6 WEAVING TECHNIQUES TO TRY

Basic weaving is easy to do, and a little creativity can dress up the simplest weave. For any type, start with a warped loom and a yarn needle threaded with two arm’s lengths of yarn.

1 TABBY

The most basic weave begins at the bottom of a loom, weaving under the first warp thread and over the second and continuing across the loom. At end of row, pull yarn through and leave a 7.5cm tail at the starting point. For second row, weave in opposite direction above the first row, weaving over then under so the yarn wraps the warp threads opposite to the first row. Be careful not to pull the yarn too tight or leave it too loose. Every few rows, compress the yarn for a tight, straight weave by pushing rows down using your fingers, a weaving fork or a wide-tooth comb. This section of the pillow is 14 rows of blue, then 5 rows of cream and 3 rows of blue. Repeat until you have 5 rows of cream.

2 DOUBLED YARN

Make your weave thicker and heftier by doubling the yarn and going under 1, then over 2 warp threads for each stitch. This section is 2 rows of green, 7 rows of pink, 2 rows of green. Across the centre of the pink section, knot gold yarn on the back of your piece and sew 4 gold loops to create a flower shape. Criss-cross stitches of pink yarn at the centre of each flower shape.

3 ROUNDED SHAPES

Using terracotta colour yarn, tabby weave desired number of stitches (do 18 on the pillow as shown) then switch directions. Every time you switch directions, leave off a warp thread at each end to create a curved hill shape. Create 3 terracotta hills across the piece. Using a different yarn, weave a single row of tabby along the top of your hills to outline them. Using blue yarn, fill in the lower swoop of the hills and then weave blue hills on top to create almond shapes. Outline the shape as before. Weave a light green yarn in the low swoops of the blue hills until a straight line forms along the top of each blue almond shape.

4 LOOPED TABBY

This variation offers textural interest and is best when created with a thick, chunky yarn. Weave a row of tabby, then every time the weft crosses the warp, pinch the yarn with your fingers, pull up, and twist slightly to create loops above the weaving. Weave another 3 rows of tabby above the loops. Create a 2nd row of looped tabby if desired.

5 MESSY LOOPS

Tabby weave multiple rows of thin yarns (dark blue and evergreen), alternating colours and inserting sections of looped tabby for texture. Randomness – in sections of both colours and loops – gives this weave interest.

6 FUZZY TASSELS

Weave 28 tabby rows of pink yarn. Where desired, weave five-strand thicknesses of lighter pink in about 4cm long sections, leaving 2.5cm tails on either end as fuzzy tassels.