Ask Madelyn: How to Navigate Beat

Dear Madelyn,

I’m having a lot of trouble beating weft the right amount. My pieces don’t always look like the project photos, and I’m never sure what “firm beat” or “gentle beat” in the instructions really means. If I weave more than one piece on the same warp, the first one usually looks too loose and the last one usually looks too tight, even though I tried to beat them all the same. Do you have any advice for me?
—Stephanie

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Hi Stephanie!

As you’ve noticed, inconsistent beating will result in weaving that’s too loose or too tight.

The key to understanding how to beat weft is a project’s picks per inch (ppi). That number tells you how firmly or gently you’ll need to beat, and it can keep you on track as you weave the full length of the warp. Here are some suggestions to help you weave with a consistent ppi.

Put on longer warps than projects require. You should aim for at least a yard or two extra for sampling. I always put on more than twice as much warp as required so that I can work on my picks per inch—plus that gives me room for sampling weft colors and treadlings. (With the rest of the extra warp, I weave twice as many pieces as intended because I invariably come up with ideas during the first piece that I’d like to try for the second one.)

Note the project’s picks per inch. Don’t breeze past this number in project instructions—and don’t assume that if you use the correct yarns and warp sett your ppi will automatically work out fine. The loom you weave on and the amount of force you naturally apply to a beater will both influence your actual ppi.

Weave a few inches. After a new warp is spread, weave five inches using your weft yarn and then take a good look at what you’ve done.

Don’t guess—measure! Use a measuring tape or pick counter to count the picks per inch in what you just wove. If your ppi is too high, you’re beating too hard; if it’s too low, you’re not beating hard enough. Adjust your beat as required, weave another five inches, and measure again. Keep repeating that process until you can consistently get the right number.

When I’m going through this process, I try to describe to myself what I’m doing to get it right—how it feels when the beater hits the cloth, what my arm is doing, how much force I'm using, and so on. Putting my actions into words helps me repeat them more consistently.

Keep measuring. When you’re able to achieve the beat you want for at least a few inches, proceed to your project—and then continue to measure your ppi regularly as you weave. If you notice it drifting up or down, adjust your beat.

General Beating Guidelines

Yvonne Ellsworth’s Cherry Blossom Scarf has an open weave that requires careful weft placing.

For very open weaves, beating likely means placing the weft rather than letting the beater hit the cloth. Observe the pressure it takes to put the weft in just the right spot. Notice how much space there is between warp threads, and keep that same space between weft threads. If you’re used to weaving quickly, you may need to slow down when working with open weaves.

For balanced weaves such as the Shimmering Wings Scarf at top, you should generally be using either a gentle or moderate beat. In balanced weaves (including plain weave, lace weaves, and most twills), the ppi should equal the number of warp ends per inch.

Emily Barth’s boundweave Woolly Cocoon Bags require a firm beat.

For weaves that need a firm beat such as weft-faced weaves or those with supplementary pattern wefts, the beater needs to hit the cloth with force. Force is a function of the weight of the beater and the speed with which it moves. If warp threads rub against the beater as it moves toward the fell line, their friction will slow it down—reducing the force it can apply to the cloth and resulting in a lower-than-desired ppi. A temple is a great aid for these weaves because they spread the warp threads, thus minimizing their friction.

For motifs intended to be “woven to square” (as tall as they are wide), beating may require extra practice until you can accurately achieve the right height. Overshot patterns are often woven to square. If you simply can’t weave a particular motif to square by adjusting the strength of your beat, you can try adding or subtracting a few pattern picks from blocks within the motifs.

—Madelyn

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If you have a weaving question, please email Madelyn!

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Make These Projects

Linda Riley’s Shimmering Wings Scarf is in the Spring 2026 issue of Handwoven. All-Access Subscribers can download the project here.

Find Yvonne Ellsworth’s Cherry Blossom Scarf in the Spring 2025 issue of Handwoven.

Emily Barth’s Woolly Cocoon Bags are in the Spring 2026 issue of Handwoven. All-Access Subscribers can download the project here.