Weaving is made by the interlacing of threads. This simple fact can lead the weaver into an exciting world of discovery in terms of cloth construction and pattern design.

 

There are many ways of weaving .  Here are some examples.  

Card Weaving - A cardboard support is used on which to weave. Useful for weaving odd shaped things. The cardboard can either be left in place as with the coaster, or can be removed when the weaving is finished as with the doll's shirt (shown only half completed). The cardboard is often destroyed in order to remove it.

 

 

Frame Weaving - Similar to card weaving your frame predetermines the size of your weaving. Frames can be made or bought of various different sizes and shapes (small square frames and triangles are popular). The finished weaving is removed from the frame which can be used again.

 

 

Inkle Weaving - This is a photo of a simple home made inkle loom which shows the basic principle. The Red leashes hold every other warp thread, the green ones, the white warp threads can moved above or below the tethered green warp threads. This gives you a warp faced woven braid. This arrangements of green and white warp threads will give you a striped braid, the width of the stripe depends on the thicknes of the weft.

 

 

Pegloom Weaving - These pegs have warp threads attached to their base. The weft is woven round the pegs. When the pegs are full, they are pulled out of the top of the woven weft which slides down onto the warp. This produces a weft faced fabric. It can be used with anything from fleece to rags. Getting the tension even can be tricky.

 

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Rigid Heddle Weaving - This type of loom, sometimes called a knitting loom, has warp threads going through a rigid heddle, the white object, which holds every other warp thread in an individual central hole and the interleaving warp threads in an individual slot. When the heddle is raised the hole threaded warp threads are lifted above the others, allowing the weft to be inserted beneath them but on top of the slot threaded ones. When the heddle is lowered, the hole threaded warp threads are shifted below the slot threaded ones allowing the weft to be inserted above them and below the slot threaded ones.

 

This can be used to weave variable lengths and widths (up to the width of the heddle) of fabric. It gives one weave pattern.

 

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Weaving on a 4 (or more) Shaft Loom - Each shaft holds many heddles, each heddle has a warp thread passing through it. Shafts can be raised independantly or in combination with other shafts. This provides the opportunity to weave complex patterns. The pictures show a Harris 4 shaft loom and an Ashford 8 shaft loom with shafts 2,4,5 & 7 raised.

 

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Tablet Weaving - The tablets often made from stiff card have a hole in each corner through which a warp thread passes. The pattern is made by rotating the tablets between each pass of the weft.

 

Saori - is free-style hand weaving with no rules and restrictions. SAORI is an art form in which we express our true selves in weaving. There is no samples to follow, and there is no mistakes in weaving. Weavers just weave what they want to with a complete freedom and creativity. Extract from Saorinomori

 

 

This information is meant to give you a brief glimpse into the subject of weaving. If you wish to know more it is recommended that you go on a weaving course, read a book about weaving, come to a Guild meeting and ask people on the subject or do all three!