rigid heddle weaving

Diamond Stripe Towel Weave Along

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

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

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

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

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

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

So, how will the weave along work?

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

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

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

Can you tell me about the pattern?

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

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

What level of weaver will this project be suitable for?

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

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

What kind of loom will I need to participate?

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

What other tools will be needed?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What yarns will I need?

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

Maurice Brass ard 8/2 cotton

Maurice Brassard 8/2 cottolin

Can I weave these towels with 8/4 cotton?

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

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

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

Maurice Brassard 8/4 cotton

Ada 8/2 cotton

Will there be a deadline for completing the weave along?

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

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

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

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

Where will the weave along take place?

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

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

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

How will I know when the weave along is released?

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

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

The Woolery (US)

Revolution Fibers (US)

Thread Collective (Australia)

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

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

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

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

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

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

How to weave Leno on a rigid heddle loom

by Kelly 14 Comments

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

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

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

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

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

Curtains

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

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

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

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

*Handy Tips:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Until next time…

Happy Weaving

What is a heddle rod? Part 2- how to install the rod

by Kelly 4 Comments

Last week we talked about how invaluable a heddle rod is to the rigid heddle weaver.

I showed you how to make string heddles for the heddle rod. If you missed that post, please click here.

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

Now that we know how to make our own string heddles, we can learn how we use them on a heddle rod.

The actual rod needs to be wider than the width of the piece you’re weaving. It can be either flat or round. It should be fairly lightweight and not so large that it is difficult to pick up. It should be smooth but not slippery.

For this tutorial I’m using a smooth but not lacquered wooden dowel measuring 9mm (3/8 of an inch) around. The dowel was purchased at a local hardware store.

Begin by picking up the threads you want to place on the heddle rod according to the pattern or instructions you’re using. It is easiest to pick up the threads in front of the heddle first using a pick up stick. Make sure your heddle (or if you’re using more than one, heddles) are in the down position. This brings slot threads up, and it’s the slot threads we want to pick up.

Once your threads are picked up, slide the front stick towards the heddle and place it on it’s edge. This props up the heddle rod threads at the back of the heddle and differentiates them from all the other threads.

Now you can insert another pick up stick (or stick shuttle if you don’t have the extra pick up stick) into the shed that has been created by the propped up threads behind the heddle/s.

You will need your piece of dowel or whatever you’re using for the heddle rod plus your string heddles handy.

You may find it easier to sit or stand behind the loom for this next part. Working from either right to left (it makes no difference) pick up the threads in order from one side to the other. Keep your pick up stick in place as your visual guide – you can clearly see which threads need to be picked up. Have a string heddle ready at this point.

Bring a string heddle underneath the first thread so that it has a loop on either side of the thread. One loop will be smooth, the other will contain the knot. It is very much preferable not to have your knot near the thread. You want to arrange it so that it will sit on top of the heddle rod.

Bring the two loops of the string heddle together at the top. Note how my knot is sitting at the top rather than at the bottom or underneath the warp thread.

Bring in the heddle rod and slip the loops of the string heddle over it.

Now repeat this step with each warp thread that is sitting on your pick up stick, sliding them onto the heddle rod as you go.

Some of you may like to put the rod down on top of the warp as you organise each string heddle, I like to keep the rod in my left hand while managing the string heddles with my right. It’s a bit fiddly, but I do find it faster. You might need a bit of practice under your belt before you use my approach this though.

Once you have all your string heddles on the rod, you will want to secure them as it is all too common for that heddle rod to slip and then you lose all your hard work!

Some weavers like to use some masking or painter’s tape and place it across the top of the heddle rod.

I have a different and perhaps peculiar method, but it sure does work! I place a rubber band on each end of the rod, close to the string heddles.

Then I run a piece of waste yarn right through the middle of the string heddles, pulling each end of the waste yarn through a rubber band on each end. Then I pull the cut ends of the waste yarn up and tie a bow.

Using this method, my string heddles don’t move and are completely secure on the rod. And no annoying, sticky tape.

If you want to see a video tutorial of this process, you can watch here-

I have a number of classes that make use of heddle rods:

Converting Drafts to a rigid heddle loom

Overshot on a rigid heddle loom (coming soon)

Pinwheels on a rigid heddle loom

All of my free Krokbragd videos on Youtube are set up with a heddle rod too-

I hope you enjoyed this two part heddle rod series, don’t forget to catch the first post on making string heddles here if you haven’t already.

Be sure to leave any questions or comments below, I love to hear from you.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

What is a heddle rod? Part 1 – how to make string heddles!

by Kelly 3 Comments

Never heard of a heddle rod? If you’re a rigid heddle weaver looking to expand your repertoire of skills by using pick up sticks, a heddle rod is a must learn!

There are lots of lovely patterns you can weave with just one pick up stick, but introducing a second (even 3rd, 4th!) pick up stick opens up so many more pattern possibilities

When you start experimenting with pick up sticks you will discover very quickly that when you are using more than one, the two sticks cannot slide past each other at the back of the warp.

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

This leaves the weaver with a conundrum. One of the sticks can be left in place, but the other has to be removed and the threads re-picked up each time you want to weave that pick up stick row. See the picture below for an example.

That can be incredibly tedious, especially when using finer threads or a more complicated pick up pattern.

Luckily for us, there is a relatively quick and easy way to navigate this problem – a heddle rod.

A heddle rod replaces the second pick up stick and sits behind your heddle. The first pick up stick can slide back and forth behind the rod and sit at the back beam when not in use. Hey presto, now you’re weaving a 2 pick up stick pattern with only one stick and a heddle rod!

So, what is a heddle rod exactly?

It can be as simple as a piece of round wooden dowel or a flat, narrow piece of wood. It needs to be wider than the width of the piece you’re weaving and it needs to be smooth but preferably not slippery. The circumference is a personal preference, but not too thick is better – you want it to be light and easy to handle, as you’re going to be lifting it often.

You make string heddles for the rod. These strings, once made, looped around your picked up warp threads, then looped around your rod, will replace the second pick up stick.

One you have your rod installed, you lift the rod each time you want to weave that pattern pick. The string heddles lift up with the rod and in turn, lift up the warp threads they are looped around.

Let’s look at a 2 pick up stick pattern as an example:

Pick up stick 1 sequence – 2 up, 2 down, repeat

Pick up stick 2 sequence – 2 down, 2 up, repeat

Weaving sequence:

Heddle up
Heddle neutral, pick up stick 1 forward, on edge
Heddle up
Heddle in neutral, pick up stick 2 forward, on edge
Repeat

To weave the above sequence with 2 pick up sticks in place would mean that for every 4th pick, you would have to pick up then remove pick up stick 2. Then pick up and remove again the next 4 picks. And that’s no fun!

Here is what your weaving sequence would look like if you left pick up stick 1 in place and installed a heddle rod to replace pick up stick 2:

Weaving Sequence:

Heddle up
Heddle neutral, pick up stick 1 forward, on edge
Heddle up
Heddle in neutral, lift heddle rod
Repeat

Aha! So now our weaving goes much more seamlessly because we are flowing through the weaving sequence instead of having to stop and re-do that second pick up stick all the time.

Now that I’ve sung the praises of the heddle rod highly enough to have convinced you that you really need them in your weaving life, I’m going to show you how to install one.

Today (because this article is already getting long and I don’t want to keep you all day!) I will cover the string heddle component, and next week we will look at the rod and installation component.

To make string heddles, here is what you will need:

A strong yarn suitable for string heddles. I use seine twine (in Australia it’s available here) and find it excellent for two reasons. 1. It is super strong. 2. It doesn’t get fluffy, sticky or static – y (I know, that’s not a word!) all of which will interfere with lifting your warp threads effectively.

2. A pair of scissors. Little scissors are handy for this job, but use what you have.

3. A string heddle template. This comes down to personal preference and how long you want your heddles to be. Too long and they are uncomfortable to lift, too short and they may lift your warp threads when you don’t want them to (for example, when you bring your pick up stick 1 forward) and confuse your shed.

You can use one of your heddle/reeds to measure around as a template, or my preferred method is a hardcover book measures at 10″ around – I like that length for my string heddles.

Something else that is handy but non essential is something to hold the cone of yarn as you wind off yarn to make the string heddles. My warping stand is perfect for this task. If you would like to make a warping stand for a fraction of the price of a store bought one, click here for our free tutorial.

Alright, let’s make some string heddles!

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Take one end of the string heddle yarn and wrap it around your template (remember, I’m using a hardcover book). Bring the ends together at the top of the template.

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Leave a good couple of inches to tie with and cut the end that is feeding from the cone. Be sure not to knot so close to the template that the string heddle is too tight to slide off when you’re done.

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Tie the two cut ends together using an overhand knot, then knot again. With a yarn like seine twine, this makes a really strong knot.

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Once the ends are securely knotted, you can cut the tails a little shorter which will just help to keep things neat and compact on the rod. Don’t cut so close to the knots that you risk them coming undone.

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Slip the completed string heddle off the template.

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There you have it – one completed string heddle! Make as many as you need and keep them somewhere handy for when you need them. The added benefit of using a strong yarn like seine twine is that you will be able to reuse these string heddles for many projects.

The next post will demonstrate how to actually set up the rod and string heddles, but if you can’t wait until then, or if you are more of a visual learner, I’m sure you will find this video most helpful:

If you enjoyed this post, I know you will love my Online Weaving School. With classes for all levels of weaver, there is something for everyone and you can start learning today, in your own time and the comfort of your own home. I hope to see you there!

Questions? I’m all ears! Leave me a comment to continue the discussion or just to let me know that this article was helpful to you 😊

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Free Style Tapestry Weaving on a Rigid Heddle Loom

by Kelly 8 Comments

You know sometimes you do something with absolutely no notion of the possible future repercussions?

That is what happened when I made this freestyle tapestry series. I was really doing it for me, but I decided to turn the camera on and bring my Youtube audience along for the ride.

Since then, the 4 video series has gone viral on Youtube, with one of the videos winging it’s way towards 1 million views! Crazy!

These videos were recorded pre professional lighting and sound equipment. I was using my son’s camera.

This video series on Youtube began after a busy morning, a tired me and a desire to weave something that would be rewarding and yet didn’t take too much brain power.

I was too tired to sit down and calculate a project or go through my stash to see whether I had enough yarn to complete a project.

So instead, I found some bits and pieces of yarns left over from other projects, put a short warp of a fingering weight cotton, hand dyed and left over from a previous project, on my rigid heddle loom (which only took around 20 minutes to do), sat down with my bag of left overs, and just started weaving.

How often do we gift ourselves with this kind of luxury? To weave with no set plan, to invest in the process more so than in the expected outcome? I know that I definitely don’t do this enough!

This kind of weaving is so relaxing and free-ing. It is not a fast way to weave, but when you get in the groove it doesn’t seem to matter how long it takes.

With this kind of weaving we use the basic rules but we bend and stretch them. We say, “I want to do this!”, and we do it. We push the weaving around, we beat it up and down, we put in colour as we go, we use all kinds of yarns. And we love the process.

So, what do you need to get started?

*A rigid heddle loom

Well, a rigid heddle loom is really perfect. It will take care of our 2 sheds and our tension beautifully, so that once warped all we have to think about is the weaving. The heddle goes up, the heddle goes down. Repeat. Simple.

You could do this on a Sampleit or Cricket loom with no problems as you don’t need a wide width – you can make the piece whatever size you wish.

I used a 10 dent heddle for my piece.

You can also weave a piece like this on a simple frame loom or tapestry loom, but using a loom that has the ability to change sheds is really helpful. My Mirrix Big Sister is an example of a tapestry loom with a shedding device.

*A stick shuttle or two.

Using a lot of colours in one project doesn’t lend itself well to stick shuttles, as you would need a lot of them. Therefore, I usually use a couple of stick shuttles and for the rest of the colours I just pass them through with my hands and keep the weft yarn in either butterflies or little balls. Butterflies are neater though. I have a video tutorial on how to make them!

*A threading and reed hook

The reed hook is for pulling threads through the slots of the heddle/reed when you’re warping. The threading hook is to pull the threads through the holes in the heddle/reed when threading the loom after warping. I love and use these Ashford Double Ended Hooks, I have a bunch of them in case I lose any and use them constantly.

*A Tapestry Needle

This is really handy for if you intend to hemstitch your piece and also for needle weaving extra yarn into gappy sections if you want to. A tapestry needle with a bent tip is even better!

*Additional beater

You will need this because we are creating a weft faced weave here, meaning that we want the weft to totally cover the warp. The heddle/reed that we normally use for beating does not push the weft down enough as it is designed more for a balanced weave.

There are a number of options for an additional beater. A large fork works really well. I also have a little tapestry beater that I use. There are “proper” tapestry beaters available as well, but I would only purchase one if I was going to be doing this type of weaving a lot.

What about the warp calculations?

Well, as I pointed out, I didn’t calculate at all, but my warp was around 8 inches wide and 40 inches long.

And the yarns?

A variety of yarns were used, but I did use quite a lot of wool in light worsted/dk weight and also in an aran weight. Some were fingering weight. Some were hand dyed, some were commercial.

I also used some cottons in various weights.

Techniques used:

Mostly this type of weaving is just plain weave (1 pick in the up shed, 1 pick in the down shed, and so on) that is packed down tight.

In some areas I would build up mounds or shapes by taking the weft part of the way through in one shed, change the shed and then take the yarn back the same way I just came in.

For example, I brought the green in from my right in the down shed. Roughly half way across I stopped and took the yarn down through the warp at the back rather than continuing it to the left hand side for a full pick.

I changed into the up shed and took the green back to the left.

This is a classic tapestry technique that allows the weaver to begin building up areas of colour, usually to make shapes.

If you keep ceasing the weft yarn and turning back in the same place each time, you will build a block or straight edged shape. Or, by varying the place in the warp where you turn back the weft, you can taper the shape to make it rounded.

The first and second videos of the series show in detail how this technique is used.

In a number of areas I have used outlining. This is basically putting in a darker weft that either outlines a shape you’ve made or just provides a good contrast between one colour and the outline colour. You can see here that I’ve used some black to outline a green section, and the contrast is very effective:

In some places I combined outlining with needle weaving. Needle weaving allows you get weft yarn into tricky spots. I had created a valley in the middle of my piece, but then I wanted to fill it with a small, highlighted section. I started by outlining a “jewel” shape with my black yarn and a tapestry needle:

Next, I brought in a brightly coloured and highly contrasting hand dyed wool with the needle, and wove that into the space that I had outlined with the black wool:

Needle weaving isn’t the only way to do this, but it’s easy to get exact smaller shapes and sizes within the piece.

If you’re interested to know how the piece actually starts out and how you achieve all those cool curves, the 3rd video restarts another piece in order to show just how it’s done.

And then finally the 4th video has an added bonus of demonstrating how to weave a circle within your piece using a simple template. You can also embellish with embroidery, which I did in some sections of my finished piece. This is easier to do while your weaving is still on the loom.

Due to the huge response from this video series, I decided to make a second freestyle tapestry series for Youtube. This one was inspired by the Van Gogh painting, Starry Night. The video series is filmed mostly in real time and is at a very relaxed, step by step pace.

And, of course you will want to check out the original 4 part video series beginning with part 1:

If you want to get a little more serious or delve into some more traditional techniques for weaving tapestry on your rigid heddle loom, I have an online course that will be just the thing for you.

Some of the topics covered in Tapestry on a rigid heddle Loom include soumak, interlocking, straight lines and how to use a tapestry cartoon. I’m sure you will love it!

Do you have any questions? Have you tried this type of freestyle tapestry weaving? Or do you intend to?

Let me know in the comments below, I love to hear from you!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

How to weave more stunning patterns on a rigid heddle loom!

by Kelly 9 Comments

Making patterns on your rigid heddle loom is a very popular topic, particularly among newer weavers who are experimenting to see just what they can achieve on a rigid heddle loom.

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

Last week I made a tutorial that demonstrated 3 ways to jazz up your plain weave.

This is part two of a tutorial on how to jazz up your plain weave. Part one showed you how to use stripes, dots and dashes, loop pile and butterflies to add some extra pizazz. If you missed part one, please start here and progress on to tutorial two afterwards.

You will need a rigid heddle loom to weave this sampler. In the video, you can see that I’ve used my Sampleit loom.

This downloadable PDF has all the information you need to follow this tutorial in conjunction with the video:

More-Ways-to-jazz-up-plain-weave-part-2-copy Download

For instructions to part one of the tutorial, don’t forget to check out the first article here.

There are so many simple ways to push past plain weave. As I was weaving the sampler I found it hard to limit the number of techniques so that I didn’t end up making this series a year long!

Part two of the tutorial covers and additional 3 techniques that you can use to make your plain weave more exciting or just for fun to explore.

All of these pattern techniques can be worked on a rigid heddle loom that is already set up for plain weave – that is, every hole and slot is threaded.

Doubled Weft (pictured above).

The first technique is straightforward and simple but gives a very cool effect that really pops against the background, contrast colour.

2. Pick Up Rows (the blue blocks below)

This is such a simple concept. I made a pick up pattern and repeated it over and over (with the blue yarn) and only one pick of plain weave (maroon) in between). What you end up with is towers and dots. I had a very small amount of hand dyed rainbow yarn left, so I threw in just one pick in the middle of all the blue, to break it up and create more interest.

3. Staggered Pick Up (the bright green that actually looks like yellow, pictured above).

This is a 2 pick up stick pattern. In the video, I used just one stick and took it out each time I wanted to pick up the other pattern. But, I wouldn’t recommend that unless you’re only weaving a couple of rows, it’s way too tedious. If you want to weave a larger amount of the staggered pickup, a heddle rod is definitely the way to go! Check out this video for how to do that:

And of course, don’t forget to watch video two so that you can see exactly how I worked these techniques:

If you enjoyed this two part series, you will love my Online Weaving School! With over 60 classes currently available, there really is something for everyone. I would love to see you there!

Until next time…

Happy weaving!

3 Ways to Jazz up Plain Weave

by Kelly 8 Comments

I love plain weave, I really do. But sometimes I just think that it is so fun to jazz it up with something special!

Today I’m going to show you three ways that you can jazz up your plain weave, and have some fun with it.

I’ve written several other articles on simple things you can do on the loom for major impact. Things like Colour and Weave , Rigid Heddle Patterns for Beginners and techniques for Making Pictures with your Loom.

*This post contains affiliate links.

I’ve structured this lesson as a sampler for those of you who want to follow along with me and weave a sampler of your own. I used my 10″ Sampleit loom, but any rigid heddle loom will do as we’re only weaving an 8″ width.

All of the yarns, calculations and warp details are contained within this printable PDF, so please download that to access all of that information:

3-Ways-to-jazz-up-plain-weave-part-1 Download

STRIPES

The first example for the sampler is a pretty easy one, but has many variations that really pack a punch visually – stripes!

My example doesn’t look much like stripes because I was using one weft colour in blue and the other matched the maroon warp – so rather than traditional stripes you can end up with dots, dashes and squiggly lines. Pretty cool!

2. LOOPS

This is a super fun technique that requires a bit of patience but is not hard to do. You use a knitting needle to pull up loops of weft between warp threads. This gives a really interesting and textured look, but also has practical applications, like for wash cloths. I employed this technique as a feature in my Lux Hand Towels pattern.

3. BUTTERFLIES

Admittedly, my first attempt at butterflies looked rather spider like, but the second lot were much better. Whatever the case, this is a fun and unique technique where you use a pick up stick to make extra long floats and then CUT them while on the loom! Pretty wild, huh?

In conjunction with the PDF I have for you here, you will definitely want to check out the corresponding video for a full demonstration of all the techniques. You can view that here:

In the video, quite a few links were mentioned. I’m putting them here so that they are easy for you to find-

Online Weaving School

Sampleit loom

Woe to Go! Beginner Rigid Heddle Weaving class

Neat edges for colour changes video

I hope you really enjoy this little sampler project and that it gets your creative weaving juices flowing over! Which of the three techniques is your favourite? Will you weave a sampler of your own?

Stay tuned, as next week I will have part two of this series ready with even more techniques for jazzing up your plain weave!

Until then…

Happy Weaving!

10 Tips to improve your weaving today

by Kelly 19 Comments

Learning to weave is a real journey and it takes time. There is no magic potion or secret ingredient to becoming a better weaver. It takes persistence, time and dedication.

I’ve written a post addressing these facts already – 5 Steps to Successful Weaving, but today I want to give you some short and simple tips that you can do today to improve your weaving.

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Let’s launch right in!

Don’t run before you walk.

It’s easy to look too far ahead in your enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is great, in fact, it’s essential, but don’t let it blind you. Start at the level you’re at and work your way up. If you choose something too difficult for your weaving level, you may be setting yourself up for frustration.

2. Don’t choose the best yarn for your first project

The temptation of a gorgeous yarn with a big price tag is real. A beautiful yarn can be the perfect inspiration for a new project. But not as a beginner. And not until you’re confident that the picture you have in your head of your next project is likely to turn out how you want it to. Once again, the frustration will kick in if all doesn’t go as smoothly as you hoped. You have the extra pressure of the yarn price tag hanging over you. Keep the fabulous yarn for when you’re ready.

3. Begin with yarns that have some elasticity

It just makes beginner weaving life so much easier. A yarn with some elasticity (a woollen knitting yarn is perfect) will stretch just enough and is so forgiving that you should not have real issues with tension. Rigid yarns eg. cotton is much harder to tension on a rigid heddle loom. Wool, on the other hand, works with you, rather than you feeling like you’re working with (or for) it.

4. Start with thicker yarns – knitting yarns are perfect.

A thicker yarn (I recommend a light worsted/dk/ Aussie 8 ply) is great to begin with for a couple of reasons. The thickness is usually the perfect match for your standard 7.5 – 8 dent heddle/reed that came with your loom. So, no need to purchase extra sized heddle/reeds right away. It also weaves up much faster, and I think it’s important to make your first few projects very achievable and not be a massive time commitment. This will make you feel better about tackling the next project.

5. Commit regular time intervals to learning by doing

If your loom sits in a cupboard or your garage, guess what? You’re not going to learn how to weave. You’re not going to improve. And you will probably feel bad about it. If you are a busy person (let’s face it, who isn’t?!) then you may even find it beneficial to plan and schedule your weaving time so that it’s enough of a priority that you will weave regularly. I’m of the opinion that it is more beneficial to your learning journey to weave little and often than a big chunk of time occasionally. You’re training your brain to do new things, so consistency is important! Also, if you can have a dedicated space or at least not have to completely pack up everything after every weave session, that will be a great help and motivator.

6. Expect little – you might surprise yourself.

Hope for the best, but don’t place unrealistic expectations on yourself. Learning new skills takes time and patience, there is no way around that. Yes, some will learn quickly and some will take longer and that’s completely normal. If you haven’t seen my Slow Learning video, you should check it out:

7. Record your project information

You’re not being your own best weaving friend if you don’t take the time to record information from your projects to refer back to. You may think you will remember all the details, but chances are you won’t. I learned early on to write things down before, during and after my project. It is so worse the time. It helps you to not repeat annoying mistakes but also allows you to repeat the things that were desirable. My Weaver’s Toolkit downloadable e-booklet is a great help for recording purposes, it includes warping and weaving calculations sheets plus a project record sheet.

8. Sample.

It took me a while to become a true sampling convert. I do it often now. It’s a guaranteed way to know that your project will turn out well. You have to invest a little yarn and time, but it is very satisfying beginning a project with that kind of confidence.

9. Find the right resources for you.

If you need help, find help. The kind of help will be different depending on your needs. You may find weaving books really helpful, (check out my Amazon shop for my favourites) you may want to access some online lessons, or you may be lucky enough to either live near to face to face classes or know someone who weaves already.

10. There is almost always a fix

If you mess up, it’s not the end of the world! Most mistakes can be rectified. You may need to find extra resources when you encounter a problem but that is a positive part of your learning process. I always say that if I hadn’t made so many mistakes I wouldn’t have learned as much as I have. Make sure you’re subscribed to my Youtube channel where I have many, many videos that can help you out of a tricky situation.

11. Do not use sticky yarns if you are a beginner. I repeat, Do not use sticky yarns if you are a beginner!

I know, I said “10 tips” and this is number 11. But I must make this point, it’s that important.

Please! Just don’t do it!! You wouldn’t believe the number of emails I get from students stuck (pun intended) in their project because of a sticky yarn that won’t let them get a clear shed and causes all kinds of angst and hair tearing activity. Even bad language, so I’ve heard.

So, just don’t do it. No fluffy, sticky yarns (just forget all about that mohair for now). Save the stickies for later (if you really want to – I just generally prefer to avoid them!) and plan the project carefully.

If you need more information on choosing appropriate yarns, check out these other articles I’ve written on the topic:

Choosing and Using Yarns in Weaving…

3 Yarns Beginner Weavers should NEVER use!…

What is Superwash Woollen Yarn?…

I hope these tips are useful to you! If you have any questions, please leave me a comment, I love to hear from you.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

How to deal with warp colour changes

by Kelly 34 Comments

Changing colours in your warp allows you to jazz up your weaving, even if it’s a plain weave project. In this article, I’m going to troubleshoot some of the issues that may arise when you want a colourful or stripey warp when direct warping your rigid heddle loom.

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I’m specifically speaking to rigid heddle weavers who choose to direct warp today, as these issues either don’t occur or are more simply dealt with when using a warping board, or indirect warping.

The two main issues I want to discuss today are how to most effectively deal with a warp that has a lot of colour changes and what to do when your ends are uneven in number.

If you’re not sure of the difference between direct and indirect warping, I’ll briefly explain.

Direct warping your rigid heddle loom involves tying your yarn end onto the apron rod at the back of the loom, taking the yarn through a slot, around a wooden warping peg that is clamped at the desired distance of the warp away, back through the same slot and around the apron rod again. The process then repeats.

In this photo I’m warping a wider warp and am using 2 x pegs in order to spread the warp more evenly and achieve better tension.

I personally love the direct warping method for my rigid heddle loom because it is such a quick and easy process.

Indirect warping is when you make your warp away from the loom, usually on a warping board or warping mill. You then transfer and “dress” the loom with the warp. It takes longer to warp away from the loom, but is necessary for floor and table looms.

If you’re interested in seeing a warping board in action, check out this video:

Let’s talk about the first topic I mentioned, the use of multiple colours in a direct warp. When you want to make a warp with stripes, you will need to warp sections of colour. This usually involves repeating sections of colour in a sequence, so even though you’re changing colours frequently, you are often coming back to a colour you’ve already used. Many weavers ask me the best way to do this – change warp colours frequently.

There are several options.

Tie the colours as you need them on to the apron rod, go through the direct warping process, tie on new colours as you need them but don’t cut them off when you’ve finished with one section. Then when you need to repeat a colour, you pick it up where it was last used and continue on.

2. Tie on each colour to the apron rod and then cut and tie it off on the apron rod when you’ve finished that section. Tie on the new colour to the apron rod, then tie off again when finished with that colour. Continue on across the warp.

3. Tie on to the apron rod and begin to warp, when you need to change colours cut the existing colour close to the apron rod and tie on the new yarn to the old yarn, making a firm knot. This way your thread is continuous even though you are changing colours.

I’ll share which is my favourite option and why. Number 2, wins for me, hands down. Some people are surprised to hear this and wonder why I would take the extra time to do all that cutting and tying on rather than choose to run continuous threads.

It’s a fair question and some are still not convinced when I give my reasons, but that’s ok, we’re all different in our preferences and I encourage you to do what suits you the best.

There are two main reasons why I like the tie on/ tie off method. No crossed threads. I don’t like crossed threads behind my heddle. They are messy and can cause issues like holding some threads down when they should be up and messing up my tension by crossing over the back beam in a higgledy piggledy manner – not my style at all! I can’t even show you a photo of what this looks like, as you will never see it on my loom. The second issue, as I mentioned, is the tension – I believe that my tension is compromised when those warp threads are all over the place at the back beam.

Having said all of that, there is one instance where I would consider using method one – if my colour repeats were extremely short. For example, if I was alternating between two colours every 2 ends, then I would look to decrease my warping time by continuous warping.

But I have found that most of my warps have been larger blocks of colour than that, so I always tie on/ tie off.

A perfect example where my favourite method is employed is in my Log Cabin Table Runner class. Yes, there is a lot of tying and cutting, but look at that tension! Another great example where I use the same technique is my free Wash Your Hands Towels project. I’ll readily admit that this method takes a great deal of extra time, but I also declare that the results are worth the trouble. Perhaps it’s because I’m also a floor loom weaver, and dressing the loom takes a really long time, that using the cut and tie method doesn’t feel excessively long to me. I always say to my students that extra time spent in getting a warp right is never time wasted – it will save you time later with mistakes or hiccups and you will be more pleased with the end results. Each tied section on the apron rod is like it’s own little warp with it’s own individual tension. When you come to wind them on as a whole, the tension is quite beautiful! All of those knots are on the apron rod and won’t move or affect your weaving as you advance the warp.

I didn’t tell you my thoughts on method three. I can speak from experience that it’s less than ideal. Firstly, the knots can slip or come apart, yes, even if you do them tightly. If your yarn is even slightly slippery (as in a soft cotton) you will likely have trouble. Secondly, tying yarn pieces together is more fiddly, in my opinion than tying on and off the apron rod. So, although I’ve tried this option, I now avoid it.

Now let’s discuss the second issue that frequently crops up when direct warping your rigid heddle loom, and that is what to do when your ends are uneven in number.

Sometimes you will come across a pattern or warping chart for your rigid heddle loom that may look something like the following colour sequence:

Blue – 12 ends

White – 8 ends

Red – 11 ends

White – 8 ends

Blue – 12 ends

Repeat from the beginning until you have _____ (however many ends the project calls for) ends.

It all looks good until you come to the “red – 11 ends”. 11 is an uneven number and it means that you can’t just make a loop of your thread for the last end, because then you would have 12 ends instead of the 11. Make sense?

The easiest way to get around this problem when direct warping your RHL is to not warp uneven numbers of ends! If you are designing the warp yourself, just ensure that every warp number is even so that you can loop every single thread. It might mean a little mathematical adjustment here and there, but it’s not hard and only requires basic math to figure out (I don’t say this lightly, you’re talking to a mathematics hater here!)

But what if you’re using somebody else’s patterns or instructions (by the way, you will notice that none of my patterns or classes have odd numbered ends 😉). Many patterns might be written for indirect warping, hence the odd numbers. Well, you can still adjust that pattern to custom fit it to your requirements without too much trouble.

Going back to my example colour sequence above, it would be a simple matter of rounding the “11” for red down to 10 or up to 12. Yes, you will have to rejig your initial pattern a little to allow for extra or less ends, but as I said, it’s not all that difficult.

But, if you really want to stick to the original pattern with the odd ends, there is something else you can do with your direct warp. If you warp the single colour end by itself, you will have trouble when it comes time to thread the holes. The hole thread will be missing in the place where you only took that single thread through the slot! This means that you have to use the thread from the slot, then shuffle over other threads in order to make sure all the holes and slots are threaded, thus reducing your warp size and possibly messing up your pattern if it’s meant to be threaded in a particular order. There is another way, but it has it’s own set of problems.

You take your single thread (say we’re doing the red and it’s thread 11) to the warping peg through the slot as normal. When you get to the peg, you cut the thread, leaving some spare to go around the peg and tie off. Tying off loosely with a gap is preferred, so that it comes off the peg easily when you want to wind on the warp. Then, instead of going straight back to the loom, you tie the next colour on to the peg. Following our example, that would be white. Take the white back through the same slot that the red was brought through, then back around the apron rod.

Hold up, what’s the problem with that? Well, if we take the white back from the peg, it then becomes a single. We need 8 ends of white, but now we’re going to end up with uneveness again! Further mathematical adjustments would be required or the warp will not be the width you planned for in initial calculations and once again, the pattern may be off.

You see what I mean? Isn’t it just way more simple to even out all of those numbers and save yourself a big headache? I surely think so, but if you have a different opinion or another workaround for the issue, I’d love for you to set me right by leaving me a comment 😄

OK, weavers, I think that’s quite enough for today, I hope I’ve helped rather than boggled your minds with all this!

If you haven’t already, you may want to check out my Online Weaving School, where there are many classes or memberships to choose from and catering to all different weaving levels. You will also find a range of digital download PDF weaving patterns in my Etsy Shop.

Maybe I should aim for a brief and easy going post next time!

Until then…

Happy Weaving!

How to weave Snowmen on your rigid heddle loom

by Kelly 9 Comments

Snowmen are not something you might naturally think of when wondering what to weave next on your rigid heddle loom, but I love any excuse to make pictures on my loom, especially if they are as cute as these little snowmen guys are!

Weaving snowmen on your rigid heddle loom may not be as difficult as you think. We employ a type of overshot technique to create floats. Depending on the length of each float, we can then arrange them to make pictures. We warp the loom as we normally do for plain weave.

Overshot usually uses a thicker weft for the patterning (or floats) and a thinner, contrasting weft for the background (plain weave, commonly known as “tabby” when used in this way).

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The weft floats do not become incorporated into the fabric, they literally float on top, which is why we use tabby in between pattern rows to tie the whole thing down and create a stable fabric. It also gives that lovely, slightly 3D effect of the pattern or picture being slightly raised.

Because of the varying length in floats, there is something you need to keep in mind when doing this kind of weaving. Quite often, and particularly with a thicker yarn like I’ve used for this sample, the floats at the back of the work will be long. This might make the piece unsuitable for some uses. For example, a kitchen towel with long floats on the back is not ideal. The floats will catch on things and likely become a bit ratty and not neat looking over time. That is the other consideration – the back does not always look attractive and you may not want it on show. In my sample below, you can see the added untidiness of my having embroidered on details like the scarves.

A way around this issue is to plan to use this technique in a pattern where the back of the work will not show. Some ideas are notebook or journal covers, a table centrepiece or runner where you intend to sew a backing to the piece, a cute Christmas wall hanging and so on.

Here is what you will need to weave a sample like this one:

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

10 dent reed

A pick up stick

A knitting needle is handy but not essential

Yarns-

There are no set yarns for this project, but I will share what worked well for me and give suggestions for possible alternatives.

For the warp I used a fingering weight (Australian 4 ply) cotton in a hand dyed medium to dark blue. Rug warping cotton would work fine.

My tabby weft (background weft) was a lighter but strong coloured light worsted/dk weight (Australian 8 ply) in wool.

For the pattern weft, I used a cream coloured aran weight (Australian 10ply) in wool.

For the little hats, I used some black fingering weight wool – you don’t need very much of that.

I love to use wool, particularly for the patterning in this type of weaving because it works so well. Because it has that lovely fluff and bounciness, it fills in any gaps between pattern wefts and makes the design look full. You will notice that my pattern weft is only slightly thicker than my tabby weft, but the pattern weft still stands out due to it’s loftiness.

The embroidered details are what really bring these little snowmen to life. Stick arms, scarves, eyes, carrot noses, buttons down the front – the amount of detail is up to you. You don’t need to be a great embroiderer as the details are all just worked in simple straight stitches. For the scarves, to give them that really nice shiny look, I used Bambu 7. This yarn can be quite difficult to obtain, so here are some alternatives:

5/2 bamboo weaving yarn

Pure Bamboo yarn

DMC Embroidery floss (my favourite brand)

Anchor Embroidery floss

If you decide to use embroidery floss, don’t separate the strands, use all 6 of them for just the right snowman thickness.

If you would like to weave some snowmen of your own, here is a printable PDF that gives you the weaving sequences and details:

Snowmen-on-a-rhl Download

You will also want to watch and follow along with the instructional video to see the weaving in action:

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! Let me know if you weave some little snowmen of your own, and as always, leave any comments or questions underneath, I love to hear from you!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!