Fun with the Pile Weave (weaving Loops)

My favorite part about learning a new weaving technique is then working on all the different ways that I can use that technique to make different designs. It’s especially fun for me to see how all of you take the techniques I’ve shared and make your own unique weaves.

I have been a long time fan of the pile weave, you know that weave with all the loops. My favorite part about the pile weave is that I can easily change how the loops look and make my weaves look really different. It’s also a really easy weave once you get the hang of it.

Here are the basic steps to the pile weave (more details & video here):

• Start with some support rows for your loops, I recommend at least 2 rows.
• Loosely weave the plain weave where you want your loops.
• Take a smooth stick, like a knitting needle or dowel rod and use that to pick up the weft where it crosses over the warp threads. You’ll pick up the weft thread by wrapping it around your stick.
• Leaving the previous row on the stick, weave the next row of plain weave.
• Once the second plain weave row is done, slowly remove the stick from the first row and start picking up weft threads in the second row.
• Make sure to pack the pile rows tightly together and add support rows every so often (ever 4 rows or so). A support row is two rows of plain weave that you pack tightly against the pile rows. These plain weave rows will hold the warp threads together and keep your pile rows from separating and coming undone.

Over time experimenting with the pile weave, I’ve found that I can make the loops really short or really long and everywhere in between. This has allowed for me to really play with the shapes in my weaves and sculpt how it looks.

My first experiment with the pile weave, I made a really really dense crazy weave (that turns out to be hard to photograph in a way that shows all the details because of the dark navy). In this weave I changed colors and also the lengths of my pile loops. In the end it reminded me of a rolling thunder cloud, which wasn’t my intention, but I really like it. It’s so dense, I think I went through at least 4 skeins of yarn, lol.

My second pile weave I made a neutral colored weave that I wove with the plain weave and then put some pile loops in the center to make a focal point of texture. This weave is probably one of my favorite weaves still.

With this colorful weave, I made a weave that is an abstract flower, but making short loops on the top and longer loops on the bottom. It turned out really interesting and unique.

I also made a few side-ways weaves that I let the pile loops hang down in layers. These weaves remind me of butterfly wings.

Another fun way I’ve woven the pile weave is to put it next to flat woven textures. Pairing the loops with the flat weaves makes for really interesting designs.

What is your favorite weaving technique? Is there a technique that you normally use? Or more then one that you like to pair together?

Happy Weaving!

Kate

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