Adding an Extra Heddle to Create 3 "Heddles" on a Tape or Band Loom

Of course our tape loom with holes and slots only has 2 sheds, but we can make an extra heddle with the use of a large pin and a shed stick.

I mistakenly originally posted this as krokbragd. Finally, someone commented that krokbragd is a weft face weave. Please skip over any notations to krokbragd below.  But have fun putting in a third heddle. 

Anne Dixon wrote a wonderful book of 400 inkle loom patterns, The Weavers Inkle Pattern Directory. I wanted to try her pattern for a row of flowers on my gate style tape loom. 

 I drew up my pattern chart like I draw up my patterns for stripes.  Keep in mind there will be 3 sheds in a series of four rows.

You will also need a large safety pin and a pop stick with holes drilled in each end and a thread secured to one hole. (see below)

I then translated the pattern to a warping chart. H of course stands for Holes, S for slots, but here we must double up the slot row. There is a S2 and an S3. These two sheds will be divided later on.  All threads are single strands of the same weight. There are four blue border threads on each side that do not show on the S3 row below, because you will be using the same border threads from S2.  This pattern uses 13 holes and 13 slots but there will be a total of 35 threads.

Warp your loom as usual from left to right, blue hole, blue slot, blue hole, blue slot, blue hole, blue and red in the next slot and so on across the chart and loom.  Your warped slots will look like this:

For this pattern you will need 13 string heddles about 5" long. I tied up my loom to my back strap and put a string heddle on each of the 13 blue thread in the slots (including the two border threads on each end), just behind my loom. Then I put them on my big pin. This is S2 row on the chart above.

Next, I placed my pop stick behind the string heddles. Put the pop stick under the two blue ends, all the thread in S3 row and the two blue border threads on each end. Tie the stick's string over the new shed threads and tie to other end of the pop stick.

Wind your shuttle with blue and begin on the left side. Raise your loom and pass your shuttle through. 

Lower the loom and pull up the sting heddle. You may have to wiggle and tap the threads in front of the loom to get the slot threads to separate into two sheds. Slide your hand into this new shed and tamp tight with your hand and pass the shuttle.

Raise your loom and tamp this new shed with your hand, pass the shuttle.

Drop your loom and raise the pop stick shed. Again, you may have to wiggle and tap the shed in front of the loom to separate the two threads in the slots. Place your hand in this shed and tamp hard. Pass the shuttle.

That's it!  There is a four row series. H, S2, H, S3, repeat. For the best results, wiggle and tighten the weft rows and draw the warp threads together so the warp threads touch in the finished pattern showing no weft threads inside.

Are you a beginner to Tape and Band Weaving?  I wrote a book a couple of years ago... Tape Loom Weaving... simplified, that will show you the basics of band weaving, stripe patterns, warp floats and pick up pattern weaving, along with conversations from inkle patterns to tape and band looms.  

My book is available through Amazon.com or my web site www.eastknollpottery.com  and check out this blog for other patterns, tips and tools for weaving using my search band above.

I also have a pinterest page with scores of patterns and looms for you to goggle over! www.pinterest.com/potterymom1   

And... have fun!