If you’re looking for a simple technique that gives your rigid-heddle woven piece a whole lot of oomph, consider clasped warp. It requires some finesse and planning during the warping stage, but after that point, you’re pretty much set. Once the warping is done, most people weave using a simple structure—typically plain weave or twill—but that doesn’t mean you have to go simple when weaving a clasped-warp project. In fact, you can have stunning results by combining clasped warp with a hand-manipulation technique.
For her Spring 2025 project, the Lavender and Lace Shawl, Sara Goldenberg White did just that when she combined clasped warp with leno. The result is absolutely incredible. The shawl looks like it was woven using some sort of variegated or hand-painted yarn, and the gently shifting colors combined with the lace create a fabric that implores you to take a closer look. The more I look at the shawl, the more I wonder what other structures would look incredible with a clasped warp.
Sara Goldenberg White’s stunning Lavender and Lace Shawl uses the clasped-warp technique to get areas of shifting colors throughout the length of the warp.
When you warp a project using the clasped-warp technique, you’re essentially creating your own “hand-painted” warp where you are in complete control. As the warper, you choose where your color shifts happen and how many color shifts happen. You can even use multiple colors of yarn clasps along the width of your warp—I don’t think I’ve ever seen a variegated yarn do that! Once the clasping is done, however, it can be treated like any other warp. The key difference is that each warp end will be made up of two threads.
You can use clasped warp with any structure, just as you’d use a variegated, space-dyed, or hand-painted warp. While simple structures keep the color changes front and center, more complex, hand-manipulated techniques add an extra layer of depth to your weaving. So, if you’re planning a project and you really want to take it to the next level, maybe consider using a clasped warp. You might be surprised at just how great it turns out! (And, of course, if you do try it out, I’d love to see it!)
Happy Weaving,
Christina