#3 Back strap weaving with a rigid heddle

 

This blog covers rigid heddle set-up

Weaving with a rigid heddle

Advantages and disadvantages of using a rigid heddle

Winding a multi-colored warp

Shortening the warp while weaving

Materials:

3 dowels 12-14” long x 3/8 diameter: back beam, tension rod and shortening rod

Small rigid heddle (purchase on Etsy or try your hand at making one)

Fiber

Scissors

Tape measure

C clamps or other method of warping - see previous blogs

Shuttle : cardboard, wood, small dowel...

Set-up and weaving

Instead of using string heddles on a heddle stick, you will need to purchase a rigid heddle.

I got mine out on Etsy. I have a small one for bands and one with 121 holes that is @12” long for scarves and other bigger things.

One advantage to using a rigid heddle is ease of weaving. You don’t have to work with two rods to change your sheds; simply push up for one shed, and pull down for the other.

Disadvantages include; having to thread all warp threads as opposed to half with string heddles. Another possible disadvantage is the increased amount of waste when doing warp dominant weaves - bands. This is due to the angle of the threads coming out of the rigid heddle as the weave becomes wider. The closer the weaving comes to the end, the harder it is to keep an even width due to the wider expanse of warp threads at the rigid heddle. Yet another disadvantage is that there will always be ends to tie onto the tension rod in order to thread it. Most of the time fringe is not an issue.

When I began weaving warp dominant bands, the rigid heddle instructions were all I could find. So that’s where I began. Working with a rigid heddle on pickup patterns is truly a joy. An inkle loom may also be used, but a rigid heddle on a backstrap loom is much easier and freeing, in my opinion.

Try it all and make your own observations. It’s good to be familiar with different methods. It will help when you are planning a piece of weaving.

When using a rigid heddle, the normal warping system works well (Create a cross- see either of the first two videos.) but, since we’re not using very many threads, there is a quicker way.

Forget the cross.

warp all the background, then all the flower, then the single center. 

10 background, 6 flower, 1 center. 

This gives you the number of threads for the pattern.

Take the warp (all the threads you wound) off the pegs.

Tie one end in an overhand knot, 

Put a dowel through and lash to a stationary object. Try to keep it perfectly horizontal. 😉

   A ladder back chair is ideal! A bed frame also works well, porch railing...

   You may just put this end back around one c clamp without the dowel. 

   Or tie on a strong string and tie it around a doorknob.

thread the heddle in the above pattern.

start from the center and work out both ways. 

(Your heddle is balanced this way.)

(I use a clamp to hold my rigid heddle up for easy threading.) 

Here a cross is being used and is being held by chop sticks (lease sticks) 

If using the quick method for minimal warp threads, start from the center and just be careful to thread according to the pattern.

See the center yellow thread on the bottom of the center slot. Begin with that. 

If using the cross, lay the lease sticks out so you can see the order of threads and follow it.

There is no question which thread is next when using this method.

Once it is threaded, (Double and triple check. Are the sides mirror images? Does the threading truely match the pattern? Walk away and check it again when coming back. There’s nothing more frustrating than finding you have a mistake in your threading.)

Pull all threads to create even tension. 

Tie an overhand knot.

Put a 12 x 14” dowel through the center of the warp. 

Make two loops each 8-10”  long from strong small cord. A shoe string works great!

Slip them onto your belt on either side of the buckle

Put the end of the dowel through each of these loops, 

circling the dowel a few times on each side so it won’t come off. 

If your dowel does not have a “neck” on it, use rubber bands to secure it to the loops.

When you begin weaving wider pieces, Or even with this narrow one,

the ends will be tied to the tension rod with a special knot.

When working with a wider warp, divide the threads evenly and make multiple knots.

Check that the tension is even all the way across. (Lean back and bounce your hand gently over the warp. Does it feel the same all the way across or is a section mushy?)

You are ready to weave. 

Sit in a chair with the weaving stretched out in front of you 

with your warp tied onto the tension rod and the rod connected to your belt

Move forward or backward to achieve a nice tension.

To weave with a rigid heddle: 

Lean forward

pull the heddle up

Pass the shuttle 

Lean back

Pull the weft through

Lean forward

Pull the heddle down

Pass the shuttle, pass the end of the weaving back through this shed to secure it.

Lean back

Pull the weft the rest of the way through. 

Lean forward

Pull the heddle up

Pass the shuttle

Catch the fiber that has not yet gone through the shed (which is forming a loop) with your pinky or ring finger

Pull the loop and shuttle thread toward you until weaving Width is achieved

   Use both hands for this. It sounds confusing, but it’s easy. Just move both hands back toward you 

Pinch with the hand on the loop side with thumb and index finger

Pull the weft thread through

Pull the heddle down

Pass the shuttle

Catch the loop with your pinky or ring finger

Pull the loop and shuttle thread toward you until weaving is desired width

Pinch with The hand on the loop side

Pull shuttle thread through

Pinching as you pull through allows you to feel how tight or loose your weft thread is. 

This is how you control the width.

We are doing a warp dominant weave here. The weft should only show at the edges where it turns around.

Continue weaving, alternating between up heddle and down heddle, until you can’t reach the fell line (the edge of your weaving.)

To shorten the warp

Get the last dowel (the same length as the others)

 Unwrap the tension rod dowel from your belt loops. Keep the tension up!

Place the new dowel under the tension rod dowel

Roll the weaving Under and away from you

When you’re an inch or so from the fell line,:

Whichever dowel is on top, reconnect to your belt loops

Move your chair forward, adjust the tension

Continue weaving.

Continue weaving as far as you can. 

The rigid heddle will not allow you to weave as far as the string heddles because of the width of the warp at the heddle.

Secure the end of your weaving

Cut the weaving off at the lashed rod

Tie an overhand knot.

Trim fringe.

What to do if you need to put it away mid-weave.

Once the weaving is on the dowels, just wind it all the way up from the tension rod 

(the one connected to your belt) 

to the back beam/rod. 

Tie it and it’s safe until you get back to it.

Check out the YouTube video for more visual learning.

I hope you keep exploring this wonderful art.

Beginning Backstrap Weaving #2

 Beginning Back-strap weaving #2, 

A 17 thread band with a central flower

What you will learn

Using multiple colors

String heddle

How to read a warping pattern/plan

How to shorten the working length as you weave so you can reach the edge (Fell) of your weaving

Locking the shuttle thread into your weaving, both beginning and ending

Weaving plain un-fringed edges.

Tools and materials

Smooth worsted weight fiber (cotton is great)

Set of chop sticks, or 2 pencils for lease sticks

   These will keep your cross intact until the shed stick 

   and heddle Rod are in place and secured

2 rubber bands, to secure the ends of the Lease sticks (2 pencils or chop sticks)

2- @12”-14” dowels (wooden spoon handles?)

   One for the tension rod 

     (Which will be secured to your belt by 2 - 6” loops on your belt)

   The second, to shorten the warp

     (to roll up woven band so you can reach your woven edge)

3 pencils

   Short one for string heddle (in front of the cross); 

   Short one for the shed stick (behind the cross)

   Long one for the warp rod (back end of the weaving 

      (so it can be lashed to a stationary object))

Cardboard shuttle

Beater or fingers and shuttle may be used

   (6” ruler, smooth popsicle stick or tongue depressor)

Ruler/tape measure

Scissors

Winding the warp:

For a delicate headband:

Place the C-clamps tail end up,  50” apart. 

Or use chair legs of an upside down chair or table 

(legs must be perpendicular to the floor)

Use the same procedure from the last band. 

     Always form a cross in the middle of the threads as you wind them on.  

     Remember to always go around your warping post from the same direction. 

Come around the front , go around the back.

(The video shows how to use a warping board.)

We are going to have color changes in this band.

Here is the warping plan: 

Remember, when weaving one thread is down, while the next is up. 

That is the key to reading this chart.

Start on the left.

 The first thread is a background thread. (Bottom line.) 

     

   tie on the background color to your peg. 

 Read kitty-corner up. The second thread is a back ground.

 Kitty-corner down: the third thread is a background thread

 Kitty-corner up: the fourth thread is a background thread.

Kitty-corner down: the fifth thread is a flower color.  Leave about an 1 1/2 extra at the peg. Cut the background color, tie on the flower color. Warp to next peg

So wind 2 full circuits of background thread. This gives you 4 warp threads of background color.

 Kitty-corner up: the fifth thread is a flower thread. 

Weaving traditional backstrap using string heddles, the best way to do your color changes is:

 to cut and tie on the next color each time there is a change. 

Leave about 1 1/2” extra when making the cut. 

Then use an overhand knot to tie on the next color. (The cuts always happen at the post (c-clamp, or leg of chair...)

Be sure to maintain the cross as you continue cutting and tying on different colors.

Tie a knot (tie to the last knot made) 

Put the chop sticks through the cross (one on each side)

Secure the ends with rubber bands.

(This secures the cross) 

————————————

Secure each end of your warp by tying a thread through the loop formed at the turn

I use a half bow that will come out easily when I want it to.

When the cross and ends are secure:

Take the warp (all the threads you wound) off the pegs, clamp, chair legs....

Put the pencil through and lash to a stationary object.

   A ladder back chair is ideal! A bed frame also works well. 

         Your warp should be at an angle. Either up or down. 

         Try both and see what’s more comfortable for you. 

   Since this warp is very narrow, You may just put this end back around one c clamp and use that as your holder while you weave. As explained below. An extra stron loop thread may or may not be needed.

Tension the threads: 

On top of a table,

at the end with the overhand knot, pull a strong string through the center of all the threads (the loop created by the threads doing a turn around.)

make a loop in that string and loop it back around the c-clamp or door knob

     (For very tiny warps, just leave the one end on the c-clamp)

Then tension, gently pull the threads At the opposite end (the other end ) so the tension is even on all of them

tie another overhand knot on the open end.

Normally I Slide a 12-14” dowel through this end and center it. 

You will be connecting this end to your belt.

The dowel is necessary to shorten the warp to bring the fell line (the working edge of your weaving) closer to you. A second dowel the same size will be needed when bring the fell line closer.

—————————————

Prepare your string heddles. 7 needed.

   If in good shape, use the 5 from the first project and make 2 more.

   (Tie a strong, lightweight, non-nylon string around the width of your phone for each heddle) (nylon will not hold a knot)

Make 2 - @6” loops from heavier cording. 

Put these onto your belt, one on each side of the buckle

——————————————

Setup for string heddles - Heddle rod or stick

Insert dowels in both openings on either side of the cross: easiest done on a table top - (I have a small table I can slide under my weaving when I need it.)

Tie a string from end to end on the dowel closer to the back. This is the shed stick. A short smooth pencil works fine. Secure a thread over the warp with rubber bands, or use half hitches to keep it in place.

This ensures it can’t come out.

Spread the warp out on the front rod keeping all threads in order. 

(Once the heddle rod is set up and secured, this rod will be removed.)

Prepare the string heddles. You will need 8. 

Wrap a piece of strong fiber around a book or something your phone and tie a knot.

All loops should be the same size.

Now take one string heddle (that’s the loop you just created)

Slide it under the first warp thread and pull the ends of the heddle up forming a cradle for the warp thread.

Then slide it onto a short dowel or pencil.

Do this with the rest of the heddles, one at a time, taking each warp thread on top of the dowel in order.

Once all the heddles are on the heddle rod - your dowel or pencil - secure them there with tape or a strong cord tied around one side, over the top and secured on the other side.

Your heddle rod is ready and you can take the long dowel below it out as it is no longer needed.

Connect the 12-14” dowel at the bottom of the weaving to your belt with the loops. Shoestrings work well for these loops.

Be sure your warp isn’t twisted, and that the heddle rod is on top Of the warp and the shed stick is in-between the warp.

Prepare your shuttle.

Push the shed stick away from the heddle rod.

Lean forward, pull up on the heddle rod. 

This will open the shed. 

Pass the shuttle through leaving a short tail. 

Pull it down to where you want your weaving to begin.

Bring the shed stick to the heddle rod.

Lean forward.

Pull up on the heddle rod

As long as your heddles are long enough, the second shed will open.

Pass the shuttle through AND the tail of the weft from the last row.

Change sheds. 

Push the shed stick away from the heddle rod

Lean forward

Pull up on the heddle rod

Beat the weaving, pass the shuttle

Catch the loop formed when the shuttle passes through the shed with your pinky

Gently pull this loop and the shuttle thread toward your body. (This controls the width of your weaving)

Pinch the weaving at the fell line (edge of the weave) with the thumb and index or middle finger

Gently pull the rest of the shuttle thread through while letting go of the loop.

If this doesn’t make sense, watch the video. DPC Fiber Arts, Beginning Backstrap Weaving #2

Once you have this technique down, you can do wider pieces. The skies the limit. Go to town. 

The next post will be about using a rigid heddle with the backstrap. I use it when doing pick-up patterns.

Weaving without Cut Ends

This is accomplished in a couple different ways and setup needs to be done under tension

You don’t want your fiber getting tangled; so connect to your back-strap.

Method one

 First place the warp on a thin metal rod, like a coat hanger or bicycle spoke.

The metal wire is tied to a dowel at center, thirds and at the ends. When weaving is completed, the wire can simply be pulled out and maybe a fiber run through the opening, but wet finishing will usually make the little space disappear.

Method two

Another way - again under tension) is to put the warp on a dowel, spread it out evenly.

Tie the First dowel to a second dowel at the ends. Make this an easily removable knot. 

Tie a strong fiber To the End of second Dowel; 

then run the fiber through the middle of the warp created by the first dowel, securing it firmly at the other end. Only tie to dowel #2

 Spread  the warp in even sections

Lash the thread going through the center of the warp to the dowel. Get it even and tight. 

This completed, untie dowel 1 from dowel 2 and remove dowel 1.

Finally spread the warp evenly. 

Do this to both ends. 

So now you have the basics of Rigid heddle weaving with a rigid heddle.

You can take this project and make it wider by adding plain rows between two edgings of the pattern, or repeat the pattern A few times across the warp. You can also invert the flower design every other repeat. 

Try varying the color of the flower in the repeats. So many possibilities!

With the knowledge you have now, the size of your rigid heddle is the only limitation, or 

If you work with a string heddle, then the length of your dowels and the spread of your arms is your width limit. 

Calculating your warp and weft is all covered in the first backstrap post.

Stay tuned!  Hope this was helpful.

Here are some more ideas for you!

Overshot Scarf

 Between instructional Band Weaving videos, I decided to do a scarf in overshot to continue my quest of using up my stash so as to move on to natural fibers. The plan was simple. I had two skeins of acrylic and polyester yellow and one in a darker gold. Perfect! So the plan was:

12” x 60” plus fringe. At 15 epi (ends per inch) 191 warp + floating selves es

Entire piece in Maltese Cross Overshot pattern - J. Estes miniatures book 2 from handweaving.net, docs.

Best laid plans don’t always work out. Turned out 10” in I realized I didn’t have enough weft fiber, so....I had to rethink the pattern. Half way through I thought I had calculated wrong so pulled out 8” and added 6” of brown before weaving the center again. It turned out beautiful surrounded by 1 1/4” of gold plain weave. Then another 20 3/4” of brown and another 1 1/4” band of gold and the three repeats of the overshot pattern, only two repeats were possible in the same length as the beginning due to the tension situation. I found out that I couldn’t hold the tension on the end of the warp. So the back end is not the same as the beginning. I also didn’t look at my notes before making the change in length at the center. I won’t make that mistake again. Waste on this was only 4”. Which I would normally be really happy about as I don’t like wasting material, but I now know it’s necessary to keep the tension even at the end.

Even with the errors, I learned quite a bit and it is pretty I think.

I do have a technique to share with you. When I’m going to have fringe I like to use this finish. So I also start And finish with this crochet edge. At the beginning it also helps even out the gaps in the warp.

Start with a slip knot. Your yarn will be held on the opposite side of the weaving from the crochet hook. Then crochet a line across the warp. Do it up near the reed so it goes on nice and even and smooth. Not to tight; you don’t want to change the width of the warp. I put 3 warp threads between each crochet stitch. Use the reed to gently pull the crochet line down to the fell line (front edge of the weaving)  If you use a contrasting color it looks really great! When your project is finished, tie the fringe by taking two or three sets of threads for each fringe knot.  Take a look at the contrasting line by the fringe. (Below)

here is how it turned out.