free pattern

How to weave on an inkle loom

I have just completed a new, comprehensive Inkle Course. The course covers everything you need to know to weave a plain weave band, tubular weaving and baltic weaving.

To find out more about the Inkle Weaving Course, click here!

If you’re looking for stockists of inkle looms in Australia, I recommend The Thread Collective or Knit, Spin, Weave.

I hope this post helps you to decide on the inkle loom that is right for you!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Double width weaving tips for rigid heddle weaving

by Kelly 18 Comments

Double width is one of those weaving techniques that can seem like some kind of sorcery to a new weaver.

It can be both very exciting and extremely daunting, all at the same time!

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

I remember how overjoyed I was early in my weaving journey to discover that my 24″ rigid heddle loom was actually capable of weaving fabric twice as wide. Wow, what a revelation!

With two heddles of the same size and two pick up sticks, you too can weave cloth double width.

If you’re interested in knowing more about what weaving with two heddles can achieve, I’ve written a previous article with details and examples of all the various things you can do with two heddles. You can read that article here.

My Weaving With Two Heddles class is one of my Online Weaving School best sellers, and it’s not hard to see why. Weaving double width can open up a whole new world of possibilities on any size rigid heddle loom.

Although weaving double width can be a challenge, I believe it is very achievable with the right tools and knowledge. And practice, of course!

Over the past few years, I’ve heard all of the common problems that students run into when attempting this technique. I’ve run into most of them myself at some point too.

So, today I want to give you my best tips for successful double weaving to help you have the best experience and hopefully avoid some common frustrations.

I’ll start with one common misconception from newbie double weavers:

Technically, your cloth will not be twice as wide.

Let me explain!

My rigid heddle loom is a 24″. The assumption then, is that if I’m weaving double width, I will end up with a 48″ wide piece of fabric. Not so. The 48″ figure does not allow for draw in and shrinkage. Just as I do when I weave a single layer of fabric on my 24″ loom, I have to calculate and allow for these differences. Depending on my yarn, I could have up to a 20% loss. This would make my double width cloth closer to 38″ in width.

This is something to consider in the planning stages of your double width piece. You may find it worth the time to weave a smaller sampler first, putting it through the wet finish and drying process and recording all the measurements before and after in order to determine the shrinkage and loss for your particular yarn.

And now for my tips!

Great warp tension makes all the difference.

I will say this for any weaving project, but it becomes all the more important for double width. Get you tension as good as you possibly can while winding on your warp.

This doesn’t mean get the warp as tight as you can, but more as firm and consistent as you can. This might mean that you need a helper to assist you in holding the warp while you wind on. It might mean using weights on the warp while you wind on. It will certainly mean packing the back beam very well as you wind (I would recommend a roll of craft paper that fits the width of your loom for this).

If your warp tension is not consistent enough, when you try to adjust the tightness to begin weaving, you will find some threads are tight enough and others are loose. Threads will not all be in their correct sheds, and you may be confused about thread positioning.

This can be super frustrating but is avoidable by taking extra time and effort over your warping process. Trust me, it’s worth it!

Choose your yarn carefully.

Choosing the right yarn for your double width project is going to save you a lot of headaches later on!

Firstly, you need a yarn that is a suitable size for the heddles you are using.

Next, you DO NOT want a sticky yarn for this weave structure. A yarn that sticks to itself too much, is frizzy or fluffy, will interfere with the cleanness of your sheds and turn you into one very frustrated weaver!

To find out more about different types of yarns, some I do or don’t recommend, and more general weaving yarn information, you may want to check out these articles:

Choosing and Using Yarns in Weaving…

3 Yarns New Weavers should never use!…

You also want to be careful about a yarn that has too much stretch. I like to use wool for double width weaving because it’s elastic, but bounces back, so it’s very forgiving.

If your yarn is elastic, but stretches without returning or bouncing back, then you have a problem. It will be next to impossible to maintain proper tension on the loom. This will make droopy sheds and you won’t be able to properly see which threads are in the right sheds or not.

Your fold may not always be the same.

The fold is kind of a big deal in double width weaving. This is because, once you remove your piece from the loom and open it up, that fold is on display for all to see! You can certainly weave a next to invisible fold, but there are some things you need to know first.

Yarn. Again, the yarn you use will impact on how your fold turns out. For example, I have found that a cotton will bunch together more tightly at the fold than wool does. This is because cotton is more rigid and less lofty/bouncy. So my strategy at the fold changes according to the yarn I’m using. I need to be less firm at the fold when using a more rigid cotton, to give it a little more space to settle into place. Again, a sample can be your best bet to success.

Consistent weft tension at the fold is really important. Try to find a good rhythm and stick with it. Not too tight, not too loose. Practice, practice, practice! You won’t get to really see your fold until you remove the piece, so it is challenging to know how it’s going to turn out. But practice will give you a good feel for what is too much or too little weft tension.

Clear your sheds if you’re concerned about floats.

Coming back to the possibility of sticky yarn or threads being in places they shouldn’t, it could be a good idea to use an extra stick shuttle or pick up stick to clear sheds before weaving them. You could do this for every shed if you need to, or just for those you have determined to be troublesome. When you open a new shed, insert your extra stick and wave it around. Or place it in flat and pull it towards you then slide up towards the heddle. This should sort out any naughty threads.

If things still don’t seem right, you can place the stick behind the heddle when the new shed is open and slide the stick up towards the back beam, then take it out. As long as your threading is correct, this works very well for putting threads in their correct places.

To check for floats, you will want to view your work from underneath at intervals. You can’t see how things are looking underneath as you weave, so either use a mirror or your phone to check. If you’re feeling energetic, you can hop off your chair and pop under the loom for a look. I’ve done all of these, and they all work fine, the main thing is to do checks periodically to see if you’re getting floats or to know if anything looks a bit off.

Now I want to address a question I get a lot.

Can I weave patterns or other weave structures in double width?

The very short answer is yes.

But…(there had to be a but, right?) the rigid heddle loom is best suited to double width in plain weave. There is a good reason for this.

A rigid heddle loom is a two shaft loom. When we weave double width, we are using 4 shafts (which is why we need two heddle plus two pick up sticks). Quite doable on a rigid heddle.

But, if you want to weave another pattern, that will often require 4 shafts to begin with. A rule of double width weaving is that you must have twice the number of shafts initially required. So, that 4 shaft pattern just became 8 shafts.

If you’re on of those thrill seeking rigid heddle weavers, and want to adapt 8 shafts for your loom, I wish you all the best. It can be done, but that is one thing I choose not to do myself. Although a voice in the back of my mind keeps telling me that I will and must do it one day, just for the challenge. Most of the time I try to keep that little voice at bay, it asks too much of me sometimes 😆

Suffice to say, setting up for a 4 shaft double weave on a rigid heddle loom is no picnic in the park. But, I do have another suggestion that I think you will like.

Colour and weave! If you’re unfamiliar with the term, check out this article. To explain it simply, colour and weave uses colour techniques to create interesting fabric and can easily be done on plain weave threading. You can combine warp and weft colour combinations to weave really beautiful items that look more complicated than your everyday plain weave.

This can easily be applied to your double width project. In my Doubleweave Baby Blanket class, I employ the use of weft stripes, but you can take that further by introducing more colour to warp as well.

The only thing you really need to know is that you will have to be particular about the colour placement at your fold, remembering that a warp stripe placed at the fold will be twice as wide as a single layer fabric.

That brings me to my very last tip.

If you find the fold challenging, incorporate a distraction!

So, you’ve been practicing folds for a while, but you’re still not happy with your results? Or you find that the fold is always too visible?

Try doing what I just mentioned, and add stripes to your warp, or colour arrangements. Ensure that these are arranged correctly at the fold. My reasoning behind this is that a piece of fabric that has colour or pattern will be “busier to the eye, and distract the view away from any less than perfect aspects of the piece.

Now I have some additional resources for you if you’re eager to start your own double width journey.

Book:

Jane Patrick’s “The Weaver’s Idea Book” has a whole chapter dedicated to many aspects of double weave. I highly recommend this book for any rigid heddle weaver, it is so comprehensive and inspiring!

Classes:

Weaving with Two Heddles

Doubleweave Baby Blanket

Members only classes:

Slouchy double heddle bag

Wrist Warmers

The Plaid Double Width Blanket Ebook is a fantastic 44 page resource that includes a beautiful blanket project plus a ton of comprehensive and useful information:

Plaid Double Width Blanket Ebook

So tell me, have you tried double width weaving yet? Perhaps these tips have inspired you to give it a go? Let me know in the comments below, I would love to hear from you.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Crazyshot Book Review and Giveaway

by Kelly 408 Comments

Myra Wood is a well known fibre artist with an impressive array of artistic skills and talents. In fact, I’m quite amazed by all her achievements in teaching, writing books and creating. She is a huge inspiration!

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

Myra has just released a wonderful new weaving book that I am so excited to tell you about – “Crazyshot! Creative Overshot Weaving on the Rigid Heddle Loom”. “Crazyshot” is creative overshot weaving for the rigid heddle with bold patterns and colours.

The book provides beautiful colour photo, step by step instructions and explanations. The patterns look extremely complex and yet are achieved with just one heddle and one pick up stick! There are 14 stunning projects included.

You may be thinking “this looks way too advanced for me!”, but that is the beauty of it. All you need is the basics, plus a good dose of patience and an adventurous attitude.

Let’s have a chat with Myra and find out more about her and how the new book came about.

Tell us a little about your background in fibre arts.

“I was a pretty crafty kid. My mom taught me how to sew and crochet and we made tons of Barbie doll and kid’s clothes. I continued crafting through adulthood, adding new crafts every couple of years- more sewing, quilting, embroidery, tapestry and bead weaving, tatting, you name it, always with an emphasis on creative expression. In 2003 I started teaching knitting classes at a local yarn store and within a couple years I began teaching knitting and crochet on the US national circuit for XRX/Stitches, Vogue Knitting, guilds and special events. Along the way, I taught 5 classes for Craftsy and wrote 3 books and published lots of patterns. Up until Covid, I was traveling around the US almost every month. ( I don’t miss the airports but I do miss seeing everybody in person).“

When and how did you first become interested in weaving?

“In 2012, I saw my first rigid heddle loom at a trade show and had to have one. I dove right into the deep end buying a 20” with a stand while I was there and all the rigid heddle books I could find. Needless to say, my yarn stash was already a bit ridiculous so when I found out I could use the same yarns I was ready to go. My loom arrived a couple weeks later and it’s been a love affair ever since. I now own 4 rigid heddle looms, all of which are usually warped with some experiment or another.“

Crazyshot is not the first book you’ve published, but it is your first weaving book. What was the inspiration behind the book?

“In all honesty, your Branoe class blew me away. I kept thinking about Fair Isle and Mosaic knitting and other charted needlework while I was learning. I looked for more info on Branoe and found very little but I did discover a rich history of supplemental weft weaving from all different cultures throughout time. So I started experimenting and this book is the result of combining lots of different ideas from various charted needlework. Many times my books have come out of wanting to see the book I wish was already out there.“

Something that students often ask me about is how to choose colours for a project. I noticed that in “Crazyshot” your project colours are strikingly beautiful and harmonious. Do you have any tips for those who are nervous combining and choosing colours?

“Absolutely! I love color and I’m not afraid to use it but lots of times I find myself in color ruts. Give me some blue, green, aqua and purple yarn and I’m off to the races. When I want to step outside my comfort zone, I like to take a skein of a long color repeat yarn like Noro Kureyon and match up all the solid colors I have in my stash to the colors in the yarn. The dyers are very experienced with color and often put together colors I’d never think of combining. I’ve also used variegated yarns to start with and even printed fabrics I love. Color is the most essential element for me so before I start any project, once my colors are chosen, I stick to that palette. I always say you have to love the colors together before you start or you won’t like the end result. I always start with color.“

With all of the creative pursuits you are involved with, how do you organise your time effectively in order to achieve such variety?

“I tend to get fairly obsessive about one craft at a time. I’m passionate about learning as much as possible and experimenting with all the different ways I can express myself with it.

Eventually something else strikes my fancy and I abandon the previous one for the latest obsession. Many times I’ve rediscovered my love for a particular craft years after I thought I was done with it. I feel like I have a great toolbox to work with and I love combining ideas from different crafts.

I’m so lucky to have a dedicated studio and spend my days in it from morning till night. (I told you I was obsessive). As I’m aging, I find I can’t spend the hours I used to working with my hands before they start aching so I try and take breaks and do other things like clean the house and exercise. I did say try. I spend more time reflecting and relaxing now but my wheels are always turning with new ideas so I’m actually planning another book already!“

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And now for some more exciting news. Myra has one signed print copy of “Crazyshot” to gift to one of you lucky readers!

To enter, leave a comment below telling me what appeals to you most about this technique.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. CONGRATULATIONS TO CATHY MURPHY! THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ENTERED.

You can purchase “Crazyshot” in either digital or print version from Amazon or from Myra’s website.

If you would like a video course on the Branoe technique, check out my Exploring Branoe course at the Online Weaving School.

I also have some free videos on Youtube to help get you started:

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

How to weave little trees on a rigid heddle loom

by Kelly 7 Comments

This is a project I’ve never shared here before but it’s so darn cute, I just know you will love it!

You may have seen some of my overshot style, “branoe” video tutorials on my Youtube channel before. The Snowmen and Reindeer are the most popular.

Well, today’s tutorial follows the exact same technique. You can use this technique on just about any loom, but this tutorial focuses on the rigid heddle loom. If you want to read more about this overshot technique, I’ve written the details for how it works in this post.

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

Here is what you will need to weave your own little trees in pots:

A rigid heddle loom (I used my 24″ but a Sampleit size is fine if you just want a small sample)

7.5 dent reed

A pick up stick wider than the width of your woven piece

Yarns-

There are no set yarns for this project, but I will share what worked well for me:

For the warp I used a light worsted/dk weight (Australian 8 ply) wool in white.

For the weft I used the same wool in a variety of colours. You will need one colour for your pots, brown for the trunk, green for the leaves, and then orange, red or yellow for the fruit (depending on whether you want orange, apple or lemon trees!)

I’m not including specific calculations or measurements for the piece, as this is adjustable and depends on what you’re weaving, but to give you a guide, my sampler was around 8″ width on the loom. It can be a good idea to wind on a 35 – 40″ warp and experiment with my other branoe/overshot tutorials.

You simply warp up and tie on as you would for plain weave. Then you’re ready to pick up.

You can find the pick up sequence PDF here:

Little-Trees-pick-up-sequence Download

Unlike other pick up, we leave the heddle in NEUTRAL and pick up the warp threads IN FRONT of the heddle.

You can begin by weaving some plain weave to support your pick up design and give contrast. There are nice little borders you can work as well, if you want to. The border that I have here in pink is just 4 up, 4 down but there are many variations you could do.

When you’re ready to begin weaving your pattern sequence, make sure you follow the pick up outlined in the PDF provided, starting with Row 1. Heddle in neutral, pick up in front of the heddle. Once all the threads are picked up across the warp, slide your pick up stick towards the heddle and place it on edge.

Your picked up threads will be propped up, changing the interlacement from plain weave. You can then bring in your pattern weft (whichever colour you’re using for the pots as designs are worked from the bottom up). I’m using a blue wool for my pots.

When your weft reaches the other side, take it around the edge warp thread and back into the shed, doubling your weft.

Take your pick up stick out of position and beat the doubled weft into place.

Follow this up with a plain weave pick in your background weft. Choose the plain weave shed (either up or down) that you were up to before you wove your first pattern pick. For me, that was the up position.

Each plain weave pick will be a single, not double weft.

Continue following the pick up and weaving sequence for the pots.

We follow up now with 6 picks of background weft in plain weave. This is because we need a surface to embroider the trunks onto. Weaving narrow trunks (and centering them to match the pots!) is quite difficult, so embroidering whilst the piece is on the loom is a much easier option.

Rather than embroidering right now, we instead move on to the pick up for the tree foliage.

That way, we have sturdy fabric to embroider onto and we can line up the trunks really nicely with the other design elements. So, we move onto step 6 of your pick up instructions.

Continue following the sequence to form the tree foliage. The pattern weft for the foliage is also doubled. Don’t forget to weave a plain weave pick in between every pattern pick. Now we can thread a tapestry needle with some brown wool or embroidery floss to embroider the trunks.

Knot your embroidery yarn to prevent it pulling through the fabric. Come up from the back of the fabric in the middle top of one of the pots, as shown.

Work a straight stitch to the bottom of the foliage. Take the needle down through the fabric and knot it off at the back, burying the tail in the back of the foliage. This prevents your from having super long threads at the back of the work. Knot the end of the yarn again to work the next trunks.

Once all your trunks are done, you can think about embroidering the fruit. I did this by threading up the colour I wanted and working French knots in the foliage – about 3 French knots for each tree.

If you would like to see the video version of this tutorial, including a graph chart for the design, it is available as a part of the Exploring Branoe class, available at the Online Weaving School.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!