{"id":6715,"date":"2024-08-04T06:32:17","date_gmt":"2024-08-04T13:32:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/handweavingacademy.com\/?p=6715"},"modified":"2024-08-02T06:45:55","modified_gmt":"2024-08-02T13:45:55","slug":"how-to-fix-a-loop-at-the-selvage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/handweavingacademy.com\/how-to-fix-a-loop-at-the-selvage\/","title":{"rendered":"How to fix a loop at the selvage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Have you ever been weaving along and realized that your weft thread caught on something a while back and you\u2019ve got a big loop hanging out the side of your fabric?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or noticed that several inches back you didn\u2019t set the weft quite<\/em> right at the selvage and you\u2019ve got a tiny loop sticking out?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are simple ways to fix each of these problems without unweaving, even if you don\u2019t discover the problem until after the fabric is off the loom. You can even fix loops that aren\u2019t really big or really tiny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few things to note before we get to the “how-to”:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not for serial loops<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These solutions aren\u2019t practical when you\u2019ve got loops all the way up the selvage, as can happen when you\u2019re consistently leaving too much slack in the shed. If you\u2019ve got \u201cserial loops\u201d up the sides, then you need to solve that with beat and shuttle handling instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Loops form at the ends of two connected picks<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each loop at the selvage is connected to two picks in the cloth: the one before the loop and the one after. The loop itself is an extra length of weft that extends from the selvage; all of the solutions below involve working that extra back into the middle of the cloth by pulling the slack up along one or both of the connected picks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use a large, blunt needle<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t want to split the plies of the thread, so use a large gauge, blunt tipped needle if you have one. If your needle isn’t thick and blunt, use the eye<\/em> of the needle rather than the tip, and you\u2019ll be less likely to split the plies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can fix things on the loom, too.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pictures and video below all show fabric that\u2019s already cut off the loom, but you don\u2019t have to wait. It can be even easier to fix things when the fabric is held stationary and kept under tension, assuming you notice the loops before the fabric they\u2019re attached to rolls around the front beam. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now for the how-to instructions, which depend on how big the loop is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the loop is very large<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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When the loop is large enough that you can thread it onto a needle, it\u2019s very easy to fix. Just follow these steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Use a large, blunt tipped needle (or the eye end of a finer or sharper needle) to pull the loop up inside the fabric rather than at the selvage. Adjust the thread so that the bend at the selvage looks good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2. Snip the loop, near one end rather than in the middle<\/em>. Leave most of the extra length attached to the end nearest to the selvage, so that you can sew it further into the fabric.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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3. Thread the long end onto a needle and sew it through the fabric, following the path of the thread it used to be connected to. This will create an overlapped area with two threads through the same shed, just like when you join bobbins.<\/em> The length of the overlap doesn\u2019t need to be very long – aim for the same length you\u2019d have used if you\u2019d joined a bobbin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Trim the longer end if necessary so that it doesn\u2019t get caught during wet finishing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All done!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When the loop isn\u2019t quite<\/em> long enough<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

If the loop is long enough to create an overlap and leave tails that will be secure during wet finishing but not<\/em> long enough to thread onto the needle to sew back into the fabric, you can still use this method. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than threading the needle first, sew the unthreaded needle through the fabric along the intended path, leaving the eye end sticking out just a little. Then<\/em> thread the eye of the needle with the weft thread and pull it through the fabric.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the loop is very small<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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When the loop is very small, you can simply ease the extra length along one or both of the connected picks, distributing small amounts of the slack across the fabric. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s a video (without any audio) that demonstrates this maneuver:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\n \n \n\n <\/presto-player>\n<\/figure>\t\t