Learning to Weave with a Pick Up Stick - The October Weaving Club Pattern

This edition of the TabbyandTweed Weaving Club has now gone out to our subscribers. It is all about the pick up stick, a simple tool that allows you to weave patterns and textures on a rigid heddle weaving loom. The result of the pattern is a set of six small coasters, each exploring a different idea which makes them a good way to practise a new technique.

Why coasters?

Coasters are small, quick to weave and forgiving. Each one is only about 12cm square so you can try a new technique, see how it works and move on to the next idea without committing to a large project. All six come off the same warp, you also get plenty of repetition using the pick up stick on a single warp so you are able to embed the skills of using the pick up stick.

The warp is 44 ends of cream DK wool at 8 epi, set across 14cm of the reed. The accent colours need very little yarn, so it is a great project for using up small lengths of yarn from your stash.

The skills this pattern focuses on

Weft faced weaving

The coasters are woven slightly weft face. You need to beat the weft down firmly but not with great force, so that there are more weft rows than warp threads in any square area. This gives a stiffer fabric with little drape, perfect for a coaster! It is a good exercise in judging your beat.

Using a pick up stick

This is the main focus and it is covered in detail in the pattern. For this project either a pick up stick or a spare weaving shuttle can be used.

Hemstitching

Every coaster is hemstitched at the start and the end. After a few rows of initial weaving a hemstitch over every 2 warp threads is done. This is repeated at the end of each coaster. This means that in the course of weaving 6 coasters you will have practised doing a hemstitch 12 times which is certainly sufficient to become familiar with this technique. The pattern includes step by step photos and the monthly video tutorial available as part of this month's subscription demonstrates it well.

Managing the selvedge

When you move away from plain tabby weave the outermost warp threads are not aways caught in automatically. The pattern shows you how to take the shuttle over and under the edge thread, depending on the row so that the edges stay neat.

Working with colour

Several of the coasters use more than one strand of yarn together as the weft, and others change colour in a set order. Stripes, bands and multicoloured picks are a gentle introduction to planning colour in a small piece of weaving.

What we learn from using a pick up stick

A pick up stick is a flat piece of wood about the same size as a weaving shuttle, long enough to span the width of the warp. It is used to select threads behind the heddle, which lets you lift some threads and leave others down in a pattern of your choosing. Picking up warp threads can create warp floats, weft floats or both and this pattern concentrates on weft floats.

A few points that stood out

Counting matters

When picking up the threads with the pick up stick you need to follow the pattern carefully, count the threads carefully and double check

The same stick gives very different results

5 of the coasters use a different pick up sequence and different weft yarns. Changing how many threads you lift, and what you weave across them, changes the look from fine stripes to bold dashes.

Colour and thickness change the floats

Using a weft made of several strands, or switching colour between rows, makes the same technique look quite different.

Edges need attention

Because the pattern rows can leave the out threads uncaught, take care at the selvedge edge on every pick row

Embellisment is possible

One of the coasters uses a pick up stick with a thick multi-strand weft that is cut and the edge threads removed creating small bow shapes in the weaving. The video tutorial is a useful guide here.

Who is this pattern for?

The pattern is suitable for weavers who are comfortable warping their own rigid heddle loom. If you are still building confidence with warping, we have a step by step video on our our YouTube channel here: Click here for warping video tutorial. We recommend you read the whole pattern before you start.

Get this pattern

This pattern is now available as a back edition on our website. It includes the written pattern and link to the accompanying video resources, so you can follow along at your own pace. You can purchase the back edition here: Pick up Stick Pattern Back Edition.

If you would be interested in receiving a new pattern and video tutorial each month then you can find out more about the TabbyandTweed Weaving Club here: TabbyandTweed Weaving Club

Where to go next with pick up sticks

If the coasters leave you wanting to explore pick up sticks further, there are three kits on our website that build on what you have learnt.

The pick-up stick sampler kit is a good next step if you’d like to try a wider range of pick up sequences. The kit includes the yarn and a pick up stick and it teaches 11 different weave patterns and produces a sampler that can be displayed as a wall hanging. It also shows warp float patterns, a useful contrast to the weft floats used in the coasters.

If you would prefer to put the technique into a wearable project, there are two pick up stick scarf kits. One is the Pick-Up Stick Navy and Pink Scarf Kit in merino wool. The other is the Pick-Up Stick Scarf Kit in lyocell and Falkland wool, which comes in two colourways. The pick up stick is included in each kit, and each pattern introduces the technique from scratch.

You can find all three, along with our other intermediate kits, on our intermediate weaving kits page.

Details of all our weaving kits are available in our TabbyandTweed website shop for UK, USA, Canada and New Zealand delivery.

If you are interested in keeping up to date with our weaving work then do sign up to receive our newsletter by clicking the link here.