The Whole Story as Told by a Non-Weaver…
Ever wonder what it takes to weave a handmade item? Hobbyist or professional, weaving is a dedicated effort. Planning, organizing, and attention to detail in all the steps will result in a higher quality outcome. If you are married to a weaver like I am, you learn a lot about the details required to handweave. Since many folks aren’t lucky enough to live with an expert, detailed are the basics of weaving on a multi-shaft loom. As you read this, consider that many of our products will consist of 700+ threads per project, exemplifying the meticulous and often time-consuming business of weaving! Unlike knitting and crocheting, which are my passions, preparation of the thread and loom are critical to weaving and consume a significant portion of brain power and time. It’s nearly impossible to adjust a project if this prep work is not completed accurately. Although knitters and crocheters plan through gauge swatching, our craft is much more forgiving and we can adjust as we go, or restart by unripping and reusing the thread. This is a near impossibility in weaving, so getting it right from the beginning matters! Following is a layman’s interpretation of the handweaving process;
Multi-Shaft Loom Weaving Basics
Woven products consist of warp and weft threads. Warp threads are the foundational threads strung onto a loom at tension and weft threads are inserted horizontally across the warp in a variety of combinations that affect the sturdiness, drape, and aesthetic value of the resultant fabric.
Color schemes are generally considered prior to any effort. A “SETT” is the specific number of colors and threads per color to weave a design. This count is used in the first step to determine the warp of the project.
Pattern is the weaving design which includes not only color, but the number of warp threads that will be moved up or down by the loom shafts with each shuttle throw or “"pic”. The shafts can be moved up or down with treadles on many looms or via hand levers as necessary based on the weave plan.
Weaving is inserting the weft threads via a “shuttle” aligned with the color and weave pattern planned. Shuttles vary in size and method for adding thread through the shed. Shuttles house, deliver and supply yarn via bobbins or pirns wound with yarn for the weft.
Warping The Loom
Step 1: Winding threads per planned design on a weaver’s warping board, which is usually a square frame with pegs to catch the threads. Each color must be limited to the number of threads per design and long enough to last the length of the weave and fringe of the final product. There will be some amount of loom waste. Each color change requires a single sturdy knot, regardless of the size of the thread, that can withstand the tension of the loom.
Step 2: Place the warp on the loom and evenly spread the threads across the rattle, a wooden bar with small pegs/dividers to keep threads separated at 1” intervals. The rattle assists with warp placement on the back beam and helps set the stage for consistent tension and reduced thread friction throughout the weaving process.
Step 3: Each individual thread is guided through the “eye” of a heddle assigned within a “shaft”. A heddle is a metal or plastic or tube that separates each thread, and these heddles are contained in a row across wooden frame called the shaft. Many looms have multiple shafts that help raise certain threads for the weave design at the appropriate time. Shafts are raised and lowered via foot treadles or hand levers.
Step 4: Each thread is “slayed” through the reed installed on the beater, a slotted panel within a fixed wooden frame that maintains even thread separation at 1” intervals and beats weft yarn in the fell line.
Step 5: All threads are divided evenly, grouped, and tied onto the front bar of the loom where the weaving will begin. Now the warp is under tension, and you are ready to weave.
Weaving
Per a weaving plan, utilizing treadles or hand levers to raise the shafts up and down, throwing the shuttle filled with weft yarn through the open shed, and beating that “pic” into place, the design comes to life. Each shuttle throw is concise and consistent to ensure an even weave, and most importantly for handweaving, a straight selvedge on both sides of the project.
Finishing
Upon completion of the weaving, the fabric is removed from the loom. The warp threads are now fringe threads and can be secured by hemstitching, knotting, twisting, or surging. Then the fabric is wet finished which involves wetting the fabric, lying flat to dry, ironing, and measuring.
…And that’s how I understand the process! All the best-barb
