Kelly Casanova Weaving Lessons

rigid heddle weaving

Online Weaving School 6th Birthday Giveaway!

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How amazing that 6 years have passed since I took a leap of faith and opened the Online Weaving School!

It has been so humbling to watch this little school grow from a handful of students in the beginning to something I never dreamed would be possible for someone like me. I am so grateful for all who have learned with me and supported me.

If you’re interested in learning more about the story of the weaving school, you can read this post from a few years ago.

The weaving school now has over 1500 memberships and over 10,000 registered users. Unbelievable!

This year I wanted to do something a bit special to celebrate the 6th birthday of the Online Weaving School.

I am very excited to share that I will be giving away an Ashford Sampleit 10″ rigid heddle loom!

Want to know more about what you can weave on little looms? Check out this article:

What can I weave on a small loom?..

This giveaway is now closed. Please scroll to the bottom for the winner announcement.

WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT

Congratulations to Helen Ashenfelter! Helen commented:

“I would gift this to a friend- Libby- who would like to learn to weave but feels she can’t invest in the loom. She makes things for a local shop who gives to worthy causes in our area!”

Thank you to all who entered. There were so many worthy entries and causes, I do so wish that you could all be winners and I’m sorry if you missed out. Maybe next time it will be your turn 🥰

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

**This giveaway is run solely by Kelly Casanova Weaving Lessons and is not affiliated with Ashford or any other party. The giveaway prize is one Sampleit loom and there will be one winner. The photos in this post are representative only – yarns and warps are not included.

Simple and Complex Patterns on the rigid heddle loom

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The rigid heddle loom is an incredibly versatile tool for weavers of all levels. While its construction is simple, it opens the door to endless weaving possibilities, from basic plain weave to intricate patterns that rival those created on multi-shaft looms.

In this guide, we’ll explore options for weaving simple and complex pattern on the rigid heddle loom. Whether you’re sticking with simple patterns or diving into more complex techniques, there’s a world of creative opportunities waiting for you.

Weaving on a Rigid Heddle Loom: Choose Your Own Adventure

Remember the “Choose your own adventure” books from the early 1980’s? Gosh, I loved those books as a kid! Being given the ability to choose to keep the story small and simple or keep the fun going by selecting a longer and more adventurous continuation.

You could start out as a student on a regular school day, going to classes and planning to meet friends later and end the day by having fought and defeated incredible beasts and monsters! So much fun 😊

The beauty of the humble rigid heddle loom is that you, as the weaver, can choose your own adventure!

You can start out with the very beautiful plain weave, at some point introduce a pick up stick or two and before you know it, you’re wrangling multiple heddles, sticks and rods!

Maybe you just enjoy the plain weave so much that you choose to stay in that groove.

Or maybe you find that you need more of a challenge, and so you start looking at multi shaft patterns and how you might adapt some of them to the 2 shaft rigid heddle loom.

Whichever ways suits you is the best way, remember, we all choose our own adventures.

Today we’re going to discuss simple and more complex patterns you can achieve weaving on a rigid heddle loom – what is involved in the set up for each and the considerations you need to make before embarking on different patterns. I have so many resources and tutorials to get you started on either the simple or more complex path, and I’ll be sharing these with you too.

We’ll begin with the most simple patterns and work our way up to the more complex.

Start Simple: Mastering Plain Weave

The most simple pattern you can weave on your rigid heddle loom is plain weave. This is what the rigid heddle loom was built for, and excels at. To weave plain weave, you need only 2 shafts. This is made possible on a RH loom with just one heddle because of the unique design of the reed or heddle.

When we thread a rigid heddle loom, we thread both the slots and the holes. Then, once we’ve tied the warp onto the loom, we create 2 different sheds or spaces in which our shuttle can pass through. It’s these sheds, or more specifically, what the warp threads are doing in those sheds, that determine the pattern.

Plain weave is achieved by placing the heddle in the “up” position, passing the shuttle through the shed, then beating the weft down into place (the heddle is also used as a beater). For the next shed, the heddle is placed in the “down” position, the shuttle is passed through and the weft beaten down. Then back to “up” again, and so on. Doing this gives you an over, under interlacement that is both lovely to look at and also a very stable fabric.

This fabric can be used for a huge array of purposes, from a scarf to kitchen towels, to fabric to sew clothing with.

Starting out on a rigid heddle loom can be a bit of a learning curve, but is made so much easier if someone with a wee bit of experience shows you how. In my From Woe to Go! online beginner’s course, I share everything you need to know to get up and weaving on your rigid heddle loom, plus I show you all the helpful things you didn’t know you needed to know!

Some weavers will find that they tire of only weaving plain weave, but there are techniques that can easily be introduced without the need to learn more specialist skills or purchase any extra equipment (let’s face it, that particular rabbit hole goes very deep!)

The first that comes to mind is the wonderful technique of colour and weave. In it’s most basic form, this is simply the introduction of colour, strategically placed in your warp and weft. You don’t need any additional tools, just a little bit of patience as the warping takes extra time. Boy, is it worth the effort when you get to the weaving though!

Log Cabin and Houndstooth are gorgeous examples of colour and weave. And yes, it’s still just plain weave!

Another option for taking your plain weave setup further is finger controlled (FC) techniques. These are just SO fun because again, you don’t need extra tools, just extra patience, you weave them on a plain weave set up, so you can introduce them to your plain weave warp at any time (use as a border feature within the plain weave piece, OR combine the plain weave and FC technique, OR weave the entire piece using the FC technique).

Some examples of finger controlled techniques include Brook’s Bouquet, Danish Medallions and Leno. I have a free tutorial for how to weave Leno here if you’re interested in checking that out.

Take It Up a Notch: Adding Pickup Sticks

Pick up sticks are a really natural progression from plain weave because, again, you can use pick up techniques on a plain weave warp. You do need extra tools this time, in the form of a pick up stick or two, but these are very affordable and some weavers will make their own from scrap wood or paint stirring sticks.

This humble length of timber can open up your design possibilities like you wouldn’t believe! And you don’t even need to understand what you’re doing to get started!

Basically, you use slot threads and a pick up stick to create extra sheds (spaces) through which your shuttle can pass. These spaces will be different to your regular plain weave sheds and will give you different weave interlacements. I know some weavers feel intimidated by the idea of using pick up sticks but really, it’s so simple and easy.

If you want to see how non scary it really is, check out my free tutorial here. I also have an online class, Pick Up Perfection.

As I pointed out before, you don’t need to understand exactly what is happening on the loom when you use pick up sticks, just follow the instructions you have to get the results. The understanding can come later, if you want it to, or if you’re happy to keep following directions, do that!

But if you are interested in understanding the why, I can give a simple explanation. You know that the rigid heddle loom has 2 shafts available (holes and slots). By using a pick up stick, you are creating an extra shaft (shed/space). The slot threads that are already threaded in your heddle are free to move up and down, the hole threads are not. So, we can make use of those slot threads by placing some of them onto a pick up stick. When operate the pick up stick, I’m giving the loom a chance to make new interlacements beyond plain weave. This creates pattern.

Think of it like this:

Hole threads – shaft 1 (shed 1)

Slot threads – shaft 2 (shed 2)

Pick up stick threads (shed 3)

Now you have turned your 2 shaft loom temporarily into a 3 shaft loom! What if you add another pick up stick? Hello 4 shafts! 😀

Advanced Techniques: Multiple Heddles and Multi-Shaft Patterns

Now we come to the more complex component of this post, weaving 3,4 or more shafts on a rigid heddle loom. Is it possible? Yes, of course! Just like in the previous section on pick up sticks, we just need to make more shafts (sheds).

Let’s look at the 2 main ways we can do this:

  • Heddle, rods and sticks

Besides the 2 shafts available with a single heddle (holes and slots), if you want extra shafts, you’re going to have to make them! A simple and economical way to do this is with pick up sticks. However, after inserting one pick up stick, you will often find that the sheds you have created will not allow the pick up sticks to slide past one another to open up the new sheds you need to create your pattern. How frustrating!

But not to fear, this is where the heddle rod steps in to save the day. A heddle rod is just another way of creating an extra shaft by placing the threads from a pick up stick onto a rod with string heddles. The only materials you need to do this is some wooden dowel and extra yarns suitable for making string heddles. I have a lot of resources for making heddle rods but I recommend you start here. It can be used in combination with a pick up stick, as it will allow the pick up stick to slide freely back and forth.

Here is just one example for how a 4 shaft pattern set up might look on your rigid heddle loom:

  • Shaft 1 – heddle holes
  • Shaft 2 – heddle slots
  • Shaft 3 – heddle rod
  • Shaft 4 – pick up stick

Let’s look at another method for weaving complex patterns:

  • Additional heddles

Most rigid heddle looms can accommodate three heddles (there won’t usually be space for more than that) and many 4 shaft patterns can be woven with just those three heddles. Some 4 shaft patterns need to include tabby (plain weave), such as overshot, and for these patterns it can be easier to use a combination of heddles and a pick up stick to make the lift combinations or weaving sequences more possible.

Purchasing extra heddles if obviously not the cheapest option and one of the rules to weaving this way is that ALL the heddles need to be the same dent. So, 3 x 10 dent heddles or 3 x 7.5 dent heddles, depending on your individual project.

Here is an example of how a 4 shaft pattern might be set up on the rigid heddle loom with 3 heddles (keep in mind that there are many ways to setup so this is just one example 😉):

  • Shaft 1 – heddle 1, holes
  • Shaft 2 – heddle 2, holes
  • Shaft 3 – heddle 3, holes
  • Shaft 4 – heddle 1,2 &3, slots

One of the challenges with rigid heddles is that they are, well… rigid! When you’re using them as multiple shafts, you as the weaver have to decide on warp thread placement. Rather than flexible heddles that are fixed to shafts (like on a table or floor loom) we have to make our threads fit within a fixed space. We also have to make sure that they don’t space too close together or too far apart. All these decisions will impact on the finished look of your pattern.

If you are interested in beginning to weave like this on your rigid heddle loom, I have made specific resources to help with that:

Converting Drafts to the rigid heddle loom, online course

Weaving 3 and 4 shaft patterns on a rigid heddle loom, ebook

Your next question may be, “well, how many shafts exactly can I weave on a rigid heddle loom?” I can’t give a definitive answer, but I’ve seen weavers set up for 8 shaft patterns. Have I done it? No.

I am spoiled with loom choices, so for anything over 4 shafts I always choose my table loom or one of my floor looms, after all, they are set up with 8-10 shafts already and are purpose built for that.

I keep saying that one day I will see how far I can challenge myself on the rigid heddle loom, but whether it’s moving up to 6, 8 or 10 shafts remains to be seen!

Choosing Your Weaving Adventure

Whether you stick with the simplicity of plain weave or dive into advanced techniques, the rigid heddle loom lets you weave your way. The best part? There’s no right or wrong path—just the joy of creating something beautiful with your own hands.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

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

2 Hacks for Clear Sheds on a rigid heddle loom

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Threads that tend to stick to one another when you change sheds can be so frustrating!

Some yarns are prone to doing this more than others, and it also commonly occurs when you’re weaving with more than one heddle or are using additional aids (like pick up sticks and heddle rods) to create extra shafts on your rigid heddle loom.

For more information on threads that are notoriously sticky, visit this post.

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

Why is it a big deal if not every thread is exactly where it should be?

Well, it’s going to mess up your pattern. Your weaving pattern is created by the interlacement of threads – the weft going over some warp threads and under others. Now, if the weft ends up going over one or more threads that it should be travelling under, and vice versa, then you have a problem.

Floats will be created where they are not meant to be and this will show as a mistake in your pattern. If you have already checked that your threading and weaving sequences are correct, you don’t have crossed threads or anything else weird going on, the problem is very likely to be caused by unclear sheds and sticking threads.

Before looking at using clearing methods, ensure you have adequate warp tension. If your tension is too loose, threads may sag and interfere with your sheds. If your threads are loose on just some sections, you may need to try some wedging techniques to help your warp tension to be more consistent.

There are 2 main methods I use to ensure a clear shed when sticky threads are proving to be an issue.

The first method involves the use of a pick up stick, extra stick shuttle or even a paint stirring stick will do the trick! Basically, a flat, smooth stick.

Before inserting the stick into the shed, ensure that all of your threads are in their correct places. The easiest way to do this is to understand where all threads should be at all times according to your threading and heddle/weaving sequence. For example, in this picture my first heddle is up and my pick up stick is forward. For the way that I threaded, this means that all the hole threads on heddle one should be up, and all the threads on top of the pick up stick will also be up. The rest of the threads will be down, forming the bottom layer of the shed.

Once you understand where all the threads should be and you are sure they are correct, you can insert your pick up stick into the shed. Be sure to insert close to your heddle, where the shed space is at it’s widest.

Once the stick is in the shed, hold it on either side.

Pull the stick towards you, and towards the fell (edge) of your weaving and bounce it off the woven edge.

This action is firm and decisive, but doesn’t have to be a super hard whack. If there were any threads that were sagging or tending to want to stick together, this will shock them back into place.

If you prefer to see a video of this technique in action, you can view that here-

Now let’s have a look at the second shed clearing technique I mentioned.

This technique is so simple and easy. No extra tools are needed, just your trusty hands and fingers. I call this “strumming the warp”, but it doesn’t have anything to do with playing the guitar!

Again, the first step is to ascertain whether the problem lies with your threading, sequence or tension.

Next up, place your heddles/rods/sticks in the correct position for the shed you want to weave. Once again, I’m using the front heddle up, pick up stick forward combination as this combination frequently has sticking threads.

Place both hands, from either side of the warp, into the shed so that your fingers roughly meet around the middle of the warp.

Tilt your fingers slightly upwards as you pull your hands apart and out of the shed. You want your fingertips to “strum” the threads on the way out.

This is such a great technique for snapping threads into place with no ill effects on your warp. Give it a try!

If you would like to see this technique in action, check out this video:

You may have noticed the beautiful piece of weaving I have on the loom in these examples. You can find the PDF pattern for The Ripple Scarf in my Etsy shop. It’s a wonderfully luxurious scarf for rigid heddle weavers, you will love it!

I hope this article has been helpful to you, be sure to leave comments or questions down below, I love to hear from you.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

49 Weaving Project Ideas

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Feeling a little stuck for ideas for your next weaving project?

The options are almost unlimited, but here are 49 weaving project ideas to get you started!

Whether you’re weaving on a rigid heddle loom, a table loom or a floor loom you are sure to find these weaving project ideas super helpful.

Weaving a scarf is the perfect starting point for the new weaver.

It’s a narrow piece, which makes it easy to tension. It’s a long warp, but not so long as to be likely to cause any real issues. And once you’re done weaving and wet finishing, you have a completed woven piece, ready to wear.

That is so rewarding and empowering to the beginner weaver!

Once you’ve completed your first scarf, you may want to build on that success and hone the skills you learned by weaving another. Great! Another beautiful scarf to wear!

What is next? Another scarf? Well, I guess you could either add to your scarf collection or start giving them as gifts. Some weavers will continue weaving scarves until they have so many they’re not sure what to do with them. That could be a time to start selling for some extra income, if that is something you are interested in.

But not everyone wants to continue just weaving scarves for the rest of their weaving lives.

I often see weavers chatting and asking questions online, wondering if there is anything beyond the humble scarf.

Well, rest assured, there are SO many things you can make as a weaver!

Once you take up weaving, you become a maker of cloth. In quite a magical way, you are able to produce your own fabric.

You can either choose to weave an item that is basically finished when it comes off the loom, or you can use your hand woven cloth as a stepping stone or starting point for something else.

If you have, or can learn basic sewing skills, you are well on your way to creating unlimited projects with your handwoven fabric.

Here is a list of ideas to get you started:

Scarves (obviously! 😉)

Shawls

Bags (totes, handbags, shopping bags, carry bags)

Rugs

Wallhangings and tapestries

Blankets

Pillows/cushions

Purses/ pouches

Kitchen, bath and hand towels

Face washers

Apron

Book covers

The free Stashbuster Notebook Covers class can be found here.

Bookmarks

Kitchen cloths

Soft toys

Ponchos

Jackets

Tops

Read about my hand woven tunic project here

Skirts

Dresses

Pants

Coats

Framed art

Lampshade covers

Loom covers/bags

Upholstery fabric for unique furniture pieces

Historical re-enactment costuming

Hats

Jewelery

Wallhanging from the Krokbragd 101 Online Class

Baby wraps, carriers and blankets

Drink coasters or mug rugs

Curtains

Patchwork and quilting projects

Hair accessories/ head wraps

Saddle blankets for horses

Dog beds, coats

Potholders/trivets/oven gloves

Dining table ware – table runners, place mat sets

Bedding – throws, coverlets, pillow covers, blankets, quilts

Well, what do you think, have I convinced you that you can weave more than just scarves with your loom?

If you’re looking for some free projects to get you started, check out my Free Projects list and be sure to check out my Youtube channel for even more ideas and tutorials. My design store contains my original project designs as digital downloads as well as my ebooks.

At the Online Weaving School you will find many classes to choose from, and as most of my lessons are project based, you can often complete a finished woven item.

So, as you can see, the possibilities for woven projects is really unlimited! Please add your own ideas in the comments to share with other readers.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Do I need to pack the front beam?

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When warping our rigid heddle looms, we are careful to pack the back beam as we wind on the warp. This may be done with a variety of materials, and some are more effective than others. It can be a personal preference too!

What a lot of weavers don’t seem to be so familiar with is the idea of packing the front beam. Quite often, when I’m troubleshooting with a student and I ask if they’ve packed the front beam, they seem surprised by the question. Packing the front beam? I’ve never heard of that!

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

So, why would you want or need to pack the front beam? And what exactly do I mean by that?

Let’s start with the definition so we’re all on the same page!

Packing the front beam is simply introducing something extra to separate the warp as you weave and it begins to roll around the front beam.

Now we can look at the why. There are a couple of reasons as to why packing the front beam is a really good idea.

When you have finished warping and threading, you then need to tie or lash on your warp onto the front apron rod. Doing this results in knots or bumps on the apron rod.

As you begin to weave and advance your warp, you will reach the point where your warp is rolling around the front roller beam and onto itself. As this advancing of the warp happens, the knots, plus the apron rod ties can begin to have a detrimental effect on your weaving.

Firstly, you will likely begin to see some lumpiness at the bottom of your weaving (note that the white line of weaving that was previously straight is now a bit wavy!)

This is caused by the knots or apron ties pushing against your weaving from the underside. There are two problems with this happening:

  • The raised and lowered parts cause a change in the warp tension. The bumps tighten the tension and the dents lower the tension, so you end up with slightly uneven tension.
  • The worse case scenario is that your weaving is irreparably damaged because the knots or ties push the weaving apart. This can be more likely to happen when using a slippery thread like tencel, silk or bamboo, where your woven threads can move more easily, rather than something like wool, which is more “grabby” and unlikely to move out of place.

Fortunately there is a really simple solution to the problem, and that is to pack the front beam, or insert something that will separate those layers of fabric and act as a barrier between your weaving and the knots and ties.

Weavers use a variety of materials for packing, and it can really be a personal preference or what you find most effective. Initially I used the cardboard separators that came with the loom, and while they do work well, I find that the brown craft paper on a roll that I now use to be the superior choice.

What I love about the paper on a roll is that it’s thick and sturdy (a thinner paper will not work in the same way as it tends to crumple while you’re trying to advance your warp), you can purchase it to the width of your loom (or if the same width is unavailable, it’s easy to cut pieces to size) and you can use it over and over, so it’s very economical.

The roll that I bought years ago is still going strong and there is still a huge amount left.

An additional benefit of packing your front beam as you advance the warp is that your overall tension will vastly improve, and will continue to do so as you continue to weave.

I pack the front beam, whether I’m weaving on my rigid heddle, table or floor loom, it is beneficial for many types of weaving.

If you would like to see how I insert the paper roll at the front beam of my rigid heddle loom, please watch this video-

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Rigid Heddle Weaving books I love

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In a previous post I detailed some of my favourite books for 4 shaft or more weaving, but today I’d like to talk about some great rigid heddle books.

If you have a really good local library, you may be able to borrow some of these books. This is a great way to check out a book first and decide whether you want to also add it to your home library. If you belong to a weaving guild, they will often have a healthy library for your education.

If, like me, your library is rather lacking in the weaving book department, I hope that this list provides you with some more direction for the type of book you may be looking to purchase.

I already have a video on this topic, but I know some people prefer to read rather than watch, plus I’ve added some extra books to the original list, so here we go!

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

I’ll start with my favourite and most used book. In fact, this is the first rigid heddle weaving book I bought and I believe it has taught me more than any other weaving book I own.

The Weaver’s Idea Book by Jane Patrick This book has so much content and is great for beginners. It allows you to start with the basics and build as you go. Just about everything you need to know initially is contained within these pages and I think of it a little like a training ground for new weavers. Although it’s great for beginners, it has plenty of information for weavers who want to learn more and level up. It is also hardcover with spiral binding, making it easy to lay flat and view while you’re weaving. Highly recommended!

Weaving made Easy by Liz Gipson. A lovely little book that includes information on loom set up. The projects are simple enough for beginners and interesting enough for all weavers.


Woven to Wear by Marilyn Murphy. I also read this book as a newer weaver and loved how it stirred my imagination. It contains simple garments with lots of plain weave, making it great for beginners, particularly those wanting to get a taste for sewing with your handwoven. The sewing projects are simple rather than finicky, with the use of large shapes instead of small pieces.

Inventive Weaving on a Little Loom by Syne Mitchell This book is awesome value for beginners to intermediate with lots of ideas. For the newer weaver, there is practical information and plenty of inspiration for once you have the basics down. I think of this book as one that you may not fully appreciate until you have some more weaving experience, perhaps a book that will grow with you through your weaving journey. Towards the middle and later part of the book are projects and ideas that may be too challenging for a new weaver, but that an enthusiastic and curious weaver will definitely want to make use of later on. There is a lot of information, it is attractively set out and a joy to flip through.

Weave, Knit, Wear by Judith Shangold  This book is responsible for opening my eyes and quickening my heart over the range of possibilities with a rigid heddle loom and garment making. Judith uses mostly plain weave, colour and design to make fabric look special. She includes design layouts and illustrations to help you wrap your head around how garments can be constructed. What I really love about this book is the fusion of weaving, knitting and crochet added in. It really has encouraged me to think outside the square and maximise my rigid heddle loom.

Thanks to Allison for pointing out that, as this book is now out of print, you can obtain a PDF copy for a very modest price by emailing Judith, as detailed on her website.

Simple Woven Garments by Sara Goldberg Another really great book on making simple garments with simple, colourful, hand woven cloth. There are more than 20 projects and they are all wearable! There are also details on adjusting garments to your own specifications.

Debby Greenlaw’s book Krokbragd: How to Design and Weave. is a wonderful addition to any weaving library, especially if you are a lover of krokbragd. I actually like this book so much that I wrote a review for it here, so pop over and read if you want to find out more about it. Since the release of this book, Debby has written Krokbragd Patterns as well, great for those who want to delve in even further with patterning possibilities.

If you’re after some slow weaving with big impact, you can’t go past Myra Wood’s Crazyshot – Creative Weaving for the Rigid Heddle Loom. This book takes the simple techniques you may have seen in my Branoe/Overshot videos on Youtube and takes them to the next level. The projects in this book are absolutely gorgeous. Myra has followed up with another book, Crazyshot Companion.

To see all my book recommendations is one easy to access place, visit my Amazon Shop.

You may be interested in checking out this video I made several years ago. Although it’s missing some of the books that are on this page, there is more in depth discussion of each book:

I hope this booklist is helpful to you!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Supplementary Weft Tutorial

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What is a supplementary weft?

It is simply a weft that is introduced to your weaving, in addition to your regular weft yarn, usually on a plain weave background.

This supplementary weft is often known as a “pattern weft”, which makes sense because it often creates a pattern (think overshot).

A supplementary weft will usually be thicker yarn than the plain weave or tabby yarn, which is normally the same thickness as the warp yarn.

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

This technique is a great way to use a handspun or novelty yarn to really highlight the beauty of the yarn and is also an excellent way to use up leftovers.

A pick up stick is usually used with a supplementary weft – this helps to make a pattern through the use of weft floats.

Using supplementary wefts is a really versatile way to showcase pretty yarn and weave a truly unique piece. I love to design on the loom, trying out different pick ups and different yarns, it’s so much fun and it suits my creative preferences to not have to plan ahead too much.

To weave a sample like I have in the tutorial, you will need the following materials:

  • A 7.5 dent heddle (of course, you can adapt this by using a different sized heddle with a different yarn weight)
  • A stick shuttle or several (use one that is the right size for your loom)
  • A pick up stick (again, use the size that is suitable for your loom or the width of warp you have on)
  • Scissors

Yarn Requirements:

I’m not giving exact yarn amounts, obviously you need more yarn for your warp and tabby (plain weave) than you do for the supplementary weft, but just experiment with what you have.

For my warp I used Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury 8ply (this is a dk weight wool) in Navy. I used this same yarn for the majority of my tabby.

For supplementary wefts I used Noro, handspun and some of my hand dyed wool and cotton – most of these were around a dk to aran weight.

Sampler size suggestion:

When I warp for a sampler like this one, I like to warp around 8-10 inches in width and at least 30″ in length (total length of warp). For my 7.5 dent heddle this was 47 ends.

Weaving and Pick Up Sequences:

You will find all the information you need to follow the video sampler in this downloadable, printable PDF.

Supplementary-weft-youtube-tutorialDownload

There are three ways to use this tutorial. You can either:

  1. Warp your loom and then follow my examples exactly according to the video and PDF.
  2. Warp your loom and follow some of my examples to gain confidence, then try some of your own designs.
  3. Use my designs as inspiration but go your own way by using the techniques and ideas to create your own unique fabric.

Whatever you decide to do with this tutorial, don’t forget to relax and have fun – that’s what it’s all about!

The 45 minute video tutorial is available here-

As always, comments and questions are very welcome in the section below.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Herringbone on a Rigid Heddle Loom

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I am really excited to be offering the Herringbone on a Rigid Heddle Loom class!

Not just because herringbone is such an enchanting weave, but also because this class is very unique.

Usually when I release a new class, I focus on a particular technique or means to set up the rigid heddle loom. This presents a problem. I’m always asked how to set up in other ways.

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For example, if I use a single heddle, heddle rod and pick up stick to weave a particular project, students will ask how to weave it with two heddles. And vice versa.

For this class, I decided to spoil students by providing not just one, but three options for setting up the loom to weave herringbone.

This helps to cater for different learning styles and also differing budgets.

Method one uses two heddles, a pick up stick and a heddle rod.

Method two uses one heddle, 2 heddle rods and a pick up stick.

Method three uses three heddles.

Each method provided has step by step video instructions, visual threading charts and written instructions.

Students will complete a classic herringbone scarf as the class project.

To complete this class you will need:

A rigid heddle loom, 10″ or wider

10 dent heddle (number of heddle required depends on your method choice)

Also, depending on your set up choice, you may need:

Pick up stick

Heddle rod/s

Elastic bands

Tapestry needle

Full yarn requirements will be available upon enrolment.

The class will be available for single purchase, or, if you are a member of the Online Weaving School, this class will be included in your membership. Premium members currently have early access.

Now, for a little fun! As a pre-release celebration, I’m offering two of you the chance to win this class. The winners will be given access to the class upon it’s release shortly.

Here are the entry requirements:

  • You will need to be registered with the Online Weaving School. That way, I can enrol the winners in the class.
  • In the comments section below, tell me whether you would be most interested in method one, two or three to complete the class.

The winners will be announced at the end of this week.

Please note – if you don’t see your comment posted right away, don’t panic, I have to approve all comments first.

*UPDATE – THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW ENDED.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS – ERIN MCGANN AND LYETTE MONGEON

What is art cloth?

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I think of art cloth as a happy meeting of art and weaving.

It doesn’t have to be anything set or particular, art is a difficult topic to distinguish as it can be so incredibly broad.

Usually, when we plan a new woven piece, we start with calculating, sourcing materials, deciding on pattern and colour, and visualising how the finished project might look. It is already an artistic process by default.

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But when I think of art cloth, I think of a piece that is truly my own. I think of multi media techniques and the introduction of tools and materials that I might not ordinarily use in my weaving. I think of creating a piece that will not look like any other, it will be completely unique and original.

What an exciting concept!

I have just completed filming my new class, Art Cloth Workshop.

I’ve been spent a lot of time sampling and exploring, carefully considering what techniques I might like to share with students, testing to ensure quality control and choosing what I think gives great results and is achievable for anyone.

The curriculum plan includes some of the following techniques:

  • Warp painting
  • Inlaid overshot
  • Clasped weft
  • Sun printing
  • and more!

This workshop is a little different to many of my classes in that it is not specifically project based. I do provide project ideas along the way, but the focus is more on sampling to explore the techniques. Once you have learned how to implement them, you can decide whether to go ahead and use them in a project.

The class is filmed on my 24″ Ashford rigid heddle loom. We use a wide variety of materials, and details of these are provided in the class.

The workshop is completely pre-recorded so that you can learn in your own time.

If you are a member of the Online Weaving School, you will have free access to the workshop.

The class is also be available for single purchase.

To view the introduction video to the workshop, click below.

If you are ready to access the workshop, click on this link to enrol.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Diamond Stripe Towels Weave Along Gallery

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Last year I ran a Weave Along based on my Diamond Stripe Towel pattern.

This rigid heddle pattern is a best seller in my Etsy shop (over 1000 copies sold at the time of writing this article!), but many weavers requested that I put together a class or weave along to compliment the PDF pattern.

The first Weave Along was such a huge success and I had so many students ask me to run it again this year. The second weave along ran throughout January 2022 and just like the first one in 2021, was a raging success.

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

Similar to the Wash Your Hands Towels Gallery, I wanted to be able to showcase some student’s beautiful work from the weave along.

The individual choices of colours and styles is so impressive and inspiring!

In this project we use two heddles to create the diamond pattern. It is a challenging technique, but so many participants completed their towels successfully.

Many participants told me that finishing the Diamond Stripe Towels and weaving with two heddles has opened up a whole new world of weaving for them. That is so exciting to hear!

In addition to the community interaction at the Online Weaving School, participants were also invited to join a private Facebook group to share and troubleshoot. This is a wonderful group with a true spirit of willingness to help.

In the first weave along and in the pattern, there was only the option to use 8/2 cotton for the towels. Following feedback from the first participants, I updated the information to include a supplement video section for those who wished to use 8/4 cotton instead. This has allowed weavers to use what is readily available to them, either from their stash or from local suppliers.

*Please note, these cottons are available in Australia from Thread Collective.

The 2022 Diamond Stripe Towel Weave Along is closed for enrolments, but here is the good news.

If you are a Gold Member of the Online Weaving School, this Weave Along is available to you at any time, following the purchase of the pattern.

And who knows? Maybe if I start to get requests, I will run this weave along again sometime in the future 😉

I hope you enjoyed viewing all of these beautiful towels.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!