Pick-Up Sticks will Explode Your World
Pick up sticks weaving
I’m a big fan of plain weave. It is perfect for so many projects…hand painted warps shine, stripes in tea towels stand out and for a purely meditative weave, nothing beats plain weave. But have you tried pick-up sticks? They will explode your weaving world!
What are pick-up sticks? Essentially, they are just like stick shuttles except they have rounded ends, or a point. The pointed end makes it easy to pick up some threads and go under others. When inserted pick-up sticks create an extra shed (or 2) so it’s possible to do more than plain weave. (If you don’t have any pick-up sticks shuttles work too)
There are 2 ways to insert pick-up sticks.
1. Place the heddle in the down position, this brings all the ends in slots to the top. Stand behind the loom slide the point over and under the threads as the pattern directs. It might be over 1, under 1; over 2 under 1; over 5, under 5, or any other combination.
2. Place the heddle in the down position. Working in front of the reed place the pick-up stick as the pattern directs. Turn the pick-up stick on its edge to raise up the threads on top, slide a second pick-up stick under the raised threads behind the reed.
I always use method 1 but my books all use method 2. Method 2 works well for those with back or neck problems who don’t want to lean over the back of their loom. Here’s a video because it’s so much easier to see than write!
Sometimes it can be difficult to see exactly which threads to go over and under. If the warp is dark, slide a white piece of paper in the shed after placing the heddle in the down position. If the warp is light, use a dark piece of paper.
Now that the stick is in place you have 2 new sheds to use! (Remember the shed is the space the shuttle slides through).
Weft floats
1. Place the heddle in the neutral position. Slide the pick-up behind the heddle and flip it on its side. When the yarn goes through this shed you will see weft floats.
2. Place the heddle in the up position. Slide the pick-up stick behind the heddle leaving it flat. This will create warp floats.
And that is all there is to weaving with pick-up sticks! And this is only the beginning! You can use multiple pick-up sticks to create incredibly complex patterns. Patterns using only 1 pick-up stick are simple, the stick can stay in place the entire weave. With multiple sticks they usually need to be removed and replaced each repeat. That’s when you might want to start using string heddles. (But that’s for another post!)
If you think you’re ready to try pick-up sticks, here’s a link to a pattern I use to teach beginner pick-up weaving complete with video links. https://www.therogueweaver.com/new-products/malabrigo-waffle-weave-scarf
Happy Weaving!
