Once you know how much yarn you need, it’s a simple matter of getting those yarns on the loom. This involves measuring and cutting the appropriate number of warp ends, threading the rigid heddle, and tying the warp on to the back apron rod and winding it on the loom under even tension. From there it’s a matter of crossing those warp yarns with a separate weft yarn in an over-under-over progression to form cloth.
Don’t be surprised if you feel awkward and clumsy the first few times you try it. Just like learning to ride a bike, you need to practice to get the hang of it. And don’t get frustrated if you make mistakes. Even seasoned weavers make mistakes from time to time. Fortunately, most mistakes can be overcome with a few small adjustments that you’ll find on page 48.
Before you can weave cloth, the loom has to be “dressed.” Dressing the loom is the process of measuring the warp, threading it through the rigid heddle, winding it onto the back beam, and putting it under uniform tension. Although there are a lot of steps, you’ll find that they go quickly and it won’t be long before you’re able to warp an eight-inch-wide scarf in an hour or less. For easy reference, use the warping checklist on page 123.
While it’s possible to measure each warp end separately, it would take a long time, and the individual lengths would tangle hopelessly with each other. Fortunately, there are a variety of ways to make this easier. The method I like best uses a warping board. A warping board consists of a number of pegs attached to a square frame. Some rigid heddle looms have built-in warping boards. If yours doesn’t, consider purchasing one. Many looms also include warping pegs, which can substitute for a warping board. Warping pegs can be clamped to surfaces that are spread apart the distance of the desired warp length, then the warp can be wound between them. They even allow you to wind your warp and thread the rigid heddle simultaneously. But in all my years of teaching, I find that warping boards are easier for beginning weavers.
To begin, place the warping board at a comfortable height—I have mine mounted on the wall, but you can also place it on a narrow tabletop and prop it against the wall. Let’s use the scarf project from the previous section for our warping example. We calculated that the warp ends will need to be 100" (254 cm) long and that we’ll need 66 of them. The first step is to measure the 100" length with a leader yarn. The leader yarn is any inelastic yarn, such as thick cotton, that won’t stretch under tension. It’s a good idea to choose a color that’s different from the warp yarn. Measure 100" (254 cm) of the leader yarn, then add an extra 10" (25.5 cm) to allow for tying the ends of the leader onto the pegs of the warping board.
Two possible paths for a three-yard warp.
Tie the first 5" (12.5 cm) of the leader yarn to the upper left peg of the warping board. Bring the yarn across the top of the board to the upper right peg, then zig and zag it between pegs until you’ve used up all but the last 5" (12.5 cm), adjusting the path as necessary to end at a peg and taking care not to cross the yarn on itself at any point. Tie the last 5" to the nearest peg. The leader yarn now shows the path to follow to measure 100" (254 cm) of yarn.
Beginning at the top left, zig and zag the leader yarn as necessary to end at a peg.
Tie one end of the warp to the leader yarn.
With the exception of forming the cross, winding the warp is now a simple matter of following the leader. The cross keeps the warp lengths in order, which is the key to minimizing tangles later. Place the warp yarn on the floor in front of the warping board. You can secure the yarn in a commercial cone or ball holder, or you can make your own. I like to use an empty coffee can or oatmeal box that has a well-fitting plastic lid. I cut a hole in the plastic lid, then place the cone or ball in the container, thread the yarn through the hole, and attach the lid. Then it’s easy to wind the yarn without the yarn flopping around and getting tangled up on my legs.
Follow the leader.
Tie one end of the warping yarn to the top left peg of the warping board, in front of the leader yarn. Holding just enough tension to prevent the yarn from sagging, but not so much as to cause it to stretch, follow the path of the leader yarn exactly, ending over the peg where the end of the leader is tied. You have now wound one 100” (254 cm) length. To continue, wind the warp yarn around the bottom of the last peg, then follow the leader back to the second peg, placing the yarn next to (but not on top of) the yarn of the previous pass. Now it’s time to form the all-important cross. Bring the yarn over the second peg, then under the first. You have now wound two 100” (254 cm) lengths. Next, bring the yarn and over the top of the first peg, then under the second, then follow the leader to the last peg for the third length. Continue in this manner, being careful to form the cross on the first two pegs by always going over the second peg, under the first, around the first, then under the second: over, under, over, under.
Form the cross on the first two pegs by always going over the second peg, under and over the first, then under the second.
No Warping Board?
If you don’t have a warping board, clamp two L-brackets about a foot away from each other on a stable surface. You will need enough room to extend the yarn to a third secured L-bracket 100" (254 cm) from the first bracket or the chosen length of your warp. You will form the cross between the first two brackets. This process usually involves locking the cat in another room and having someone watch the kids or other individuals who may be tempted to mess with your yarn.
To keep track of the number of warp ends wound, loop a contrasting yarn around groups of 20 ends as you wind the warp.
As you wind the warp, be careful not to stretch the yarn or it will be shorter than you intended when released from the tension of the warping board. Also, with each pass of the warp yarn, take care to position the yarn on the pegs in front of the yarn from the previous pass so that the yarns are in parallel alignment. Otherwise, you’ll create tangles that will give you grief later when you wind the warp onto the loom.
Each circular path of the warp represents two warp ends (you’ll cut the loops at the first and last pegs later to separate them). To count warp ends, count the number of ends on top of the first or second peg and multiply this number by two. For our example, we want a total of 66 warp ends, so we should stop winding when there are 33 threads on the top of the first peg (or 66 threads on any other peg except the last one). To help you keep track of your progress, you may find it helpful to use a 20" (51 cm) length of contrasting yarn to wrap around every 20 warps as you go. When you have the correct number of ends, cut the warp yarn and tie the end to the first or last peg (depending on whether you want an even or odd number of ends), just like you tied the yarn when you began winding. If your project calls for a warp that fills the entire width of the reed, wind the warp in two smaller sections rather than one large one to make the next step easier.
Before you take the yarn off the warping board, measure the length on your loom from the back beam to the front beam. Measure the same distance from the first peg to mark placement of the choke tie. The choke tie is a 20" (51 cm) length of contrasting yarn tied around the entire bundle of warp yarns to keep them from slipping as you thread the rigid heddle. You can use the same yarn you used to count groups of 20 when you wound the warp. The choke will be used to tie the warp to the front beam after the threaded rigid heddle is placed in the loom. This allows you to tie the warp onto the back beam without the threads slipping and inadvertently shortening the warp length. You can also use choke ties on the four parts of the cross, but I find this overkill.
Use a contrasting yarn to tie a choke tie on the warp at the same distance from the first peg as your loom measures from the back beam to the front beam.
Before you continue, take a little break—visit the bathroom, have a cup of tea—then turn off your phone. Once you take the warp off the warping board, you don’t want to be interrupted until it’s completely threaded through the reed.
The most important thing to remember when removing the warp from the warping board is to maintain the integrity of the cross. Using your non-dominant hand (i.e., your left hand if you’re right handed; your right hand if you’re left handed), place your thumb on the right side of the cross, your index finger on top, your ring finger on the bottom, and your middle finger on the left side. This will secure the four parts of the cross as you remove it from the loom and transfer it to the rigid heddle. Gently slide the warp off the first and last pegs, draping the cross over your dominant hand.
To hold the cross, place your thumb on the right side of the cross, your index finger on top, your ring finger on the bottom, and your middle finger on the left side as you gently slide the cross off the pegs.
Thread the first color in the appropriate holes and slots.
Thread the second color in the vacant holes and slots.
Multiple Warp Colors
If you want more than one color in your warp, you can wind the warp in the desired color sequence, tying off the colors at the first or last peg at color changes, or you can wind each warp color separately. In general, it takes longer to change colors while you’re winding, but the colors will be in the correct order when you thread the reed. I find it easiest to wind a separate warp for each color. When it’s time to thread the warp through the reed, I thread one color, skipping holes and slots where I want the second color to be, then thread the second color in the vacant holes and slots.
(Note: The photos in this section are shown on a Schacht loom.)
To hold the rigid heddle steady as you thread the warp ends through the holes and slots (i.e., the reed), place the rigid heddle in its working position on the loom (be sure to secure the rigid heddle so it doesn’t accidentally fall out of the brackets) or secure it in a special stand—called a reed stand— designed for this purpose. A reed stand props the rigid heddle at a comfortable angle for threading. If you don’t have a reed stand, you can fashion your own with two large spring-loaded clamps, two L-brackets, and one small clamp. Use the large clamps to secure the L-brackets to the top of a table, spaced apart an inch closer together than the reed width. Prop the rigid heddle against the backs of the brackets and secure it to the top of the L-bracket with the small clamp. Whether you use a commercial reed stand or one that you make yourself, it’s helpful to place an extra clamp on the worktable adjacent to your dominant hand. You can use this clamp to wind the excess warp on while you’re threading the reed so it doesn’t get tangled or use it to store the cross if you must get up (see sidebar on page 33).
A reed stand holds the rigid heddle steady while it is threaded.
You can make your own reed stand with two large clamps, two L-brackets, and one small clamp.
If you thread the reed while the rigid heddle is in position on the loom, it is helpful to tie the choke to the front beam before you start threading and wind the excess warp length around the clamp on the work-table. This will decrease tangling and keep the weight of the warp from the pulling the threads out of the rigid heddle.
To ensure that the warp is centered on the loom, place a tape measure at the center of the rigid heddle—I mark this spot with a permanent marker for easy reference. Measure half the distance of your desired weaving width in the direction of your dominant hand. For our example of a 6.6" (16.8 cm) warp, we’d measure 3.3" (8.4 cm) from the center point. Because most tape measures are marked in eighths of inches instead of tenths, I use the tape to measure the inches, then I eyeball the fraction. Insert the threading hook through the slot or hole that corresponds to 3.3" (8.4 cm) from the center so that the handle of the hook is at the back of the reed and the hook is in front. This is where you’ll thread the first warp end.
Measure half the distance of your weaving width.
Insert the threading hook through slot or hole at the measured distance.
With the cross secured in your non-dominant hand, use your other hand to cut the loops so that all of the threads hang free at this end of the warp bundle. Holding the cross in your hand with your palm facing upwards, use your other hand to pick up the first warp thread and fold it into a loop, then grasp it between the thumb and index finger of the hand holding the cross. With your dominant hand, use the threading hook to grab the loop and pull it though the marked hole or slot of the reed. Make sure to pull at least two feet through the hole so that it won’t slip. Fold the end of the next warp thread into a loop and use the hook to pull it through the next hole or slot toward the center of the reed. Continue in this manner, alternating holes and slots until all the warp ends have been threaded.
Wrap the length of the warp around clamp on the worktable.
Cut the loops at the end of the cross.
Hold the cross with your palm up and use your other hand to thread the individual ends through the rigid heddle.
Form a loop with the first yarn length and hold it with the hand holding the cross.
Use the threading hook to pull loop through the first slot or hole.
Working towards the center of the rigid heddle, use the hook to pull the individual warp ends through adjacent slots and holes.
In Case of Emergencies
Use a steel clamp to secure the cross in an emergency.
If you absolutely must put down the warp before you’re finished threading the holes and slots in the rigid heddle, be sure to secure the cross in some manner. For such emergencies, I have a steel spring-clamp attached to my worktable. It’s large handles are a perfect place to store the cross so it remains intact until I can hold it again. Place the cross “upside down” between the two handles of the clamp. Allow the loose ends of the cross to dangle free from the lower handle and drape the length of warp on the worktable. Place a heavy object such as a book or another clamp (I have dozens of them around my workspace) on the warp to prevent it from slipping.
The final step is to wind the yarn onto the loom and place it under tension. You’ll want a pair of scissors handy, as well as smooth sturdy paper (cut up paper bags work well) or thin warp sticks (sold separately and cut to order) to place between the layers as the warp is wound around the back beam.
If you used a reed stand, carefully lift the rigid heddle out of the stand and place it in the neutral position in the heddle blocks, being sure to orientate it so that the choke tie is at the front of the loom and the cut ends are at the back of the loom. Use the loose ends of the choke to tie the warp to the front or cloth beam. Wrap the warp around the cloth beam a few times to keep it out of the way as you work. Bring the back apron rod over the top of the back beam and close to the threads coming out of the rigid heddle. Divide the warp in half and starting from the center, tie 1" (2.5 cm) bundles of the warp—you can eyeball this; it doesn’t have to be exact—onto the back apron rod in secure square knots, striving to use the same amount of yarn in each knot. To make a square knot, divide the one-inch bundles in half and bring each half over the top of the apron rod and around the outside of the warp bundle (see page 36). Tie the two parts of a square knot on top of the warp to secure it to the apron rod.
With scissors, cut the choke tie so that the warp ends can spread out to the threaded width of the reed. Stand to the side of the loom and turn the crank with your dominant hand to wind the warp around the back beam, stopping before the warp forms a second layer on the beam. Slip the smooth sturdy paper or warping sticks between the warp layers to prevent the layers from interfering with one another (the paper will advance along with the warp as you turn the crank; if you’re using warping sticks, add more sticks as necessary). As you wind the warp, resist the temptation to “rake” the warp ends with your fingers. In fact, the less you touch the warp the better—the individual ends will straighten themselves out as they pass though the heddle and manipulating it with your fingers at this point may only cause tension problems later.
Place the rigid heddle in the loom (shown on a loom stand here).
Tie the choke to the front or cloth beam.
1. Starting at the center, tie the warp ends onto the back apron rod in square knots.
Tie 1" (2.5 cm) warp bundles around the apron rod in square knots.
After you’ve wound a few turns, go to the front of the loom, grasp the warp firmly in one hand while using the other hand to steady the loom. Pull on the warp as a unit (do not pull individual threads) with firm and even tension to remove any slack in the wound warp.
2. Wind the warp around the back beam for one revolution, stopping before the warp winds on itself.
4. Continue to advance the warp between layers of paper (or warping sticks).
5. After a few revolutions, pull on the unwound warp as a unit to remove slack in the wound warp.
Return to the side of the loom and wind a few more turns, adding sheets of paper as necessary to maintain a continuous boundary between warp layers, then move to the front of the loom and pull on the warp again. Continue to go back and forth between winding a few turns and pulling the yarn at the front to remove slack until about 12" (30.5 cm) of warp remains in front of the reed. The next (and final) step is to tie the warp to the front apron rod. But before you do, take a few minutes to double check the threading in the reed. Make sure that you didn’t miss any holes or slots in the reed and that there is just one warp thread in each (there will be times when you’ll want skipped holes or slots or double threads, but this isn’t one of them).
3. Slip the sturdy paper (or warping sticks) between the warp layers to keep them from interfering with one another.
Now go to the front of the loom and pull the front apron rod over the front beam, close to the dangling warp ends. Use scissors to evenly cut the loops at the end of the warp so that the ends are completely separate from one another.
6. Cut the loops at the end of the warp to separate the ends.
Divide the warp in half as you did when tying onto the back apron rod, and working from the center out to the sides, tie the warp onto the front apron rod in 1" (2.5 cm) bundles, tying just the first half of a square knot for each bundle. Beginning at the center and working one group at a time outward to the edges, pull on the tails of the first half-knot to tighten the slack in the warp. When the tension feels even, tie the second half of the knot to secure the warp, striving to produce the same amount of tension on each group. To check that the tension is even, pat the warp threads gently with your hand. If you feel any soft spots, correct the tension by tightening up the corresponding knots.
7. Tie the ends in bundles to the front apron rod using the first half of square knots.
8. Pull on the tails of the knots to tighten the warp uniformly.
9. Pat the warp to check for loose or tight bundles. Adjust as necessary, then tie the second half of each square knot.
Next, put the rigid heddle in the up position in the heddle blocks to make sure that every other thread is lifted. There will be a significant space between the lifted threads (those threaded through the holes) and the stationary threads (those threaded in the slots). This is the shed. Now put the rigid heddle in the down position and notice that every other thread is now lowered. By moving the rigid heddle up and down, you’ll create two different sheds through which to place the weft yarn. That’s all there is to it; well, almost. Read on.
To weave cloth, the weft must travel across the warp threads in an over-under-over pattern. To facilitate this, the rigid heddle is alternately lifted and lowered to lift and lower alternate warp ends (the ones that were threaded through the holes in the rigid heddle) while the weft is passed back and forth across the warp. The rigid heddle is used to straighten and align each pass of the weft. Weaving is a simple manner of lifting half the warp, passing the shuttle through the shed, positioning it with the rigid heddle, lowering half the warp, passing the shuttle through the shed in the opposite direction, positioning it, then repeating the process, over and over. When the weft travels over and under adjacent warp ends, plain weave cloth is woven.
Shuttles are used to hold the weft yarn in an orderly manner to facilitate the weaving process. Shuttles come in all shapes and sizes designed to help with various weaving techniques. The most popular shuttle for rigid heddle looms is a stick shuttle.
You’ll want to wind as much weft as possible on the shuttle without inhibiting its ability to pass easily through the shed. Start by winding several rotations along the middle of the shuttle, then several figure eights along each side. Repeat several passes of each of these motions until the shuttle is comfortably full of weft yarn.
Wind warp on a stick shuttle along the center and in figure eights on each edge (shown on one edge only here).
Notice how the warp bunches together at each group that’s tied to the apron rod. The “real” cloth doesn’t begin until these spaces are uniform and the warp is at its full width. It usually takes about an inch or two of weaving, called the header, to bring the warp to its full width. Therefore, you may want to weave this initial part with waste yarn (you’ll remove it before finishing the cloth). The length of the warp between the beginning of the full-width cloth and the knots on the apron rod can be used as fringe—more on that later.
The warp will bunch together where it’s tied to the apron rod.
Weave an inch or two with waste yarn to bring the warp to its full width.
Each pass of the shuttle is called a shot. After each shot, the rigid heddle is pulled toward the front beam to align the weft perpendicular to the warp and “beat” it close to the previous weft shot. Because of this action, the rigid heddle is also referred to as the beater. The leading edge of the woven cloth, where the next shot of weft will be placed, is called the fell. The fell line is perpendicular to the warp threads. Once the weft is woven, each woven thread is referred to as a pick.
To begin, put the rigid heddle in the up position. Unwind enough yarn from the shuttle to extend about 3" (7.5 cm) beyond the width of the warp. Then pass the shuttle through the shed so that a tail of weft about 3" (7.5 cm) long hangs free beyond the selvedge. Pull the rigid heddle forward to align the weft perpendicular to the warp. You have now woven one pick. Place the rigid heddle in the down position. Tuck the free weft tail about 2" (5 cm) into the shed and allow it to exit out of the shed (you’ll trim it later). Then unwind a bit more yarn from the shuttle and pass the shuttle through the shed in the opposite direction, placing the weft at a 45-degree angle. Pull the rigid heddle forward to align this pick with the previous one. It is important to maintain a 45-degree angle when laying the weft yarn in place. This angle will provide necessary extra length for the weft to travel over and under the individual warp threads.
Pass the shuttle through the first shed, leaving a 3" (7.5 cm) tail at the selvedge edge.
Change sheds and tuck the weft tail into the new shed for about 2" (5 cm).
Pull the rigid heddle forward to align the weft picks.
Continue weaving by moving the heddle up or down, placing yarn in the shed, and beating it into place. Each pick will reduce the size of the shed, and it won’t be long before the shed is too small to allow the shuttle to be passed through at a 45-degree angle. At this point, you’ll need to advance the warp. To advance the warp, release the tension from the front and back beams by pulling forward on the levers that release the front and back brakes, then wind the woven cloth onto the front beam to make more space for the shed, being sure to stop winding when the fell line is still in front of the front beam. It’s a good idea to place smooth paper between the first few revolutions of the cloth on the front beam, just as you did when winding the warp on the back beam. This will allow the cloth to wind onto the front beam evenly and decrease tension problems in the warp later. In most cases, it is not necessary to place paper between each layer, just the first few times around.
One of the hallmarks of beautiful cloth is straight edges or selvedges. Although the weft appears to follow a straight line from selvedge edge to selvedge edge, it actually follows a sinuous path as it bends over and under the individual warp threads. To allow for the extra length needed for this sinuous path, pass the shuttle through the shed at an angle to the warp. For balanced weaves, 45 degrees is about right; for warp-faced weaves (in which there are fewer warp ends to travel over and under), 20 degrees is about right. You’ll want to experiment to determine what’s best for each project (this is one reason why it’s a good idea to allow for sampling when measuring the warp). If the angle is too small, the selvedges will draw in toward the center and crowd the warp threads; if it’s too large, loops may form at the selvedges. Even experienced weavers can have trouble getting straight selvedges, so don’t despair if yours aren’t perfect. Like all acquired skills, it takes practice. Don’t get too concerned about doing anything exactly “right;” as long as you do anything consistently, it will appear intentional!
Place the weft in the shed at a 45-degree angle to provide enough slack for a balanced weave.
If there isn’t enough slack in the weft, the selvedges will draw in.
If there is too much slack in the weft, loops may form at the selvedges.
Another key to beautiful cloth is consistent spaces between individual weft picks. The spacing between the warp ends is made uniform when the warp is threaded through the reed. Once a loom is warped, you don’t have to worry about them. But the spacing between individual weft picks depends on how firmly you beat each pick with the rigid heddle, and that can vary a lot. Consider the photo below. The first inch was woven with a firm beat that packed the weft picks close to one another. In this section, there are more weft picks per inch than warp ends. The second inch was woven with a light beat that allowed considerable space between individual picks. In this section, there are fewer weft picks per inch than warp ends. The third inch was woven with an intermediate beat that produced the same number of weft picks per inch as warp ends. This section is woven with a balanced beat.
Depending on the look you want for your cloth, you may choose a firm, light, or balanced beat. All are fine. But whichever you choose, you want to be consistent throughout the entire project. You may find it helpful to periodically unwind the cloth from the front beam to check that you’ve maintained a consistent beat (i.e., the weft picks are evenly spaced). This isn’t as hard as it sounds—you’ll quickly settle into a rhythm of forming the shed, passing the shuttle, and beating the weft, and this rhythm will result in uniform cloth. It’s this rhythm that draws people to weaving.
From bottom to top, this warp was woven with a firm beat, a light beat, and a balanced beat.
Once the cloth is rolled on the front beam it can be hard to tell how much cloth you have woven. A simple way to keep track is to measure the cloth as you weave. Before the cloth begins to wind on the front beam, use a tape measure to measure the amount that you’ve woven (be sure to begin your measurement where the warp is spread to its full width). Mark one selvedge with a contrasting thread and make a note of this measurement. Continue to weave until this marker thread reaches the front beam, then mark the selvedge with another contrasting thread. Add up the distances between marker threads to measure your progress.
If you run out of yarn on your shuttle or the weft breaks, there is a simple method to start a yarn. Open a new shed and place the tail of the old yarn into the new shed at an angle, allowing it to exit on top of the warp. Bring the new yarn into the shed until it overlaps the old yarn, then exit its tail a few inches from the exiting tail of the old yarn and beat. Continue weaving and trim the tails after you have woven a few picks.
To join new weft yarn, overlap the old and new yarns for about 2" (5 cm), allowing tails of each to exit the warp.
After you’ve woven a few picks, trim the ends.
Bring the new yarn into the shed from the other side, leaving a tail at the selvedge.
To add a new color, start by cutting the yarn you have been working leaving a generous tail. Open a new shed and place the tail back into the shed bringing it up above the warp a couple of inches from the selvedge, leaving it at an angle. Starting from the opposite side of where you ended the old color, place the new color in the same shed, also at an angle and leaving a tail of this color hanging out from the edge.
Place the end of the old weft at an angle in the next shed, leaving a tail on top.
Beat the yarns, then change the shed. Bring the new color tail back into the weft at an angle. Lay in a second pick of the new color, then beat it into place. Continue weaving as usual with the new yarn. After you’ve woven an inch or two, trim the tails close to the surface of the cloth.
Tuck the weft tail in the same shed as the second pick and beat them together.
Weaving with two shuttles isn’t any more difficult than weaving with one, but it is important that you’re consistent with how you manipulate the two at the selvedges. For example, let’s say you wanted to weave narrow two-pick stripes of red and brown for the Grab It and Go Bag on page 84. You’d begin by winding each color on a separate shuttle. Weave two picks of red in the usual manner, then place the shuttle within easy reach beside you, in your lap, or on the loom. Beginning from the same side that the red started, weave two picks with brown and place that shuttle within easy reach. Pick up the red shuttle so that the red yarn comes from under the brown, then weave two picks with red. Continue in this manner, always picking up new color from under the old. You may find that the selvedges aren’t perfectly straight, but as long as you are consistent in how the yarns cross at the edges, you’ll create a decorative repeating pattern on the selvedges. After weaving a few inches, trim the beginning tails.
Use these principles even if the pattern isn’t worked in twos. You may have to experiment with which side you enter the first versus second color, just be sure to always go under the previously worked thread.
1. Place the first shuttle within easy reach as you weave with the second.
2. Place the second shuttle next to the first.
3. Pick up first shuttle from under the second. Continue to weave, always picking up the new color from under the old.
4. After you’ve woven a few inches, trim the tails.
To finish, work a few picks with scrap yarn to hold the last picks of the cloth in place. Untie the warp from the front and back beams and pull the cloth off of the loom. If you don’t plan to use any of the loom waste for fringe (or if you’re sure to leave enough length for fringe before you cut), you can cut the warp near the apron rods instead of untying them, then untie the knots and throw them away. These waste yarns are called thrums. Some weavers save them obsessively and tie them together to use a weft for another project. They can also be used for pom-poms or fringe.
You have a few choices for finishing your weaving. Most of the projects in this book are finished with knotted or twisted fringe or with hemstitching, followed by fulling or gentle washing.
Hemstitching is worked with a needle and weft yarn while the project is still on the loom (see page 120). It holds the weft in place and creates a tidy edge for fringe. To finish, simply remove the scrap yarn from the header after stitching (scrap yarn is not necessary at the final edge of cloth that has been hemstitched).
If you want a knotted or twisted fringe, trim the warp ends a few inches longer than the desired fringe length to keep the ends manageable. Place the cloth near the edge of a table so that a short end hangs off the edge. Place a book or other weight on top of the cloth to prevent it from slipping. Sit on a short stool or the floor so that the working ends are at eye level. Remove the scrap yarn at the end of the cloth and knot or twist the fringe as desired (see page 121). Repeat for the other end of the cloth.
If you want to create a dense, sturdy cloth, full it by subjecting it to water, soap, and agitation (see page 55). Fulling isn’t an exact science so it’s important to monitor the progress. Because fulling involves shrinkage of the fibers, there’s no going back to “unfull” an “overfulled” cloth.
Most handwovens should be washed by hand. To do this, fill a basin or tub with lukewarm water and add about a teaspoon of delicate soap. Gently agitate the cloth with your hands, being careful not to agitate so much that fulling occurs. Remove the cloth from the water, drain the water, refill the basin with clean water, and return the cloth to rinse it. Repeat the rinse process as many times as necessary to remove all the soap from the cloth. Gently squeeze out the water, then roll the cloth in a clean towel to remove excess moisture. Lay it flat to dry.
Once the cloth is dry, use scissors or a rotary cutter against a self-healing mat to trim the fringe straight and to the desired length.
The most important thing to know about weaving mistakes is that none is insurmountable. I have lost my cross, wound short warps, hacked color order, and had more tension problems than a Wall Street broker on a bad day. I have, however, never lost the battle. Sometimes it takes me longer to do a task than I thought it would, but everything is fixable (or the fabric turns into something other than originally envisioned). The most important lesson I’ve learned is that if things are going wrong, it’s sometimes best to walk away. A good night’s sleep can completely change my perspective. The second most important thing I’ve learned is that it is better to fix small mistakes as soon as they crop up so they don’t become big problems later. The three problems you’re most likely to encounter are broken warp threads, weft floats or skips, and tension problems.
A broken warp end doesn’t ruin a project. If a warp end breaks, simply pull that end free from the rigid heddle and replace it with a new piece of yarn. You’ll need a T-pin and a small weight (I like to use plastic film canisters—which are becoming scarce—filled with dried beans or beads). To start, place the T-pin into the woven cloth a few picks away from the fell line and so that the head is even with the gap left by the broken warp thread. Cut a new piece of warp about 18" (45.5 cm) longer than the length of the warp you think you have left to weave. Wrap one end of the new warp around the head of the T-pin. Thread the other end of the new warp through the vacant slot or hole in the rigid heddle to the back of the loom. Roll the end of the warp into a ball, place the ball in the container, and secure the lid so that the container hangs over the back beam and dangles in the air. Continue weaving as usual for a few inches to secure the new warp. Remove the T-pin and needle weave (see page 120) the old and new warp ends into the fabric. Trim the tails.
1. Pull the broken warp end to the front of the loom.
2. Tuck a T-pin into the woven cloth so that the head is even with the gap left by the broken warp thread.
3. Wrap one end of the new warp around the head of a T-pin.
4. Secure the new warp in a weighted canister or jar and let it hang off the back of the loom.
5. After weaving an inch of cloth, needle weave the new warp tail down the cloth.
6. Needle weave the old warp tail up the cloth.
Once the cloth is off the loom, take a good look at each side of the cloth to check for warp or weft skips or floats. Floats occur when a weft pick doesn’t travel over and under the warp ends properly. They are generally caused when adjacent warp threads stick together so that a thread that was supposed to be raised doesn’t go up or a thread that was supposed to be lowered doesn’t go down. Get in the habit of checking for “clean” sheds to ensure against this and pay attention to the cloth as you weave. It’s much easier to “unweave” a few picks to correct a float than to fix it after the cloth is off the loom.
If you do find a float after the cloth is off the loom, you can fix it with a bit of weft yarn threaded on a tapestry needle. Beginning and ending about an inch from the float, needle weave the yarn along the correct path. Wash the fabric to set the yarn. Trim the tails of the new weft, then cut the old weft at the float and trim those tails.
Floats occur when the weft doesn’t travel over and under the warp properly.
After washing the fabric, trim the ends of the replacement weft and cut the original weft at each end of the float.
To fix a float, thread a piece of weft yarn on a tapestry needle and needle weave the yarn along the correct path.
The correction is barely visible in the finished cloth.
Hopefully you can catch tension problems right away and fix them before they become a nuisance. If you’ve tied the warp to the apron rods with uneven tension across the width of the warp, the first few weft picks will appear wavy. To fix this problem, simply unweave the first few picks and retie the warp with even tension.
Sometimes the problem is that the warp wasn’t wound evenly on the back beam, which causes individual warp ends to loosen. To tighten these ends (or groups of ends), cut a piece of scrap yarn about 12" (30.5 cm) long, loop it around the loose thread(s) at the back beam, and secure the tails of the waste yarn in a weighted canister as used for fixing broken warp ends.
The weft will follow a wavy path if the warp is under uneven tension.
