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You may have heard that unbalanced weave structures are not possible on counterbalance looms. But that is not true! By the end of this article, you will know why it is possible and how to adapt your tie-up to make it work.
Balanced weave structures such as Plain Weave, Canvas Weave, and 2/2 Twill raise or lower an even number of shafts while unbalanced weave structures such as Double Weave, 1/3 and 3/1 Twill, and Lace raise or lower odd numbers of shafts.
Don’t confuse balanced weave structures with balanced cloth! Balanced cloth has the same number of ends-per-inch and picks-per-inch. This is controlled by the size of yarn and how hard you beat.
On a counterbalance loom, the harnesses always seek equilibrium–hence the name. When one harness is lowered by stepping on a treadle, its opposite is raised equally through a system of pulleys or roller bars.
With a balanced weave structure, these looms create very large sheds. They also exert the same amount of force on both raised and lowered ends.
Two down, two up
However, counterbalance looms present two main challenges.
Firstly, tying three harnesses to one treadle requires you to press very hard with one leg. This is because you must “fight” the tension on the warp ends of all three harnesses.
Secondly, the rollers may adjust unevenly when an odd number of harnesses are lowered. This leads to poor shed formation, where some of the lowered shafts may not sink far enough, and some of the lifted shafts may not rise high enough. Sometimes, two “sheds” may even be visible.
Three down, one up
One down, three up
These challenges have led to a common misconception that only balanced weaves can be achieved on a counterbalance loom. Let’s bust that myth.
I find it too difficult to lower more than two shafts with one leg. So, I never tie more than two harnesses to one treadle. Using a skeleton tie-up lets me use two treadles to lower three shafts, dividing the amount of force required between both legs.
If the harnesses do not rise or lower evenly, I simply put more pressure on one treadle to even the shed.
Here is a particularly versatile skeleton tie-up that can be used for any four-shaft pattern:
To lower one shaft: Step on either treadle one, two, five, or six.
To lower two shafts: Step on treadle three or four, or treadles one AND two, or five AND six.
To use this tie-up for your next four-shaft project, all you need to do is figure out the treadling sequence. Start with the full tie-up for your desired weaving draft. Which shafts need to beloweredfor each pick?
Let’s use 1/3 twill to demonstrate. We need to lower shafts 234, followed by 134, 124, and 123.
1/3 Twill Full Tie-Up (rising shed - shows which shafts are lifted)
1/3 Twill Full Tie-Up (sinking shed - shows which shafts are lowered)
Compare each pick to the skeleton tie-up and identify which treadles will lower the correct combination of shafts. In our example, you would step on treadles four and five, then three and six, one and four, and two and three.
Record that sequence. This is your new treadling draft, tailored to the skeleton tie-up.
1/3 Twill Skeleton Tie-Up (Sinking Shed)
For a 3/1 Twill, simply use treadles one, two, five, and six in order.
3/1 Twill Skeleton Tie-Up (Sinking Shed)
Huck Lace (also known as huck-a-buck, or huckaback) is another structure that uses an odd number of harnesses. Can you see how we went from the full tie-up on the left, to the skeleton tie-up on the right?
There is no one “right” type of loom—each has its strengths and quirks. If you own a counterbalance loom and thought unbalanced structures were out of reach, I hope this article has given you a few new tricks up your sleeve.
Ready to give it a try? Here are three patterns from the Gist library that use an unbalanced structure. Let us know how it goes—tag us @GistYarn on Instagram!
All images and graphics courtesy of Maja Lampa unless otherwise noted.
Maja Lampa is a Vancouver-based weaver, drawing inspiration from nature, traditional craft, and the deep connection between maker and material. Her favorite projects begin at the source–when she knows the sheep who grew the wool or the farmer who tended the flax.
A member of the Southern Gulf Islands Arts Council and Webmaster for the Guild of Canadian Weavers, Maja shares her work in community exhibitions and through her monthly newsletter, where she writes about slow making, local fibres, and the quiet joy of weaving by hand.
Website: majalampaweaving.ca
Newsletter: majalampaweaving.substack.com
Email: hi@majalampaweaving.ca
