Weave Structures

This article is part two in a series about lace weaves — a magical way of interlacing threads and using skips and floats to create shape, pattern, and space. In this blog, learn about Bronson and Swedish Lace weaves, and things to consider when choosing which style may be best suited to your project.

Weaving is full of many magical transformations of yarn, color, and structure. One of the most exciting transformations that can be done with plain string and four shafts has to be lace weaves. In this blog series, we’ll examine several of the more common loom-controlled lace weaves.

Deflection in weaving happens when (intentional) floats curve around areas of plain weave, and doubleweave is the weaving of two layers of fabric simultaneously. Combining the curves of deflection and the layers of doubleweave creates deflected doubleweave, a common technique in shaft-loom weaving. But with two heddles and, in some cases, two pick-up sticks, the humble rigid heddle loom can also create this stunning structure.     

Learn the basics of Monk's Belt, Crackle Weave, Summer and Winter, and Halvdräll. Like overshot, these patterns have a tabby ground and a pattern weft, but the threading and tie-up differ from overshot, and each produces a unique effect.

Overshot textiles have a distinctive construction made up of both a plain weave and pattern layer. Requiring two shuttles and at least four shafts, overshot textiles are built using two passes: one weaves a tabby layer and the other weaves the pattern layer, which overshoots or floats, above.

This post is the second in a series introducing you to common weaving structures. You’ll find many patterns in Gist’s pattern collection that feature twill structures, and, like plain weave, it’s another foundation weave that has a lifetime of new and exciting combinations to explore.

Plain weave is a fundamental weaving structure in which the weft travels over and then under adjacent warp ends. The weft does the opposite in the next row, traveling under/over a warp end it previously went over/under. Plain weave creates a smooth and strong cloth. 

There are many types of weaving techniques that can be used to create different fabrics on multi-shaft and rigid heddle looms. This post has descriptions and photos of some of the most popular techniques.