Weaving Techniques

Weaving Techniques || Twining Weave

Twining Weave | The Weaving LoomWhile looking over some old books I came across the twining weave and wanted to try it out. Twining is a process of interlacing strands to make twine, but you can also use this technique to make a weave pattern. I made a basic double side-by-side twining weave and then I tried a single twining weave, both I will share with you.

To start I picked out two different colored threads. The threads I chose were a navy blue and an indigo blue that are very close in color to point where you can just barely see a difference, which I really like.  You can pick different hues of the same color like me, use two of the same color, pick opposite colors like black and white, or whatever combination you come up with.

Twining Weave | The Weaving Loomstep 1| I cut two very long threads of each color and then folded them in half. I laid the middle of the threads over my warp threads where I wanted to start the twining. I started in the middle of my loom, but you can start at the edge or anywhere.

step 2| bring the thread ends under the warp you want to start on and then up through the loop of the thread middle and pull tight. Basically you’re making a rya knot with the threads.

Twining Weave | The Weaving Loomstep 3| now separate your threads so that both strands of color #1 are in the inside and a strand of color #2 is on the far left and a strand is on the far right.

step 4| bring both strands of color #1 under the warp threads and then back up again

step 5| next weave both strands of color #2 under the next warp threads and then back up again

Note: I’m weaving around 2 warp threads because my warp threads are so close on this loom, but if yours are more spaced then follow weave your yarn just around one warp thread.

step 6| take the color #1 threads and bring them to the outsides so that both color #2 threads are on the inside. This creates your twine twist.

step 7| repeat the process of weaving one color under a warp and up, then pulling it to the outside. Then weaving the second color under a warp and up, then pull that to the outside. This will make your double side-by-side twining weave.

Twining Weave | The Weaving LoomFor a single twining weave, the process is the same except you only have to focus on two threads.

step 1| weave thread color #1 under the first warp and up, color #2 will be over the first warp

step 2| weave thread color #2 under the second warp and up, color #1 should be pull to the right over the warp.

step 3| weave thread color #1 under the third warp and up, color #2 should be pulled to the right over the warp. Continue like this as far as you want.

If you find the single easier to focus on, you could still create a double side-by-side but work one side at a time.

Twining Weave | The Weaving LoomAs you can see in the picture your making a plain weave of over under, but with two threads that are weaving over and under opposite warp threads and are also twisting around each other. The side view helps show that best. When you make a double side-by-side twining, it looks a lot like a soumak braid.  One benefit to using the twining weave side-by-side to make a braid would be that your warp threads would be locked in, whereas when you soumak there is the potential for your warp threads to separate off the loom, depending on how many warps you go over and what you have around the soumak stitches you made. The single twining is also really nice, it creates a completely hidden warp. I think there are a lot of ways to use the single twining, like if you wanted to outline a shape in your weave. It’s definitely something I will play around with and explore more.

Have you done this in your own weaving before?  Do you think you might do a double side-by-side twining instead of a soumak braid sometime?

Happy Weaving!

Kate

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  • Dawn Bracknell
    April 14, 2016 at 4:43 pm

    You can twine a rug, similar to a rag rug. I have one on my big loom now. They use t shirt material . It’s been around for along time, some natives Americans
    in the northeast used to make them.

    • Kate
      April 15, 2016 at 1:01 pm

      Hi Dawn, a rug would be so nice. I haven’t been bold enough to try to weave a rug, I’m sure yours will be beautiful. The native Americans have made many beautiful woven things.

  • Janie
    April 14, 2016 at 5:54 pm

    I do twining a lot in the start and end of my weaving, but never before did I think to do what you did here! What a wonderfully creative mind you have…..

    • Kate
      April 15, 2016 at 1:03 pm

      Thanks Janie, you’re too kind. I just try things out and experiment and sometimes it works, haha.

  • Rosalinda
    April 15, 2016 at 10:33 am

    Kate – I’m new to weaving and wanted to say thank you for your blog! Photos and descriptions are great and your enthusiasm and passion really come through. So appreciate your willingness to share!

    • Kate
      April 15, 2016 at 1:04 pm

      Hi Rosalinda, thank you so much for your kind words. I’m very happy to share 🙂

  • Stacy
    April 15, 2016 at 1:32 pm

    I’ve noticed that some people start their weaving doing “twinning” but never seen anyone as yet utilizing this technique as part of their weaving design……but there’s nothing saying that you “can’t’ use it…..very interesting…..

    • Kate
      April 16, 2016 at 9:27 am

      So true Stacy, why not push the limits? 😉

  • elizaduckie
    August 10, 2016 at 1:20 pm

    Cool.

    • Kate
      August 11, 2016 at 6:24 am

      Thanks 🙂