Weaving Techniques

Weaving Techniques || Making Shapes with Weft Over

Weaving Weft Over Shapes | The Weaving LoomToday I experimented with a fun way to weave shapes and have texture in your weaves. The process I used is called weft over, because you pass your weft over numerous warp threads to make a design. There are a lot of options with this technique, you could create a solid shape using weft over, or you could make an outlined shape by passing over and then under numerous warp threads, and also you could pass under numerous warp threads to have a “negative” shape.

I decided to make an outlined diamond shape. I’ll walk you through how I made my shape, but feel free to experiment when you create your own weaves.

Weaving Weft Over Shapes | The Weaving Loomstep 1| I started with a few woven rows in a design I wanted. Since I’ll be passing over numerous warp threads it’s best to have a plain weave row above the weft over in order to lock in the warp threads.


step 2| for my design I wove the plain weave until I got around the middle of my weave. I then passed my weft thread over 5 warp threads, then continued my plain weave.

Weaving Weft Over Shapes | The Weaving Loomstep 3| on my pass back, I staggered my weft over to create the diamond shape. I wove the plain weave, then passed over 4 warp threads, under 3, and over 4 warps again.

step 4| for the next row, I staggered my weft over again so that it went over 3 warp threads, under 3, over 1, under 3, and over 3 warps.

Cotton Warp Thread for Weaving

step 5| the next row was over 3 warps, under 4, over 1, under 4, and over 3.

step 6| the row was over 3, under 5, over 1, under 5, over 3 warps.

step 7| now I staggered my weft overs to make the decrease of the diamond. This row mimics step 5 where I went over 3 warps, under 4, over 1, under 4, and over 3.

Weaving Weft Over Shapes | The Weaving Loomstep 8| for this row I went over 3, under 3, over 1, under 3, and then over 3 warps.

step 9| I passed the weft over 4, under 3, then over 4

step 10| I passed the weft over 5 warps in the middle, to create the final row in my shape

step 11| I then wove some plain weave rows to lock in the warp threads

I would love to see what you create with the weft over shapes. If you have a social media that you like to share your weaves on, link to it in the comments below. If you like the yarns I used I’ve include a Shop This Post with links at the bottom. Out of curiosity, do you normally weave with neutrals or lots of colors? I recently had a conversation with my husband about color choices (he’s a graphic designer) and he prefers neutrals and likes their classic style. Just based off this weave you would know I like colors, lol. I know there are a lot of color trends that come and go quickly, but I just feel energized by colors. I often weave with a combo of neutral and color, but I have been planning some only neutral weaves…that is if I can stick to not using color (yikes!). What is your preference and why?

Happy Weaving!

Kate

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  • Sandy
    March 31, 2016 at 7:30 pm

    I think I was supposed to get a free pattern for joining but I didn’t. DidI miss it somewhere? Also what kind of loom would you recommend for a beginner weaver?

  • cath dahl
    March 31, 2016 at 8:41 pm

    I am for lots of colour! ☺ the more the better. ..but I “take after” my European grandmother who apparently came from a family of “colour lovers”…the brighter, and more “put together” the happier she was…her embroidery was fantastic. She bravely put many colours together that normally wouldn’t look well together, and she pulled it off beautifully…but then of course I am not saying this because she was my grandmother lol 😃.

    • Kate
      April 1, 2016 at 1:44 pm

      Wow your grandmother sounds fantastic! I love when people put colors together that you would think would look bad, but somehow it works (and also when they mix patterns). I can only imagine what her embroidery must look like. Thanks for sharing 🙂

  • Cindy
    March 31, 2016 at 10:54 pm

    I see an advertizement on your page for knit picks yarn. Have you ever woven with that brand? Also I want you to know how mych I enjoy your blog! Fun and educational!

    • Kate
      April 1, 2016 at 1:49 pm

      Hi Cindy, thank you so much for your kind words, I’m so happy you are enjoying my blog. I absolutely weave with Knit Picks yarn, I actually found the company years ago when I was learning to knit and really love that they have beautiful and affordable yarns. I like to mix Knit Picks yarns with hand-dyed and hand-spun yarns (since those are most costly). The pink warp thread I used for this weave and the grey thread I used for the weft are from Knit Picks. I also added a white thread to the weft, which is Lily Sugar and Cream cotton 🙂

      • Cindy
        April 1, 2016 at 3:18 pm

        Thank you! I will try these yarns! Your work is beautiful!

  • Claudia
    April 1, 2016 at 1:45 am

    Goodmorning Kate I love the technique I gonna try this for sure!
    it’s funny my husband is also a graphic designer and when it comes to colours he too likes neutrals, I like it also but I always end up with colour.
    Thank you for your tutorial I’m gonna try this but first I have to finish off a “big project” My husband made me a very big loom! (Maybe you’ve seen it on IG😃)
    Claudia

    • Kate
      April 1, 2016 at 1:54 pm

      Hi Claudia, that is so funny about your husband also! Maybe because they have to use so many different colors all day, they like more neutrals in their life? I must have missed the loom, but I just check and it’s amazing! I can’t believe you almost wove the whole thing! I love the colors you picked too.

  • Zoe
    April 3, 2016 at 2:04 am

    I love how this looks! The pink warp thread really makes it pop.

    • Kate
      April 3, 2016 at 2:54 pm

      Thanks Zoe!