There are so many neat things you can do
with your inkle weaving. I'll not go into great detail here
but I'll just mention some to inspire you to on to new things.
You can get detailed instruction for these things by talking
to me or other weavers, by checking out some books or by
experimenting. In any case, just have fun with it.
Beads and Bells: You can string them onto
your warp threads. You can string them onto your weft thread.
I've seen a belt that had purple glass beads at both selvedge
edges. I've made a piece of trim that has pearl-like beads
along the edges of the trim. This was accomplished by threading
the beads onto a supplemental weft thread and leaving a bead
at each edge as that shuttle was passed. They can also be
left in the middle of the weaving.
Slits: You can weave slits into inkle strips.
To do this requires the use of two wefts. You begin by straight
weaving. When you get to the part where you want the slit,
you just weave as if it were two separate bands that are
on the same loom using two wefts. When finished with the
slit, continue with straight weaving using one weft.
Tubes: Tubes can be made on the inkle loom
by passing the weft always through the same side of the band.
When you remove the band, draw the weft tightly, row by row,
to bring the two selvedge edges together.
Alternate Warps and Wefts: Try using multiple
threads in other places in your warp. Try using different
size threads in your weft. Leave picots at the selvedge edges
with a supplemental weft. Use a non-continuous weft with
your standard weft and let fringes hang out the selvedges
(or macramé them). Use an odd shaped twig for a piece
of weft here and there to give it an unusual shape.
Alternate weavings: Weave a weft faced band
on the inkle loom. Weave a standard weave strip on your loom.
Try an alternate warping pattern like:
O GG GG GG GG GG GG GG GG
H HH HH HH HH HH HH HH HH
The above warping pattern used in conjunction with a doubled
weft and a non-bound (or traditional) weave would result
in a basket weave. |
