Flexible Lace Weaves

Certain lace weaves can be annoying on the rigid heddle, but any lace structure where I don't have to swap my pick up stick every three rows (or at all) is great. And, I CAN move the pick up stick mid project and re-insert it in a different pattern, allowing me to switch from a three thread float to a seven or whatever. I can't do anything like that on my shaft loom without using a lot of shafts (take a look at my straight 12 washcloth project for an example). This can be a good way to sample lace patterns without re-threading.

The photo for this section is of some gauze / leno that I was working on. I could have woven this on my floor loom just as easily (or, with just as much difficulty), but that brings me to my other big love of this little loom ... long, tedious projects can go on it, leaving faster or larger projects for the big loom. If I CAN weave it on the little loom, and it's not going to be any harder, why not?

Pick-up Summer & Winter Designs

I don't SUPER enjoy tedious pick up work. That said, I really, really like doing summer and winter pick up on the rigid heddle. What's the difference?

First, I only have to move my pick-up stick every eight picks (or four picks of pattern). Second, I can leave the pick-up stick in while picking up the next row, which is almost always related, meaning I only really need to count on the first row.

The only difficult part (and one that is easily remedied) is that you are picking up the background. That means that if you want the design that faces up to be design on background, you will constantly have to think inside out. The easy way to fix this is to weave the inverse to begin with and just flip the fabric over when you are finished. Much easier on your brain (and is something that troubles me when tying up summer and winter on my shaft loom as well).