Ask Madelyn: Doubleweave

September 30, 2009

Dear Madelyn:

*It's been years since I've woven doubleweave and I totally forget how to weave a tube with one end closed and the other open. Can you help me or direct me to a source? *

– Helen Farley

Dear Helen,

These things are always harder to say than to do. I can happily direct you to a new book by Jennifer Moore that is coming out next year. There is also a great article by Linda Ligon in the Doubleweave, Doublewidth eBook that shows all ways to weave doubleweave, including tubes and pockets; I think I'd get that.

Otherwise, you can think of it logically. If you thread 1-2-3-4 and choose 1 and 3 as the top layer and 2 and 4 as the bottom, you weave a tube by doing one plain-weave shed in the top layer (raise 1), and then one in the bottom layer (1+3+2), then in the top layer again (3), and then in the bottom layer again (1+3+4), using one shuttle.

This will weave the tube. If you only did this, the top and bottom edges of the tube would be open. But if you wanted to close the top or bottom, you would weave the opposite layer on top (2; 1-2-4; 4; 2-3-4).

If you thread and start weaving, you'll understand this much better than in words!

Thanks so much for writing,
_
_-Madelyn