Project RIGID HEDDLE
MY STASH OF HANDWOVEN MAGAZINES is one of my
most valued weaving resources. Th e diverse articles and
projects provide inspiration for my own projects, but more
importantly, the writers—weavers who were working ten,
twenty, or thirty years ago—speak to me across the years,
sharing their thoughts and plans and their own weaving
inspirations. Th eir words bridge the generations of weavers
and humble this fumbling weaver with their awesome skills.
Many times, I read an article and think, “Th at’s wonderful, but
nothing I will ever be interested in weaving.” Years later, I will
pick up that issue again and fi nd myself taken with the exact
technique I dismissed before. I am ready for it now.
One such project was Jane Patrick’s “Krokbragd Pattern in
Twill on Only Th ree Shaft s,” from March/April 2001, woven
on a rigid-heddle loom. When I came across it recently, I was
ready to push myself further on my rigid-heddle journey and
it was the perfect project: six coasters with krokbragd patterns,
using a pick-up stick and string heddles to give the rigid
heddle the three shaft s needed. One of the coaster patterns,
number six, was the inspiration for Jane’s Town Tote. I made it
my own by enlarging the piece, changing the colors to make it
a tote bag I could carry today, and adding some elements in
the border—but the inspiration can clearly be seen.
Th e word krokbragd in Norwegian means “crooked path,”
and it fi ts the look of the weaving perfectly, as the patterns
give the fabric a zigzag or crooked look. Krokbragd is
traditionally a very colorful woven weft -faced fabric (meaning
the warp is covered by the weft ). Th is project can be woven on
a rigid-heddle loom with a pick-up stick and string heddles,
but it can also be woven on rigid-heddle looms set up with
two heddles. Sharon Alderman’s article in the March 1981
issue of Handwoven has a good explanation of how to weave
krokbragd with two heddles and will provide even more inspi-
ration for your own exploration of the crooked path of
krokbragd on a rigid-heddle loom. RESOURCES
wAlderman, Sharon. “Haven’t I Seen You Somewhere Before
Krokbragd.” Handwoven, March 1981, 33–36.
wPatrick, Jane. “Krokbragd Pattern in Twill on Only Th ree
Shaft s.” Handwoven, March/April 2001, 64–66.
w ———. Th e Weaver’s Idea Book: Creative Cloth on a Rigid
Heddle Loom. Loveland, Colorado: Interweave, 2010.STRUCTURE
Krokbragd.
EQUIPMENT
Rigid-heddle loom, 16" weaving width; 8-dent heddle;
3 stick shuttles; 2 pick-up sticks; one ½" x 16" dowel rod;
25 yd 8/4 cotton carpet warp; masking tape; single-
ended tapestry beater or fork.
YARNS
Warp: 8/4 cotton carpet warp (1,600 yd/lb; Maysville),
#58 Ivory, 252 yd.
Weft: 8/4 cotton carpet warp, 8 yd for headers. Nature
Spun Wool Worsted (245 yd/100 g; Brown Sheep), #601
Pepper, 477 yd; #740 Snow, 38 yd;
#N03 Grey Heather, 82 yd.
OTHER SUPPLIES
¾" x 24" JUL Forager ƃ at screw-in handles; lining fabric,
½ yd; fusible interfacing, ½ yd.
WARP LENGTH
126 ends 2 yd long (allows 4" for take up and 36" for
loom waste and sampling).
SETTS
Warp: 8 epi.
Weft: 39 ppi.
DIMENSIONS
Width in the heddle: 1566 Š 8 ".
Woven length: 32".
Finished size: 11" x 11½" x 5".1
Wind 126 ends 2 yd long or set up your loom for direct
warping a length of 72". Warp the loom, centering for a
weaving width of 15^6 ⁄ 8 " in an 8-dent heddle.2
Spread the warp with scrap yarn. Wind a shuttle with car-
pet warp.3
Weave 1" in plain weave with the carpet warp.Jane’s Town Tote
CONSTANCE HALL4
Wind 3 shuttles with each of the weft colors.32 | HANDWOVEN http://www.interweave.com