How to Weave

There are plenty of ways to weave, and several looms and materials to use nowadays. Before, people only knew how to weave by hand which can take several hours or days at a time. Now, there are hobbyists who weave right in their own kitchen or bedroom. You can take advantage of the technique by knowing more about the approaches and methods. 

Tight and Even

The main idea behind weaving is to keep the work tight and even. First of all, choose the colors that you need to use. Individuals usually pick three various colors. These should match or look aesthetic and pleasing. The best ones to pick include 2 dark hues and a light one, or two light colors and a dark one. You can also pick a dark tone, a medium tone and a light color. The style and pattern will improve with the variety of colors.

The Setup 

Set the string base on a weaving loom. You can use yarn. A reliable and durable brand is recommended. Tie a single end to the wooden weaving loom, then stretch the length down, allowing the string to run down the long side, similar to a guitar. Tie the end of the string around. Make sure that the string is stretched and secured very tightly. Repeat the process until the loom gets full. 

Repeating the Process

The one end of the color yarn rolls to the top at the far right or the far left side of the bottom. Ensure that everything remains secure and tight. Slowly weave the yarn across the strings found at the base. Weave the yarn over and under the base strings evenly. The weave becomes uneven or may even present holes if you do not weave properly or make mistakes. Once you get to the opposite end of the base, loop the string over to the side then weave again to the side where you started. Continue weaving over and under evenly, but now in the opposite position. 

More About the Process

Keep weaving the yarn back and forth until everything is done and you are fully satisfied with the size of the colored stripes. 5 to 6 rows of weaved string results to a thin-colored stripe. If you double or triple the amount, you get a thicker work. Tie the end of the colored string to the final base string found on the side where you ended, then start the entire process again, using a new color and beginning from this position. 

Keep at the process until you have finished the pattern completely, then start the patterna gain. A good example is finishing 5 rows of green string, 5 rows of yellow string, five lines of red string, then 5 rows of white string. 

Once you are done weaving and tying off a big piece, snip the ends of the base strings off and out of the loom. Leave some inches to knot and secure the loom properly.

Rules on Warping

You can use any type of yarn as a warp, but experts recommend one that has a little spring. Wool is recommended, together with cotton. A shed may be harder to open if you weave cotton, but the tension does increase. Other good materials can also be used as warp, such as magnetic tape coming from cassette tapes. Take one end of the magnetic tape then tie it to a fixed structure, reel out a length of the tap then pull. The tape will curl independently as the stretching is done.
