Backstrap Weaving

Sometimes it is desirable to have a third selvedge on your woven piece. I like to start projects like key fobs with a third selvedge so I have a smooth finished edge to thread through the key ring rather than a fringe or raw edge that has to be sewn.

I do this by threading a thin steel knitting pin through the end loops of my warp and lashing that to my loom bar. If the yarn is heavier I use a length of piano wire or even a bicycle spoke works well. You could use a length of coat hanger wire for heavy yarn. Some of the options can be seen below. Regular knitting needles are not strong enough for this.

Above you can see the warp with the knitting pin in place. I have tied two “straps” to the loom bar and will slide the two ends of the pin under those. For wide warps you may have to later tie additional straps at various points across the width of the warp.

The pin is now lashed to the loom bar and you are ready to start weaving.

When you are done weaving, withdraw the knitting pin and pass the weft on a sewing or tapestry needle to fill the gap left behind.

This gives a neat edge for keyfobs, bookmarks, wall hangings and other items where fringe or braids are not needed at both ends of the piece.

TIP: Tie the string or thick cotton around as tightly as possible to your loom bars first. Then slide your metal rod under these ties. the cotton should be so tight on the loom bar that it is almost impossible to slide the rod under. Use a curved needle to lift the cotton ties and work the metal rod into place. Then slide the cotton ties so that they are right next to the edges of your warp. This will help stop the rod from bending as you put tension on the warp. On wider pieces add extra ties in the center of the warp and at various other points across its width.

Here are the knitting pins I use with finer yarns…

Since writing this FAQ page, I have stopped using thread as straps and started using plastic cable ties. They are much more secure and save you from having to worry about your knots possibly slipping and loosening. You can get some ultra thin cable ties in all kinds of lengths. If I use them on wide warps where I need to distribute three or four across the width of the warp, I will usually remove them and replace them with thread when it comes time to roll the woven cloth and advance the warp. Once you have rolled the cloth, there is less pull against the metal rod and less demand on the straps and therefore no need to worry about the knots loosening. The cable ties can sometimes get in the way when rolling. I can usually manage rollinig two to three turns before they get in the way. 

Of course, lashing all the way across with one continuous cord is the traditional way to do this. I was very much used to doing this when I did the Navajo-style of weft-faced weaving before coming to warp-faced weaving. However, I still prefer not to lash with a continuous piece of cord for my warp-faced weaving for various reasons. That’s just my quirky way! If you choose to use the traditional method, just make sure that you do it tightly and take up all the slack in the cord before you secure it. Otherwise parts of the warp will pull away from the beam as soon as you put tension on the warp and that will mess with the tension across the warp. The sections that get pulled away from the beam will be looser than the others.

Here’s a video of a weaver in the Bolivian highlands lashing her warp to the beam using a header cord within the warp and a length of string for lashing. It’s the video clip on the right hand side of the screen.