VillageCrafts
Handweaving & Loom Crafts

Weaving knowledge, set down plainly.

Village Crafts collects setup notes, fibre comparisons, and weave-structure references for makers working at the loom across Canada. The focus is on what changes the cloth: tension, sett, and the fibres you choose.

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A traditional wooden loom threaded with warp ready for weaving
A warped traditional loom. Image: Wikimedia Commons (CC).
Reference Articles

Three places weavers get stuck

Most weaving problems trace back to how the warp was prepared, which fibre was chosen, or which structure the draft really calls for. Each article works through one of these in detail.

A heritage inkle loom holding a warp under tension
Loom Setup

Loom Setup Fundamentals

Warping, threading, sleying, and tying on — the order of operations that decides whether the rest of the project goes smoothly.

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A weaver handweaving patterned cloth on a traditional loom
Natural Fibres

Natural Fibre Selection

Wool, linen, cotton, and hemp compared by hand, drape, and how each behaves under Canadian humidity swings.

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Brightly patterned strip cloth being woven on a traditional loom
Weave Structures

Weave Structures Explained

Plain weave, twill, and basket weave — how the interlacement changes strength, drape, and the look of the finished cloth.

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Sett is the quiet variable

Ends per inch (sett) controls whether cloth feels open and drapey or dense and stiff. A common starting point is to wrap yarn around a ruler for one inch, count the wraps, and use roughly half that number for a balanced plain weave. Sample first; the loom and your beat both shift the result.

Balanced plain weave~50% of wraps/inch
Twill (more ends)~65% of wraps/inch
Open/lace effectfewer ends, looser sett
Rule of thumbalways weave a sample
How A Project Comes Together

From plan to finished cloth

  1. Decide the cloth

    Choose structure and fibre for the end use — a scarf, a towel, or upholstery each ask for different setts and finishes.

  2. Measure the warp

    Wind the warp to length and width on a warping board or mill, keeping the cross to preserve thread order.

  3. Dress the loom

    Thread the heddles to the draft, sley the reed for your chosen sett, and tie onto the front, then check tension across the width.

  4. Weave and finish

    Weave with an even beat, then wet-finish the cloth so the threads bloom and settle into their final hand.

Contact

Questions or corrections

If something here does not match your experience at the loom, or you want a topic covered, send a note. Use the form below or write directly.

Email
editor@villagecrafts.pro

Location
Ontario, Canada

This form runs in your browser only and does not transmit your details to a server. For reference reading on textile terms, the Encyclopaedia Britannica entry on weaving is a reliable starting point.