Sunday, February 7, 2010

Floating Selvedges

For the first 20 years, I never added a floating selvedge. I don't remember what finally got me to give it a try. Once I did, though, I have never looked back---although I have tried several different variations on the theme. Currently, this is what I do, but this is not to say that my method is set in stone.

I won't go into all the different variations, but now I wind an end that is the same yarn as the warp and double it. The color I select is the color I will use for my weft (if I know what color that will be). If I don't know what color I am going to use for the weft, then I match to the warp (especially if the warp is a different color on each edge). I wrap the double end around any handy cone of yarn (leaving a couple yards), and place the cone on the floor in the appropriate place. I take the loose end, bring it through the loom next to the last (or first) warp end (but not putting it through a heddle. You can see in the picture below, I skip one dent (I have skipped 2 dents in the past, but currently I am playing around with a single skipped dent), and tie the end onto the bar with the other warp ends.


Once the floating selvedge is secured in the front, I clip weights (which are easy to adjust as I weave) to selvedge thread in the back. The red weight is 6 oz. The orange one weighs less, so I added the ever popular film can with pennies to equal 6 oz.


Presto, you are ready to go!

Jury duty is over.

You can see that I am already weaving. Pictures will arrive later.

6 comments:

Felizitas said...

I like the colours!

Peg in South Carolina said...

I'm with you. I always use floating selvedges. I do not skip a dent, however. What is your reason for doing that?

Bonnie said...

I don't know about you, Peg, but my edges tend to draw in. By skipping a dent (or 2), it seems to compensate for the draw in. Give it a try, and tell me what you think.

Loree Jackson said...

Thank you for this!

Connie Peterson said...

I have been weaving for 30 some years, off and on (and back on again). I just started using floating selvedges and was going to ask why the skipped dent but now I see why. But why don't you just have the selvedges wrapped on the back beam like the rest of the warp?

I found you through Cotton Clouds ... your work is breathtaking!

Wendy said...

Ok Bonnie, this was my last hurdle to getting the shawl on the loom. I have never used floating selvedges and really still do not fully understand their purpose despite searches with Google on the subject and going through Deb Chandlers book "Learning to Weave". I'm going to trust the process (and you), suck up my apprehension, and go for it.