How to reduce the bulk of hems
Hems that are woven in same weft yarn as the body of the project can be bulky once turned under twice to hide the raw edge. Here are some suggestions for reducing that bulk: Use a finer weft in a matching color for the entire hem For example, if the body of your item is […]
Is plain weave possible on this threading?
One question that comes up from time to time is how to weave plain weave on a given threading. Contrary to popular belief, weaving plain weave is NOT simply a matter of lifting first all the even shafts and then all the odd shafts. If a threading alternates odd and even shafts throughout, then even […]
How I tie on a warp: Janet’s version
Last week Kathy described her process for tying a warp onto the front apron rod. This week, I’ll tell you how and why I do things a little differently. To be clear: both methods work! Neither one of us is trying to convince you our way is better! Our goal is to just show you […]
Figuring out EPI from an irregular sleying pattern
When you’re sleying every dent in the reed with the same number of ends, it’s pretty easy to tell how many ends per inch you’ll get: you just multiply the number of ends per dent by the number of dents per inch and presto, there’s your answer. For example: 1 end per dent x 12 […]
How to fix a loop at the selvage
Have you ever been weaving along and realized that your weft thread caught on something a while back and you’ve got a big loop hanging out the side of your fabric? Or noticed that several inches back you didn’t set the weft quite right at the selvage and you’ve got a tiny loop sticking out? […]
What toppings do you like on your tie-up pizza?
A tie-up is like a pizza: the bigger it is, the more slices you can chop it into. A tie-up is also like a pizza in that you can put different toppings on each slice. (I know that sounds like a stretch, but bear with me.) In the What is Twill? course, we discussed that […]
How to choose the best reed (and sleying order) when the perfect reed is not available
Many weavers have a limited number of reeds available to them. If you have a 12 dent reed, and the project you are working on has a 24 epi Sett, you simply sley 2 ends in each dent. Easy peasy! What happens if you DON’T have the perfect reed available? Example 1: Anne Hiemstra ran […]
Fix a wrong sett – WITHOUT resleying
As you probably know, sett is critical to getting your project right: if it’s too open, the weft beats in too much and covers the warp. If it’s too close, the fabric can wind up stiff and unsuitable for its purpose. When working with a new yarn or a new structure, we usually make a […]
How to fix your twill when neither side matches the drawdown – and gain more design options as a result!
Have you ever started weaving and realized that the fabric on the loom doesn’t look like the drawdown or picture? That happened to Susan Palwick recently, so she posted pictures of her drawdown (draft #80355 from Handweaving.net) and her fabric on Facebook, and asked if anyone could help figure out what was happening. Most of […]
How to measure YPP or MPKG without a yarn balance
If you don’t have a yarn balance you can determine yards per pound (YPP) or meters per kilogram (MPKG) of a yarn by measuring a known length and extrapolating from its weight. A short length is bound to be too light for most scales to weigh accurately, so the best approach is to wind yourself […]
