Three-Color Pickup for Inkle Weavers
Advanced
Required Skills:
For experienced inkle weavers only. Students must be proficient at warping the inkle loom and be comfortable doing plain weave. Experience with Baltic pickup is also strongly recommended.
Class Length:
Full Day
Class Times:
Saturday, 9 am to 12 pm
Saturday, 2 pm to 5 pm
For weavers who have already been doing Baltic-style pickup work, you will be amazed at how easy it is to add more color and complexity to your pattern motifs and create fantastic new ones. Unknown to most modern weavers, Three-Color Pickup is an older technique for which pattern books have not been readily available until now. To weave this variation, it's very helpful to have a working knowledge of regular Baltic pickup. First, we will look at samples and discuss what makes this different from the typical Baltic patterns. By viewing the samples, students will get an understanding of the difference between asymmetrical and symmetrical threadings as well as tips for choosing colors to make the patterns pop. Students will then warp their looms and practice weaving various motifs using pattern charts supplied by the instructor. We will cover tips for warping, making heddles, fixing mistakes, starting and stopping, and keeping selvages straight. Also, students will learn how to temporarily remove and replace the warp, as well as how to cut the final project off the loom and handle it when it is complete.
Registration Fees:
For FTWG Members: $170
For all others: $200
Materials Fee:
$5
Materials Fee Includes:
Handouts
Registration Fees are paid when you register to attend the FTWG Conference. Materials fees are paid directly to the instructor at the beginning of class. You should plan to pay the materials fee in cash.
- Inkle loom
- 30 heddles to fit the loom
- Belt shuttle (6' to 8" recommended)
- Sharp scissors
- Note-taking materials
At the age of seventeen, Annie MacHale first discovered the inkle loom, sparking a lifelong love affair. She built her first loom in 1976 with the help of her dad and a library book. Since then she’s woven miles of bands including over 1,100 guitar straps. She loves to play with color and pattern and finds the inkle loom a very satisfying way to do this. Annie is known to many through her blog, ASpinnerWeaver.com. The popularity of her patterns shared there has led to the 2019 publication of a book, “In Celebration of Plain Weave: Color and Design Inspiration for Inkle Weavers”. This was followed by another book in 2021, “Three-Color Pickup for Inkle Weavers: A Modern Look at an Ancient Baltic-Style Technique” in which she shares a rare, older Lithuanian technique that has fallen out of use.
These photos were provided by the instructor to demonstrate the experience of taking this class.
