As a beginner (and even after that!), it can be hard to determine what weaving pattern to do next. So, I thought it would be helpful to narrow down the field into what equipment do you need – 1 shuttle, or 2?

Please enjoy this fabulous list of 2-shuttle weaving patterns!

Show Notes –

Overshot – Are you an overshot fan or do you want to be? Well, I have just the thing for you! Back at episodes 71-72, I walked through the process of not only weaving overshot, but also how to set up your loom for overshot. It is a simple, yet comprehensive, look at this wonderful 2-shuttle weaving pattern! Here are the links to take you there – episode 71, “Overshot 101: Dressing the Loom”, and episode 72, “Overshot 101: Weaving Overshot”.

Want More?

I decided that this episode needed a printable handout! You see, I love a good list – checking things off and making notes. So, if you are anything like me, wander over to the Acton Creative Insiders to grab your copy. All paid members will have access. Simply click here to become a member today!

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Tune in here to watch my recommendations for runners and placemats as weaving gifts.

Show Notes –

All about table runners – I found a fascinating blog post from the Tablecloths Factory about selecting a runner. They discuss sizing, materials, and much more. So if you are looking for inspiration, this is a great place to start! Read their informative post here.  

Rep Weave – In this episode I talk a lot about this magical weaving pattern called rep weave. And if you aren’t familiar with it, I have 2 previous episodes that cover it! Check out the following videos all about rep weave:

• Episode 16 “Rep Weave”
• Episode 47 “Nuts & Bolts of Rep Weave”

Extra! Extra!

Are you a paper & pencil person? Want something concrete to hold in your hand? Then I have just the thing for you! My Acton Creative Insiders will receive a download for each of the episodes in the Weaving Gifts series!

Want to have the table runner and placemat dimensions spelled out for you? Just join the AC Insiders today to get access to your information page! Here is the link to join.

I can’t wait for you to be a part of the community! See you soon!

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Are you ready to learn from me and my adventures? Here we go!

Show Notes –

Shout Color Catcher – One of my weaving to-don’ts involved forgetting a Shout Color Catcher when washing my project. The red yarn completely bled into the white stripe next to it, creating an undesirable pink section. Nope. That was NOT the plan.

So, the moral of the story is to always include a Shout Color Catcher – especially during the first wash, when most of the extra dye will come out to play. If you haven’t heard of this and want to give it a go, click right here to pick some up for your next project. (p.s. I’m an Amazon Affiliate and get a little something if you shop using my link.)

Rep weave – If you love the look of rep weave and promise you won’t try to make a scarf with it, I have more information ready for you! In episode 47, I talk about the Nuts and Bolts of Rep Weave. It’s a great overview of this fabulous pattern – perfect for dense, heavy fabrics! (Not scarfs. Did I stress that enough? Just say “no” to rep weave and scarves together.)

October Weave Along –

It’s happening! The October Weave Along has officially started and the participating weavers are already creating brilliant things! If you haven’t checked out this month-long weaving program yet, there is still plenty of time. You are invited to join us!

We have a Facebook group called the Acton Creative October Weave Along where weavers are connecting from all over! And there is much more information for you at the homepage right here. 

So if you are looking for some inspiration to return to weaving, or want to chat with other weavers, or simply want to try your hand at some 1/3 twill (our official October Weave Along pattern), this is the place for you! I can’t wait to see you there!

AC Insiders –

Are you enjoying Acton Creative, finding lots of value? You are officially invited to join the Acton Creative Insiders! This monthly membership, hosted by Patreon, is a fabulous way to support and be in “know” for all things Acton Creative. Click here to become a member. I can’t wait for you to join us!

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Personally, rep weave is one of my favorites! Its chunky, ribbed texture and geometric appearance are right up my alley. So, take a look at episode 47 to see what goes into this awesome weaving pattern!

Show Notes –

Ripsmatta – I have a correction. I’ve always understood that “ripsmatta” was simply another word for rep weave. But, according to Lucienne Coifman, that isn’t true! Go figure! She says that “the Swedish word ripsmatta is sometimes mistakenly used to refer to rep weaving. Ripsmatta is not a technique—the word simply means “a rug or mat that has been made with rep weave.” See? We’re all learning things here! While I haven’t yet had the pleasure of reading Lucienne’s book, “Rep, Rips, Reps Weave”, it is all about rep weave, which is her specialty. Click the link here to read more about it!

Rep weave throwback – I’ve been doing a blog for a long time now, and it has gone through a number of different personalities. When I started, I treated it like a project journal. I took lots of photos and shared the blow-by-blow of each project. In an interesting twist of fate, the one that Google found and continues to be popular is the blog post all about rep weave! So, step into my time machine, and check it out! 

Now, you!

Have you tried rep weave yet? If so, what has been your experience? If not, why? I hope now that you understand the nuts and bolts of rep weave, you’ll dive right in! Happy Weaving!

Acton Creative Insiders –

You are cordially invited to join the Acton Creative Insiders, hosted by Patreon! This monthly membership is a fabulous way to support and be in “know” for all things Acton Creative. Click here to become a member. I can’t wait for you to join us!

The post The Nuts and Bolts of Rep Weave appeared first on Acton Creative.

Rep weave has distinctive ridges in the fabric – kind of corduroy-ish. You’ll recognize the style from many a placemat, I’m sure. It’s also known for its cool geometric color blocks.

The beauty of rep weave is that it’s simply plain weave with a few important tweaks. Check it out!

Show Notes –

Plain Weave – When you do a potholder, you are doing plain weave. It’s just that simple!

Twill Weave – Twill is a weaving pattern with distinctive angles in it. Twill gets all the credit when it comes to denim and blue jeans – thank goodness!

Rep Weave – Rep weave is a warp-faced weaving pattern with a ribbed look to it. The effect is created with a combination of a very close sett for the warp yarns and 2 shuttles (one containing a fat yarn or group of yarns, and one containing a very thin yarn).

Ripsmatta – Another name for rep weave, attributed to the Swedes.

Warp Yarns – Warp yarns are the yarns that run through the loom, under tension. They are particularly important in rep weave because the goal is to only see the warp yarns in the finished fabric.

Freebie for You!

Great news – I have created a free .pdf that follows along with this weaving pattern series! It provides an overview of each weaving pattern. Tells you how to recognize it and what it is used for. Plus, I’ve included a few notes on how to create the pattern on your loom. It’s a fabulous resource! Click here to get your copy today. Happy Weaving!

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I’ve been weaving for about 12 years now and somewhere in the first 3-4 years, I did a placemat project that called for carpet warp (sometimes known as rug warp). It’s a tough cotton typically used for rugs. I loved it! 

This type of yarn comes in a million colors and won’t break the bank. And as an added bonus, I have a great resource close by in Kalamazoo, Michigan! Great Northern Weaving offers lots of options for me and in a pinch, I can get in the car to drive the hour & a half to see the yarn in person. It’s a great arrangement! 

Working with the same fiber for so long has given me an appreciation for what it can and can’t do. Carpet warp is a work horse! I think in the many, many projects I’ve done, I have had a yarn break once. It’s so durable and sturdy – perfect for handbags! 

On the flip side, I’ve discovered that because of its sturdiness, it’s not ideal for wearables. It just doesn’t drape well or soften up enough. It’s also not ideal for fringe – it doesn’t keep its shape. If I am weaving a table runner, I either hem the fabric or twist the ends. That keeps the finishing work looking clean. 

One of the other considerations is the amount of shrinkage. For a plain weave/twill weave structure, it can easily shrink 10% in both directions. What is crazy is when you do a little Rep weave (Ripsmata), it can go as high as 20-25% for the length! I don’t find this to be a pro or con, it’s just the nature of the beast. 

I tend to use carpet warp for all my warps. The wefts will vary, depending on the desired end result. But I’ve found it to be very versatile and crazy colorful, which works perfectly for me! 

What are some of your favorite fibers or materials? 

The post My love of cotton appeared first on Acton Creative.

So. Close!

Usually, when I’m weaving fabric for handbags, I don’t have to worry about the beginning and the end of the project. But, for this table runner, I have plans to twist the yarn into fringe at each end. So, I have planned extra inches of yarn for that very thing!

Leaving a little room for fringe!

Ah, sweet progress!

I have laid in a little toilet paper to keep the yarns from shifting, and then forwarded the project until I have enough “fringe inches”. After that, I still have a bit left. So, I’m weaving a little sample in an effort not to waste anything! As you can tell, the entire process is pretty labor intensive. So, I typically attempt to use nearly every inch of yarn on the loom! And all samples can later be transformed into something fun!

Ahoy! We have knots ahead!

Profile shot!

I’m at the end! I can see the knots at the back of the loom and the yarns no longer separate enough to squeeze the shuttle through. Thus, it’s time to cut it free!

Snip, snip!

Free at last!!!

I like to start in the middle when cutting off a project. I seriously doubt the table runner would completely fall apart if I started slicing yarns from one end. But, I’d rather not risk it… (You know how baseball players have all these crazy superstitions? I’m not that bad. But, on the other hand, I’ll wear the lucky socks if I think it’ll help!)

Tucking in the yarns

Once it’s off the loom, I need to tuck in any loose yarns. In many cases, I can tuck them in as I’m weaving! But, there are a few at the very end that you just can’t get around. At least, I haven’t figured out how yet! Never say never, right?

All twisted up!

Next up, twisting some fringe! I love the look of twisted fringe! And now that I have a lovely twister-thingy, it’s much easier and faster! It’s a little tool with (4) individual fingers that each contain a pincher. You place the chunks of yarn in the pinchers that will then rotate in the direction you want! It’s a little more complicated than that, but you just need to know that it’s magic! Worth every penny!

Add the label

After the yarns are tucked in and the fringe is twisted, I’ll send the runner through the washing machine and dryer. I like to pull my projects out before they are completely dry – my theory is that I can avoid a few wrinkles that way. But with a project this dense, you don’t have to worry about that too much anyway! Then, throw a label on it and it’s ready for the big time!

We have a runner!!!

It’s so fun to see the finished product! All the yarns fluff up and create these fabulously vibrant shapes and rows of color! Yum!!! Hopefully, it will be a perfect addition to my client’s living room!

Next on the docket will be another bolt of fabric for handbags. But, I think I’m going to mix things up a bit this time. We might get wild and crazy over here! (Keep in mind as you ponder the phrase “wild and crazy”, it’s a weaver talking…) I’ll chat with you soon…

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All tied up!

I tied the yarns to the rod at the front of the loom, keeping everything as evenly tense as possible!

Get set, go!

So, for this project, I’m creating a narrow table runner with long, twisted fringe. Normally, I would tie the yarns to the rod and immediately throw in some toilet paper to space out the yarns and be off to the races! But, in this case, I need more inches at the front of the project for the fringe. So, I forwarded everything about 10 inches and THEN placed the TP!

A little TP to start us off!

This table runner will be created using a weaving style called “rep weave” or “ripsmatta”. You’ll see this type of weave often used in placemats! I love it for a whole number of reasons! Ultimately, it is just a plain weave – meaning that at any given time, every other warp yarn is up and the others are down. It’s just like a pot holder – over, under, over, under. Simple, right? But wait, there’s more! In rep weave, you smash the warp yarns really close together causing a ribbed effect to the fabric. And because the yarns are so close to each other, you don’t see the yarns from the shuttle at all! (Instead of my usual 12 yarns per inch, I’ll do 24 or more!) This is called a “warp-faced weave”. See all the amazing things you are learning??

Dark brown sewing thread – check!

It takes 2-shuttles for a rep weave. One shuttle has either one very fat yarn in it, or a collection of yarns. And the other contains a very fine yarn. I usually use sewing thread in the boat shuttle and a big, group of yarns in the rag shuttle. But, mix and match as you like! The weaving police won’t come for you if you do it differently! Promise!

Rep weave is on the menu!

Sometimes, a girl just needs (2) shuttles!

Rep weave typically has a very geometric feel to it. The way you weave it creates blocks of color. With a 4-shaft loom, you work with (2) different rows. I have one row that produces a gold block on the far right, while the other row does not.

Love the geometric pattern!

The great news about rep weave is that it weaves up very quickly! The bad news is that the planning can be strenuous. You should see my notes! They’re hardly legible – even for me, the crazy artist laying out all the chicken scratch!

It’s a study in contrasts…

In the photo above, you can get a good look at the role of each shuttle. Where the big yarn is woven, you can see the warp yarns clearly. With the tiny yarn, you see hardly anything. And where I have 2 big yarns back to back, you can see the rows switching which one is on top. I’m not sure that’s the clearest explanation. But, hopefully you get the gist!

Tough to balance shuttles on a 9″ project!

Next up, more weaving! I’m making progress! We’ll have a beautiful table runner in no time!!! Talk to you soon…

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The project is ready to go in the reed!

When last we chatted, I had measured the yarn for a custom table runner that will lay on a high console table. Great masculine colors! Love them!

First things first! I need to slide in a pair of lease sticks that will keep the yarns in order.

Sliding in the lease sticks

Lease sticks are 2 sticks with holes in each end. It’s just that simple! But, let me tell you, all of us weavers would be crying without them! By sliding them into the project where I’ve made my cross (which tells me what yarns come next), I avoid lots of sadness and swearing. Without them, yarns get tangled and I have no idea what order the yarns are supposed to be in! So, Mr. or Mrs. Lease-Stick-Inventor, we owe you big!!!

Keeping the cross!

And in comes the reed! A reed is a metal frame with dividers spaced evenly from end to end. I use either a 12 dent reed (which means there are 12 spaces in each inch) or an 8 dent reed for bigger yarns or bigger spaces between the yarns.

All the players are in place!

The plan is to create the runner using rep weave, or ripsmatta. It’s just fun to say, isn’t it? Ripsmatta… those Swedes can be so playful! Anyways, this type of weave is very dense. So, instead of placing 1 yarn in each slot or dent, I’ll be threading 2 in each!

2 yarns per slot

1/2″ groups of yarn

I can usually just slide the yarn right in. But, there have been times when a sley hook comes in handy! A sley hook is a metal tool with hooks on each end. You pop the sley hook up into the dent, wrap the yarn around it, and pull it through! Brilliant!

Only a 9″ wide project!

Typically, I’m filling the entire reed. But, this is a much narrower project. So, it was critical that I centered everything.

Fingers crossed they are all in the right spot!

Ready to merge with the loom!

Next up, the reed will slide right into the loom and all will be right with the world! I’ll tackle some heddles next… Good times!! Have a great week..

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