Weaving

Weaving is the interlacing of a weft or fill and a warp. The warp is held under tension and is threaded vertically on some type of frame, allowing the weft to be passed over and under the warp strings.

A basic looms can be something as simple as a stretcher frame with nails to hold the warp strings taut, or a back strap loom that uses a stable object (usually a tree or pole) to hold one end of the warp and the weavers body on the other end to provide the necessary tension to weave.

Warp strings (called ends) can be threaded in any number of variations. Warp ends are threaded through harnesses or frames that allow a group of threads to be lifted together.

The most basic weave is plain weave, which requires two harnesses. Each weft is woven over then under the warp strings ( much like the placemats we wove with construction paper in kindergarten). On a loom warp ends are threaded alternately through harnesses 1 and 2. When harness 1 is lifted (on a floor loom, using a foot pedal) all odd numbered warp ends are lifted (1, 3, 5, etc...) The weft is then thrown across the loom using a shuttle and pushed back using a beater. The weft will then weave on top of the even numbered warp strings and under the warp strings threaded in the harness lifted (harness one).

At RISD we use three different types of looms. A floor loom which has two to sixteen harnesses, dobby looms which at RISD have up to 24 harnesses, and the industrial Jacquard loom which controls each warp end individually.