How to do oblique weave

These directions are based on the fingerweaving article by Tim Connin that appears in Volume VI, Book of Buckskinning. This article is an excellent resource for history and general methods of fingerweaving. Another excellent resource is Fingerweaving Basics by Gerald Findley. This book contains instruction in learning the basics of fingerweaving, including many of the patterns usually seen in later-period Eastern sashes as well as this form of weaving, called "open-face weaving" by the author. Another resource is A Manual of Fingerweaving by Robert J. Austin; this book contains most of the patterns and information contained in the Findley book, as well as instructions for another method for the oblique weave (which is called "interface weaving" by the author).

It is truly said that one picture is worth a thousand words; sadly, this page is not illustrated. The Connin article and the Findley book are both thoroughly illustrated; if you are having trouble, try to locate one of those sources.

It is best to start with a practice piece as described until you’re comfortable with the weaving process. The next step is to try a small one-color piece; and when you’re confident with that, then try adding the colored selvages.

Notes on setup for the practice piece: First of all, you should use two colors of cordage that are similar in texture and size to one another. If you're using half carpet wool and half embroidery floss, you WILL have trouble with tension! Heavier yarn may be more easy to work with as you're learning the weave; once you're comfortable with the process you can work with whatever fiber you like. The practice piece is designed to show you the way the weaving works; if you did it right you'll end up with a strip of alternate-colored triangles down either side of the piece with sort of checkery diamonds in between them.

This type of weave requires an even number of threads. For the practice piece, cut 6 threads of one color and 6 of another, each about 18 to 24 inches long, and loop them once over a narrow dowel or stick (a pencil works well for this). This is to keep the yarn in the right order as you start the project. Group them on the stick in the order AB AB AB AB AB AB. This will enable you to see where each individual thread is going and what the pattern is doing. You should see each one move across the piece and back in a zigzag pattern; the finished weave looks similar to a fishnet.

After “casting on” to the stick, one set of ends is tied together and secured to a pillow. It could also be tied to a chair back or other support. The important thing is that you should be able to pull against the work to tighten the weaving. You will find that it is trickier to keep a consistent tension than with other forms of fingerweaving; the way the work is supported can affect that considerably. The weave will be tighter the closer it is to vertical - working horizontally will give a loose, stretchy strap whereas working vertically will give a very tight weave. Changing the angle during the weaving process will affect the tension immediately. You should choose a support angle that you will be able to maintain in a similar fashion during the entire time you are working on the piece to minimize the differences.

Twining the threads together in pairs is a useful way to maintain tension, particularly when you're first starting the piece. This also will permit you to remove the headstick once the piece is well-started without any danger of the piece unraveling. This is an optional step, but can be useful.

To twine the ends: Take a couple of threads, knot them together, and wrap them around the first two warp threads (the ones hanging off the stick) above the stick. Cross them over each other and wrap them around the next pair of threads. Keep doing this until the entire piece is twined in pairs; knot the twining thread securely.

The first row: If you've used the two colors as stated above, you move each B thread under the A to its immediate left and over all the other threads to the left of that A thread. After doing this you will end up with all the B's in your left hand and they're all "up" threads.

You should now have the threads separated into a top layer and a bottom layer; the top layer consisting of the B threads, the bottom of the A's. To tighten the weave grab the top layer of threads in one hand, bottom in the other, and pull on them.

The second row: Start by taking the second A color (counting from the right side of the work) and pull it up from under the first B color (again, counting from the right), making that particular A thread an "up" thread and the B thread a "down" thread. Keep doing that; i.e., for each subsequent A thread on the bottom layer, pull it up from under the B thread that crosses it and make it a top thread.

You may find it a bit confusing to manage the threads at first; it's probably best to concentrate on keeping the "up" threads in your hands and let the "down" threads take care of themselves. For instance, if the top threads are angling toward the right, hold those in your right hand and use your fingers to separate the threads as you weave. Then pull the bottom threads (slanting left) up and through, slowly gathering them into your left hand as they become top threads.

The third row: After you've done the second row you've got a section of "woven" threads in the middle and a pair of free strands hanging out at the ends, and all the A's in your right hand, all the B's in your left. Take the B thread which is on the outside (the first B thread, one of the pair of free strands) and put it into the top layer of threads. To continue the row, take the B thread which is now on the left side of the bottom layer and bring it up to the top, (up from under the thread you just brought in from the end). Make this new thread an "up" thread, and the other a "down" thread. Keep bringing the back threads, one at a time, forward from behind the front threads that cross them. At the end of the row, be sure to bring the last A thread from the right into the weave, pulling it to the top from behind the thread to its own left. You will end up with a layer of A's and a B on the bottom and a layer of B's and an A on the top.

The fourth row: For the next row, start by taking the second A thread (counting from the right) and bringing it up from under the first thread (another A) in the top layer, and keep on doing this just as you did in the first row. That is, bring each subsequent bottom layer thread up from under the thread that crosses it in the top layer, keeping the diagonal lines. Snug the weave by pulling the left-slanting threads to the left and the right-slanting threads to the right.

Repeat the third and fourth row instructions to continue your work, continuing to move the A/B threads from back to front, and right to left.

On keeping your place: Unless you plan to sit in one spot and be spoon-fed until you've completely finished your sash, you will need to know how to set the piece down and pick it up again without losing your work.

It is most important to stop weaving at the end of a row, and best if you can always stop weaving from the same direction. For instance, you can always end your weaving session by weaving from the left to the right. That way, you'll always know which side to start from when you pick the work up again. You'll need to keep the threads separated as well; if you're weaving on a pillow you can take two big safety pins and attach each group (right-slanting and left-slanting) to the pillow. That is, pin the right-slanting threads on the right side of the pillow, and the left-slanting threads on the left side of the pillow. Another method is to gather all the top-layer threads together and knot them, leaving the bottom-layer threads free.

On adding colored selvages: You must use an even number of threads on either side. It is probably best that you start with no fewer than six per side, otherwise it gets pretty confusing.

The weave for the edges is exactly the same as described above, but on the left-to-right rows you need to do an extra switch with the top and bottom layers when you change the colors. This will turn the colors back into themselves so you don’t get a selvage thread creeping its way across the piece.

To do the switch: Weave the selvage threads as usual until you get to the new color. There will be a point when you will find two threads of the selvage color in the top layer and none on the bottom.

At this point, cross the right selvage color thread under the left one, making the right thread an “up” thread and the left a “down” thread. Repeat this process for the “main” color on the bottom layer – take the first two threads on the bottom layer and move the right-hand one under the left, making the right one an “up” thread.

Continue weaving as usual, until you get to the point where you have two selvage threads in the bottom layer and none on the top. At that point, cross the right-hand “main” color thread under the left one, making the right one an “up” thread and the left-hand one a “down” thread; repeat the criss-cross process on the selvage color in the lower layer. Finish weaving as usual. You only have to do this crossover maneuver when weaving left-to-right; the right-to-left rows are worked as usual.