Threading at the selvedge

The loom is dressed with the warp from back to from - my preferred method. The first photograph show the loom with the blankets 378 warp threads threaded through the loom's heddles. The second photograph shows the selvedge threads. The three outer threads are doubled through heddles 1, 3 and 1 rather than 1, 2 and 3. This produces a plain-weave-like intersection to these threads (actually a basket weave) to provide extra strength to the selvedges. The photograph below shows the loom ready for weaving with the reed sleyed and the warp tied to the cloth beam.

The loom dressed.

The top photograph shows the way in which the weft is angled in the warp shed so as to maximize the amount of weft beaten and hence minimize the draw-in at the selvedges. The weft is roughly five inches from peak to trough. The other pictures show the blankets after the first red header has been woven in, and one shows the weaving in close-up.

Close-up of the weave.

Blanket after weaving the red header

2. Half the weft is woven in the opposite shed to the preceding pink weft

3. First weft beaten in

4. Following the next pink row, the second weft is woven into the opposite shed

5. Second weft beaten in

6. Larger point woven in and trimmed

7. Separation between the first and second points (18 weft picks - approx 2.5 inches)

The points of the blanket were either woven in during the production of the blanket or were sewn in after the blanket had been woven, the first being the most typical method for Hudson's Bay blankets. Three approaches to weaving the points have occurred to me: adding red point weft to the pink blanket weft by weaving the points in on the opposite shed to the preceding pink blanket row, as before, but weaving the points in on the same shed as the preceding pink blanket row, and replacing the pink blanket weft with red point weft and interlocking the two wefts tapestry-fashion.

The First Approach - weaving the points on opposites

Point blankets are woven in twill weave which is produced by repeatedly threading the four shafts in the order 1, 2, 3 and 4, and weaving by raising first shafts 1 and 2 and throwing the weft, then 2 and 3 and throwing the weft, then 3 and 4 and throwing the weft, then 4 and 1 and throwing the weft, and then back round to 1 and 2. So to add the red point weft to the pink blanket weft on the opposite shed, first shafts 1 and 2 are raised and the pink weft thrown. Then the opposite shafts are raised, that is 3 and 4, and the red point weft inserted and beaten in. The second pink blanket weft is then thrown with shafts 2 and 3 raised (the next in the twill sequence), and the point weft added with the opposite shafts to this pick raised, 4 and 1, and beaten in. Then the usual twill sequence continues with shaft 3 and 4, followed by 4 and 1.

8. First weft of second smaller point woven on the opposite shed to the preceding pink weft

9. First weft of smaller point beaten in

10. Following the next pink weft, the second weft of the point is woven on the opposite shed

11. Second weft beaten in

12. Points completed

2. Half the weft is woven in the same shed to the preceding pink weft

3. First weft beaten in

4. The second point weft is inserted, followed by the next pink row, both into the same shed

5. Second weft beaten in

6. Weft (doubled) for the second smaller point

This is the simplest approach to weaving in the points. After the blanket weft has been thrown from left to right, the point weft is added in the same shed and then both wefts beaten into positon at the fell of the cloth. The next shed is opened, the point weft is inserted and then the blanket weft is thrown from right to left, in the same shed. The two wefts are then beaten into position and the point weft is trimmed.

7. First weft of second smaller point woven on the same shed to the preceding pink weft

8. First weft of second smaller point beaten in and the second point weft inserted into the same shed but before the second blanket weft

9. Smaller point beaten in

10. The points woven in on the same shed

2. The pink blanket weft can be seen top right coming out of the shed. The red point weft has been added in the same shed, coming out of it between the same two warp threads.

3. One of the selvedge ends of the red point weft is cut about an inch from the selvedge and the end half inch pulled up through the web. The other end is turned around the selvedge thread and fed back through the shed, past the pulled out thread, and then itself pulled up through the web. This makes the neatest join.

4. The wefts are beaten

5. The two wefts are interlocked

6. The red point weft is placed in the same shed as the pink blanket weft

7. The wefts are beaten in and the selvedge end of the red point weft is cut to form two ends and is then treated as above (3.)

8. The first point is woven in

In this approach I replace the pink blanket weft with red point weft instead of adding it. So with the pink weft running from right to left, the shuttle is brought out of the shed between two warps at roughly the right distance from the selvedge. The point weft is then placed in the same shed, running from the selvedge to the same two warps, where it is also brought up out of the shed. These two wefts are then beaten into place, and then the ends are wrapped around one another (interlocked). The next shed is formed and the shuttle with the pink blanket weft is placed back into the shed between the two warps from which it was removed, and thrown to the right selvedge. The red point weft is placed back into the shed and run out to the left selvedge. The weft are then beaten into position and the point weft trimmed.

9. Weft (doubled) for the second 'half' point

10. The pink blanket weft and the red point weft have been placed in the same shed, coming out of it between the same two warp threads.<

11. The two wefts beaten.

12. The selvedge ends of the red weft tidied up

13. The wefts interlocked

14. The wefts beaten in

15. The points woven in

When the three blankets had been woven they were cut from the loom. To protect the ends of the cloth, the warp ends were knotted together in groups of four. The selvedges were then whip stitched together with cotton to form a long tube. The knotted ends were then whip stitched together to form a large 'inner tube' or torus. This helps to even the fulling across the whole of the cloth, otherwise the centre can full more then the edges. The cloth is then placed evenly around the central pillar of a top-loading washing machine, filled with soapy water at around 84^oF. The cloth is then agitated for 24 minutes until the width has reduced by 50% of the finished width; the cloth was 54" wide before fulling, 35.5" after fulling.

Whip stitching

Close up of the cloth before fulling.

Detail of whip stitching

Fulled cloth.