Shopping Cart
*continental US addresses only
Looking for an alternative to hemstitching? Twining provides a stable, narrow edge that can be either nearly invisible or highly decorative, depending on your technique and color choices. It’s also quick and simple to create!
This article will teach you several applications of the technique and also provide a gallery of decorative edging effects using different colors and multiple twining rows.
Twining is commonly used as an edge finish on rug and tapestry weaving but works equally well on any woven textile. Above it is pictured on the edge of a placemat.
Twining can be worked on the loom at the beginning of the fabric once a couple inches of cloth have been woven, at the end of the fabric, and anywhere in the middle of the fabric. Below is a sample of twining being used to create a fringed hem, to stabilize Leno Lace, and to edge a turned hem:
Notice how much cleaner the edges of the Leno Lace are in the row stabilized with the blue twining rows are, when compared to the Leno without twining. We’ll get back to the details of this sample later in this article and show the process of turning the hem once we have explained how to twine!
Twining is worked by twisting two threads around each other, catching warp threads in each twist. The process is simple and repetitive. The steps are:
Thread A goes over Thread B plus two warp threads, and then under the next two warp threads.
Thread B goes over Thread A plus the two warp threads Thread A went under, and then under the next two warp threads.
Here’s a short video of me working twining at the end of a woven piece:
In this section we will show twining at both ends of a woven piece. First, we show using a single strand of contrast yarn at the end of the warp to work a single row of twining. Next, we show working twining at the start of a woven piece using the tails of two different colored weft yarns. Finally, we show working a second row of twining to make a decorative edge.
Measure out a length of yarn that is roughly twice the width of the warp, plus 6”, then double it, folding the yarn in half
Lace one end of the yarn under the first two warp threads
The yarn end on top of the first two warp threads is now “A” and the end below the first two warp threads is “B”
Snug end B down against the last row of weaving
Lace A under the next two warp threads
Snug A down against the last row of weaving
Lace B under the next two warp threads
Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you get to the end of the warp, then tie the ends in an overhand knot.
Beat once to make sure everything is tight and tidy, then clip the ends to hang down with the fringe. That’s all, you’re done!
NOTE: If your warp has an odd number of ends you will need to work one group of three threads somewhere in your warp, or you will end on a single thread. The center three threads is a good default, but it generally doesn’t matter where the 3-group is worked.
For the rest of the instructions, we will be using netting shuttles to make it easier to keep our yarn tails under control. These are tools commonly used when making and mending nets, such as fishing nets and hammocks. Netting shuttles are helpful when working twining, but not necessary; fingers work, as do blunt-tipped needles.
Below are two netting shuttles, one white plastic and the other bamboo:
The white one has cord laced on it in preparation for lashing on a warp. Netting shuttles are useful tools for many weaving tasks, not just for twining!
Before you start weaving, reserve 2x the width of the warp for each row of twining you plan to work, plus a 6” tail. This sample works two rows of twining, so 4x the warp width plus 6” is reserved and has been laced onto netting shuttles.
Weave enough of the start of the fabric to create a firm edge. A couple inches are generally adequate.
I usually start my weaving with two sticks as warp spreaders, as in the photo above, and then remove them before twining or hem stitching. If you use any sort of packing at the start of your warp, you will need to remove it to work the twining edge.
Interlock the twining threads by passing one thread over the other. In the Step 1 photo the yellow thread was passed through the loop of the blue thread to create the interlock, ensuring that all warp ends will be locked into the twining
Lace one twining thread under the first two warp ends
The blue thread is now “A” and the yellow thread is “B”
Snug B up against the first row of weaving
Lace A under the next two warp threads
Snug A up against the first row of weaving
Lace B under the next two warp threads
Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you get to the end of the warp!
Twining a second row is essentially the same process, just working in the opposite direction.
The first picture above shows the completed first row of twining.
The middle picture shows the yarn tails interlocked and the twining row established.
Note: the yellow goes under the first warp thread to align the colors in the two rows. Starting with the blue would set up the second row with alternate colors. You can see examples of each option in the Gallery at the end of the article.
The third picture above shows the second row of twining with aligned colors established.
Below is the completed double row of twining:
Below is the sample from the beginning of the article shown after washing and pressing, but before working the hem:
The bottom of the sample has three rows of twining: a blue one at the bottom which is ½” after the hem stitching, then a white one 1” after the first blue one, then another blue one 1” after the white.
To make this turned hem, the cloth is folded and pressed on the bottom blue row, then on the middle white row, as in the photos below:
The first photo shows after ironing the first fold. The middle shows after ironing the second fold (front). The last photo shows after ironing the second fold (back).
Once ironed, the two blue rows are whipstitched together with blue thread, as below:
The first photo shows the whipstitching process. The middle photo shows the finished hem (back). The last photo shows the finished hem (front).
This hem is functional as well as decorative. It is much easier to press on the twining lines, and also faster to whipstitch the twining rows than to stay on the grain when picking invisible stitches from Plain Weave cloth. This hem technique is my new best friend for any linens on which I want to work a hand-sewn edge.
Single row with both warp colors
Two row warp colors aligned
Two row warp colors alternate
A row of red and a row of silver
A row of blue and a row of yellow
A row of yellow and a row of blue
Two row weft colors aligned
Two row weft colors alternate
Hopefully this article has sparked some creative ideas to use in your own weaving. We'd love to see what you come up with—share your twining creations with us at hello@gistyarn.com, or on Instagram by tagging @gistyarn!
All images and graphics courtesy of Jennifer Leigh.
Jennifer learned to knit, sew, and embroider before starting kindergarten, and over the years has dabbled in more or less anything that can be done with string and/or fabric. She began weaving in 2014, and now considers it her primary art form. Jennifer recently retired from a 30 year career in tech and lives in Raleigh, NC, where she is a member of the Triangle Weavers Guild. She can be found online at her blog, reddit,
and Warpsters, which she started as a passion project to build an online community for weavers to share knowledge, ideas, and creativity.
