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Have you ever looked at a project and thought to yourself, “Wow, twill is really cool, but I don’t feel confident using string heddles” or “I love how color-and-weave looks, but I’m not sure how to handle all the color changes”? Don’t let fear keep you from trying something new; instead, take a look at our incredible video course lineup and learn a new technique from one of many world-class weaving instructors. To get you started, I looked through the recent Winter 2025 issue and found a few projects that pair perfectly with some of our weaving courses.
Worry-Free Warping for Color-and-Weave
Want to weave plain weave but have it look like a more complex weave structure? Try-color and-weave! Christine Jablonski’s fun Those 70s Towels (shown at the top) are a great example of the versatility of this structure as she uses it to weave three unique towels using one threading. Color-and-weave patterns require regular color changes in both the warp and weft—sometimes as often as every other end or pick. Switching back and forth between colors in the warp when direct warping can feel intimidating, as can juggling multiple shuttles during weaving. But don’t worry, Sara C. Bixler breaks it all down in her video course Color-and-Weave on the Rigid-Heddle Loom.
You’ll learn Sara’s approach to direct warping color-and-weave patterns on the rigid-heddle loom, as well as her method for managing shuttles. Any time you work with multiple shuttles, selvedges can be an issue, but Sara’s got plenty of tips for keeping things neat and tidy as you weave. And in the conclusion chapter, she explains how you can further explore and experiment with color-and-weave—so as you weave her towels, you might find yourself deviating from the instructions to create your own unique patterning.
Berna Lowenstein’s Betty’s Baltic Pick-Up Belt is a great first project for anyone wanting to learn this fun inkle technique.
Translating Baltic-Style Pick-Up
I’m currently obsessed with weaving Baltic pick-up patterns on my inkle loom, and I know I’m not alone. I’ve woven probably a dozen patterns and have yet to get tired of it. I especially love when weavers play with color and pattern, the way Berna Lowenstein does in her Betty’s Baltic Pick-Up Belt. Traditionally, Baltic pick-up has a single background color with maybe a second color in the border. Berna uses five different background colors for her belt, and the effect is incredible. If she just wove with these colors in plain weave, the band would be beautiful—but adding a simple pick-up design on top really takes the piece to another level.
Of course, if you don’t know how to read a pick-up pattern or how to pick up the threads when weaving, this kind of project can feel daunting. Fortunately, Angela K. Schneider created her video course Baltic Pick-Up on the Inkle Loom. Not only will Angela teach you how to read a pick-up chart, but she also shows you pick-by-pick how she weaves each row using the information on the pick-up chart. Just be warned: Once you start weaving Baltic pick-up, you might not want to stop.
In Berna’s project instructions, she writes about a specific technique for picking up warp ends more efficiently—a technique you can watch Angela demonstrate in the chapter “Picking Up More Efficiently and Tucking in Tails.”
Sara Goldenberg White’s Friendship Scarf is a great example of just how beautiful twill can look when woven on the rigid-heddle loom.
Setting Up the Rigid-Heddle Loom for Twill
Weavers adore twill, for good reason! Twill has amazing drape, the patterns are beautiful, and you can create multiple patterns—without rewarping your loom. Sara Goldenberg White’s Friendship Scarf is a great example of just how gorgeous rigid-heddle twill can be. Looking at it, there’s no way to tell whether it was woven on a rigid-heddle or a multi-shaft loom.
Weaving twill on a rigid-heddle loom requires extra tools and equipment: two heddles, a pick-up stick or two, and often a heddle rod with string heddles. The equipment list might seem intimidating, but as Sara shows in her video course Twill on the Rigid-Heddle Loom, getting your loom set up to weave twill isn’t all that difficult. In her video, Sara demonstrates each step, explains exactly what she’s doing, spells out why she’s doing it, and offers tricks and tips she’s learned to make the process even easier. So don’t be afraid of or intimidated by twill—let Sara teach you just how much fun it is on the rigid-heddle loom.
In Sara’s video, she breaks each step of warping the loom into pieces. If you’re already comfortable warping two heddles, you can skip to the “Converting the Loom” chapter, which focuses entirely on pick-up sticks, heddle rods, and string heddles.
Final Thoughts
These are just a few of the possible project and course pairings from the Winter 2025 issue, but with them you’ll be able to do the following:
- Learn color-and-weave and then create your own Those 70s Towels.
- Dive into Baltic pick-up and create bold patterned bands like Betty’s Baltic Pick-Up Belt.
- See why you’ll fall in love with weaving twill and then use what you learn to weave the Friendship Scarf.
From there, I hope you feel you inspired to see what else is available and pick up a new technique (or two or three) or maybe even learn to weave a loom style that’s new to you!
If you’re an All Access subscriber, these courses are part of your subscription, so there’s no reason not to take advantage of all they have to offer! (Not an All Access subscriber yet? Learn more about the program and all its benefits here.)
Happy weaving! Christina