Definitions

Warp:  Those yarns that are wrapped onto the loom frame - in the illustrations to the right, the warp is represented as lavendar lines.

Weft:  Those yarns that are woven into the warp - in the illustrations, the weft is represented as maroon lines.

Shed:  The space created between the two layers of warps when some of the warps are raised.

Pick:  One throw of the weft yarn.

EPI or Ends Per Inch:  The number of warp yarns in one inch.

PPI or Picks Per Inch:  The number of weft throws in an inch of the fabric.

Tools

Tapestry Needle:  A large eye needle, made of wood, bone, metal, or plastic, which is used to weave the weft through the warp, particularly for the final few rows at the top of the weaving.

Batten or Beater:  A thin piece of wood, usually with a more pointed end and a beveled edge, used to pick up warp threads and to pack down the weft.

Beater or Fork:  The tines are used to pack down the weft.  This can also be done using a kitchen fork or one's fingers.

Crochet Hook:  Very helpful for both picking up warp threads and pulling weft yarns through the warp. 

Our weaving tool:  a combination of hook, batten with its beveled edge, and mini tapestry beater for those tiny design areas, we feel it is the nicest way to weave on pocket looms.

Warping and Weaving on the  Harmony loom

Step One:  Lay the end of the yarn over the top slot of your loom.  Set the reed in.  Bring the yarn down behind the loom and up over the bottom slot.  Again, set the reed in.  Your reeds are now firmly anchored and a tail long enough to sew squares together will be available when you are finished weaving.  This also eliminates any need for tying onto the loom.

Now begin winding the warp yarn up and over, down and around the pegs.  Starting with the first peg, go up, around a peg, down and around the peg next to the first one, up and over the peg that is two pegs over from the first one.  Continue in this manner, skipping a peg each time.  This will keep your warps traveling up and down in a straight line.  The enlarged portion of the illustration below shows how the pegs are wrapped:

Step Two:  When you reach the last peg, wrap the warp yarn several times around the peg.  Begin tightening the warp by tugging on each warp starting at the side you tied on and working across the loom.  Do this a few times until you feel the warp is sufficiently taut.  When this is done, undo the wraps around the last peg and tie a knot around it.

Step Three:  Using a hook, pick up every other warp end across the width of the loom.  Hook your weft yarn and pull it through the shed you have created.

Step Four:  Insert the hook from the other side and pick up those warp ends that the yarn traveled over in the previous row.  Use the hook to pack the previous row down to the pegs. 

Step Five:  Pull the weft yarn through the new shed created by the hook.

Step Six:  Using your fingers, pull the weft close the outside warp, keeping the warp straight.  Don't pull so much that the warp end bows in.  Tuck the turn of the weft yarn down and, holding it in place, make an indent in the weft yarn in the center of the loom, creating two "hills."  These hills allow for the weft to completely cover the warp yarn when packed down.

Repeat Steps four through six until the final few rows, which will need to be woven with a tapestry needle in order to weave right to the top pegs.

Remove the wooden reeds and then remove the weaving from the reeds.  If packed in tightly enough, the weft will expand to fill in the loops of the warp.  Tuck any yarn ends into the weaving with the tapestry needle.  You're done!

Playing with Color and Weave Effects

one pick or throw of a weft color creates a dot two picks, a wavy line three picks, a straight line alternating colors will create vertical bars   At Left, Some Possible Combinations for Using Two Colors in One Shed When using two colors and desiring two or more distinct color areas, be sure to have your wefts travel in opposite directions - that makes turns and increases much simpler and neater to execute.  The saying is "wefts are like friends - they travel toward one another, meet, and then go their separate ways."

Copyright 2003 Linda Diak and Grafton Fibers

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