Rigid Heddle Waffle Weave Blanket

Rigid Heddle Waffle Weave Blanket 

This extra plush lap blanket is woven with Mallo Cotton Slub on a rigid heddle loom. A pick-up stick is used to weave a windowpane pattern with warp and weft floats that closely resembles waffle weave.

The finished dimensions of this blanket are 29" W x 34" L, the ideal size for a lap or baby blanket. It is woven as 2 narrow panels, which are then seamed together. If you would like to adjust this project to be larger or smaller, see Christine's tips at the bottom of this post. 

You can download an updated version of this pattern and purchase a kit here.

Designed byChristine Jablonski for GIST: Yarn & Fiber.

We recommend this project for intermediate rigid heddle weavers. Need some help getting started? Check out Resources for Beginner and Intermediate Weavers. 

Materials 

Warp & Weft:2 cones of Mallo Cotton Slub

Project Notes

• Tools Required: Rigid heddle loom, pick-up stick (minimum 20"), 10 dent reed, shuttle & bobbins, or stick shuttle
• EPI: 10
• PPI: 10-11 (10 repeats of the 8-pick pattern sequence should be about 7.5")
• Width at Reed: 20" 
• Warp Ends: 200
• Warp Length: 3.5 yards
• Technique: Windowpane warp & weft floats using a pick-up stick adapted from Textures and Patterns for the Rigid Heddle Loom by Betty Linn Davenport 
• Finished Dimensions: Approximately 29" W x 34" L 
• Finishing Details: Seam 2 woven panels together with figure-eight stitch, hand or machine sewn hem
• Take-up and Shrinkage: Approximately 30%
• Care Instructions: Machine wash cold, delicate cycle, tumble dry low

Weaving & Finishing 

Begin: Using your preferred method (direct or indirect warping) warp and wind on 200 ends through a 10-dent heddle.

Pick Up the Floats: Place the heddle in the DOWN position. Behind the heddle, only the slot threads (there should be 100) are raised. Tip: Inserting a piece of cardboard beneath the slot threads and sliding it onto the back beam makes it easier to identify which slot threads to pick up and which to leave down. We used a spare pickup stick because it was handy--but only one pickup stick is required for this project. 

Using your pick-up stick, pick up the first slot thread, leave the next two down, pick up the next slot thread, leave the next two down. Continue in this manner of 1 up, 2 down until you reach the last slot thread--pick that up onto the stick. Slide stick to the back beam. (*See photo 1*)

Weaving: Weave 2 panels. Begin and end each panel with 1.5" of tabby (preferably using a thinner yarn than Mallo, for a  less bulky hem). These tabby sections will be folded under and hemmed. After weaving the tabby section, follow the weaving sequence below:

• Pick 1: Heddle is UP
• Pick 2: Heddle is NEUTRAL, pick-up stick slides forward to the back of the heddle and is turned on it's side to create the weft float shed (*see photo 2*), after weaving this pick slide the pick-up stick back to the back beam 
• Pick 3: Heddle is UP 
• Pick 4: Heddle is DOWN
• Pick 5: Heddle is UP, pick-up stick is positioned at the back of the heddle but stays flat to create the warp float shed (*see photo 3*), after weaving this pick slide the pick-up stick back to the back beam 
• Pick 6: Heddle is DOWN (due to the floats at the floats along the selvedges, you may wish to "catch" the up selvedge thread by weaving over it *see photo 4*)
• Pick 7: Heddle is UP, pick-up stick is positioned at the back of the heddle but stays flat to create the warp float shed, after weaving this pick slide the pick-up stick back to the back beam (*see photo 3*)
• Pick 8: Heddle is DOWN (due to the floats at the floats along the selvedges, you may wish to "catch" the up selvedge thread by weaving over it *see photo 4*)
• Repeat this 8-pick pattern for 47", then weave picks 1, 2, & 3 to complete the window pane pattern
• Switch to your thinner yarn (optional) and weave 1.5" of tabby for the hem. 

Finishing: Cut the panels off the loom and zig zag the tabby edges. Before washing, seam the two panels together (length-wise, selvedge to selvedge) using a figure-eight stitch or method of your choice. Machine wash cold on delicate cycle, tumble dry low. Fold under and press tabby edges, hem by hand or machine. 

Variations 

Christine writes, "To change the dimensions of this project, multiply the desired length and width by 1.3 to calculate the the width and length you will need your warp to be. Example: If you want to weave a 15" x 72" scarf with this pattern, your width at reed will be 19.5" (15 x 1.3 = 19.5) and your warp length will be 93.6" (72 x 1.3 = 93.6) plus loom waste (varies from loom to loom, typically 20-30")." 

You can also use our Weaving Yarn Calculator!

About Christine Jablonski