Introduction - tips to weaving a log cabin design on a rigid heddle weaving loom to get a good selvedge.
This blog discusses a range of different strategies and tips that can be used to address a number of issues which can occur when weaving a log cabin design on a rigid heddle loom. A log cabin design is a particular weaving pattern which in the main uses alternative single weft threads of two different colours. This means that when weaving on a rigid heddle loom the shuttle does not always weave the outermost warp thread. This issue of not weaving the outermost warp thread is not just confined to the weaving of a log cabin design, it is often the case when weaving patterns using a pick up stick.
What is log cabin weaving?
The term 'log cabin' comes from the resemblance of the pattern to the logs used in the construction of log cabins. As the piece is woven it creates the illusion of logs stacked on top of each other. In its simplest form the log cabin weave uses two contrasting colours of yarn to create the pattern. One colour represents the 'dark logs' and the other colour represents the 'light logs'. The pattern can be adapted to different sizes and proportions, making it a versatile design for various projects. To create the design the weaver alternates between the two colours of yarn, weaving a set number of rows for each colour to achieve the desired log height. A previous blog on a log cabin weaving which includes a weaving draft can be read by clicking here.
Below is a log cabin design being woven on a small square frame loom.
General hints and tips for weaving a neat selvedge
Weaving a neat selvedge is perhaps one of the things most new weavers struggle with. The log cabin weave or the use of pick up sticks creates additional challenges to weaving neatly at the selvedge but before those are discussed we thought it was worth discussing approaches to weaving a neat selvedge whatever the weave.
always weave the weft at an angle, preferably at a 45 degree angle from the edge. This is because the weft thread has to travel further than just across the warp width. The weft thread needs to go up and over and then down and under subsequent warp threads and as a result it needs to be longer. By taking the weft thread at an angle you are automatically giving the thread that additional required length. This process stops the weft from being too tight which would pull the edges of the weave inwards.
After taking the weft thread at an angle give the thread a pull. I encourage new weavers to do this until they see the outermost warp thread move inwards. At this point the thread can be released and the weft beaten down. This process prevents the formation of loops of weft thread at the selvedge edge.
What is the issue when weaving a log cabin design on a rigid heddle loom?
When weaving the log cabin design, alternating shuttles are used to weave a single weft row. This can result in the outermost warp threads not being woven. Recently we were weaving a variation of a log cabin design using a variety of colours as shown below. This weave has areas of classic log cabin weave when the warp and weft colours are the same in any particular area. The weaving of this scarf created a number of issues and below we have detailed a few of the issues along with their solutions which are applicable if you are weaving a log cabin design, pick up stick design or any weave where you find that the outermost warp thread(s) are not being woven on some of the weft rows.
Solution#1 - Positioning of the weaving shuttles
When weaving with two shuttles the positioning of the shuttles can help. The positioning does however depend on the side of the loom the shuttle is coming from and the position of the heddle. In the example shown below, the heddle is in the up position and the shuttles are moving from right to left across the loom.
When weaving the previous weft the second shuttle should come out of the shed and be brought onto the weave closest to the weaver. This means that when the other shuttle is picked up the yarn from this shuttle is carried over the top of the first shuttle. In this case the first shuttle is the plum yarn. In the image below the first shuttle is incorrectly taking the yarn underneath the navy yarn. In the second image you can see what the final result it which is not ideal.
The final result of this weaving is shown below - you can see that the outermost pink warp thread is not being woven and a plum loop around the navy yarn is shown between the first and second warp thread in the body of the weave.
In the images below you can see that the plum yarn is being correctly taken over the top of the navy thread. This is because the navy shuttle was placed closer to the weaver after the previous weft row was woven.
The final result is shown here which is a lot neater with the two weft threads interlocking at the selvedge edge.
Solution#2 - Forcing the shuttle underneath a warp thread.
In the image seen below if the navy yarn on the right was to enter the shed in this arrangement then it would fail to pick up the 3 outermost warp threads. The result of this would be a loop of navy yarn going into the weave and catching on the 4th warp thread from the edge leaving the outermost 3 warp threads without any weft thread. The result of this going forward would be to create an untidy selvedge with areas of only the warp threads being visible at the edge.
The solution to this issue was to force the shuttle to pick up the outermost warp thread weaving underneath the outermost warp thread.
The result of this solution is shown below which is a tidy selvedge.
Solution#3 - Forcing the shuttle over a warp thread.
In the image seen below if the navy yarn on the left was to enter the shed as shown then it would fail to pick up the single outermost warp thread. This would not look as bad as the scenario described above but is still not ideal.
The solution to this issue was to force the shuttle to pick up the outermost warp thread weaving over the outermost warp thread and thus catching at the selvedge edge as shown below.
The final selvedge
The final weaving selvedge is shown below. It is never going to be quite as tidy as a simple tabby weave but the strategies described have worked well to create a nice edge.
Conclusion
This blog has shown a few solutions that can be used when weaving either a log cabin or a design using pick up sticks where the outermost warp threads are not woven. As a weaver you will need to use the appropriate solution depending on your weave to create a clean and neat selvedge.
The weaving project shown in this blog created the beautiful scarf shown below.
If you would like to weave this scarf yourself then it is available as a weaving kit for use with your own rigid heddle weaving loom kit.
If you are interested in learning to weave then our workshop page has all the details found by clicking the link here. We would be delighted to welcome you onto any of these courses.
If you fancy having a go at weaving at home then our weaving kits including rigid heddle weaving kits are available in our TabbyandTweed website shop for UK delivery and our TabbyandTweed Etsy shop for delivery elsewhere.
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