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Doubleweave sett with three rigid heddles
I’m currently experimenting with doubleweave on my rigid heddle loom by using three heddles, adapting instructions for a 4-shaft harness loom. The threading and lift sequences have all worked great, but predictably the sett is being squirrelly: even though I’m using 12.5 dent reeds, each layer of the weaving is being woven up with only every other hole and slot in use. In other words, the cloth is very loose and slidey (using doubled 8/2 cotton).
I understand why this is happening mechanically/conceptually, but I’m wondering if there’s any way around it. Does anyone know a way to weave a denser cloth (other than using thicker yarn) when doing double weave with rigid heddles, closer to how a 12.5 reed would normally weave up? I’m thinking it’s not possible, but I figure if anyone knew a way it would be here. :)
I’ve attached the threading sequence I came up with, for some extra context what I’m doing/in case that sparks a solution for someone.
Thanks in advance!
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17 Replies
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You can change your sett by changing your threading order and having more ends share the front slots in between holes. You should have 3 ends in each slot and 1 end in each hole which will double your epi so you can have the correct epi on each layer. I have to get some kids to school, but when I get home I am will map out an alternative order using a straight draw twill that will give you 12.5 epi on both layers (or 25 epi if you are doubling 8/2).
There are actually 3 ways to warp double weave on the rigid heddle! Two ways use double heddles and pick-up sticks about and below the warp, and this one uses 3 heddles which is more of of direct 4 draft translation so you can do double weave pickup.
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Thanks for your reply. I would love to see an alternative way to thread. Yes, I’ve done a bit of doubleweave experimenting both with pick up sticks and the third heddle so far. This time I wanted to try doubleweave pickup since I’ve never done it before. Any or all thoughts or advice about doubleweave and/or third heddles are welcome! As much as I’ve loved sitting on my own and figuring things out with printed resources plus trial and error (aka my entire weaving experience so far, haha), it’s exciting for me to have found other real life weavers to geek out with…
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OMG, I feel ya. Complex structures on a rigid heddle is a solitary journey for sure. Luckily more and more of us are finding each other. So glad to have a partner in crime!
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OKAY! I am back! I hope this all makes some sense… in my diagram my squares are the heddle holes.
I think it’s easier to warp this as a straight draw (1-2-3-4). I also included the 2-heddle version- there is a lot more information about 2-heddle double weaves out there.
What is really cool about the rigid heddle is that we lift AND lower our sheds, whereas a jack loom has to RAISE all the sheds. You create your cloth by pairing two “shafts” for the top and use the opposing shafts for the bottom layer. Let’s say you want 3-4 to be the top cloth, then 1-2 are the lower cloth-your lift sequence would be:
lift heddle 3- pass top weft
lower heddle 1- pass bottom weft
lift “heddle” 4 (slot thread with a pick up stick) – pass top weft
lower heddle 2- pass bottom weft
But then you can switch your pairs to get different color blocks (unless you are doing double width- then you can’t).
Let me know if this isn’t clear!
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Thank you so much! I think that all makes sense, although I never know for sure until I sit down to do it, ha ha. I may be back. ;)
Really appreciate the info.
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Update: I had a chance to mess with this last night and it worked great. I was even able to thread it up at the new sett in different color orders to check my understanding of how the shafts correspond to the double weave layers and how to make the fabric do what I want it to. Love these moments when it crosses from ‘I can adapt/follow this pattern’ (like the double width baby blanket I previously managed) to ‘I understand how this works and can do my own things with it’. Thanks again for your help!
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@carly-jayne Just wanted to thank you for your help! Managed to get doubleweave pick up to work on my RH for a table runner (birthday present for a bird-watcher in my life). :) Your advice on sett was instrumental in getting there.
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Oh my WOW. I haven’t seen doubleweave pick up on the rigid heddle yet, but knew it could be done. Thanks so much for proving it works! That is amazing!
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I think I just don’t know enough to know I’m ‘not supposed to’ do certain things on my RH, lol. It simply doesn’t occur to me that it’s not normal.
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Ha! I didn’t really mean that it couldn’t be done, mostly I never know if the outcome is going to match my expectations. There are weaves I have done that have not been worth the time and effort (for example-Swedish Lace on 3 heddles with linen- not my fave weave!) Sometimes my effort comes off as looking a bit…tortured.
This piece is stunning, and definitely not tortured!
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The samples I started with were pretty tortured, lol.
And for the record, haha, I definitely didn’t think you were saying that it couldn’t be done. I meant more that I occasionally come across articles or websites that tell me after I’ve woven something that it “can’t be done” or “isn’t done” or “wouldn’t be worthwhile” on a RH, and I always think, “oh, I’m glad no one told me that before I did it.” ???? I don’t try to pick the hard or uncommon things to weave on RH looms on purpose, I’m just ignorant of what they are.
But in any case, I’m glad to provide hard evidence that DW pickup can be done! And I actually found it quite relaxing, just in a different way than other weaving I’ve tried. All the row-by-row pickups slowing things down made it feel maybe more akin to knitting or embroidery, but like with those there’s something inherently satisfying/motivating about watching the pictures emerge. ????
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Ha! I totally get what you mean. When I read “you can’t do (x) on a rigid heddle” it becomes a personal challenge!
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“You can’t do X” ALWAYS triggers my “hold my beer!” response, and I don’t even drink beer. ???? ????
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Wow! Wow!!! I am not a rigid heddle weaver but I am so impressed that you wove this on one!!
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Did…did you just whip that up in the space of a few days!? O.o
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Ha ha, definitely not days. A few weeks, maybe? Had some time between Christmas and New Year, and I maybe get a little obsessive and forget to sleep when I’m figuring out something new. ;) Also, it’s not a very long runner. The recipient has a small table, ha ha.
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Still super impressed by a few weeks. That looks like the kind of project I’d plan, put on the loom, weave 1/2″ of, ignore for several months, take off the loom carefully so that I could put it back on someday, and then lose in the stash.
It… it would not be alone. *cough*
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