How to weave horizontal stripes

How to Weave Horizontal Stripes

Once you've got the hang of the basic weave using one yarn, you can use this technique to add in a different yarn in another colour to create a striped effect.

A Note on Visible Warp Yarn

You can choose how visible the warp yarns are. If you don't want to see them, push the weft yarns tightly down with your fork to hide the warp. Alternatively, you could make it a feature of your piece, and choose weft yarns that complement it.

Introducing a Horizontal Stripe in a Different Colour

When creating stripes within your woven piece, it's a good idea to experiment to work out exactly how many lines you need to weave in to create a solid stripe. The number will vary from yarn to yarn, so play around and see what effect you like best. You might find that just one line has a dotted effect, whereas two lines create a zigzag look.

STEP 1: It's best to use two shuttles, one for each colour. Thread the needle or load up each shuttle with the weft yarn in the same way as you did in the previous lesson.

STEP 2: Pass the first shuttle through your loom in the opposite direction to the previous line of weft yarn.

STEP 3: Pull through until only an excess of an inch or two remains. Push the yarn down with your fork. If you just want to do one line of that colour, cut the yarn off the shuttle on the other side. You can either tie a knot on the end to secure it or twist the end once around each of the two outer warp strings.

STEP 4: To do multiple lines, simply go back the way you came and repeat the basic weave technique.

STEP 5: If you are continuing to alternate between the two colours, there is no need to cut the yarn each time. Just place the shuttle to one side when not in use to prevent the two colours getting tangled.