by Lorraine Stock
A Workshop with Joanne Hall--February, 2024
This past February I participated in a two-day pick-up band weaving class taught by Joanne Hall at Lamm’s End Studio, owned by Paula Becker.
First, Joanne had us weave an inkle band with a backstrap heddle so we could get used to using the backstrap before attempting to weave a pick-up band. We grouped into pairs and helped each other measure our warps and thread the heddles. The inkle weaving was easy, but I had trouble controlling the tension on the warp when I had to advance it. This shows in the finished band. The selvedges are uneven in those spots and the weaving has a wash board effect – like a rutted dirt road in miniature.
Joanne also brought with her numerous pre-warped heddles prepped with different numbers of pattern warps for us to practice with. Previous students had already woven on them so we started where they left off. By comparison, I wasn’t doing very well. It was an accomplishment when I finally wove one repeat of the pattern correctly.
There is nothing complex about the concept of weaving a pick-up band. The difficulty for me was seeing the pattern threads through the sheds. “Was that the 3rd pattern warp, or was it the 4th?” But more than that was my inability to screen out the background conversations. After all, the instructor, and the other students too, might be sharing a helpful tip. Besides, isn’t camaraderie also a reason for participating in a workshop?
In the end, I decided to put aside Joanne’s practice band and measure out a warp for myself, which she had suggested as an option. I could take the warp home with me and practice the pick-up technique without any distractions.
So there it was, I had measured out the last two ends when Joanne came by to check on my progress. I had done it all wrong, she said. In 24 hours I had forgotten how to warp a rigid heddle and measured the warp as if for a multi-shaft loom. Joanne balled up the warp and handed it to me. “Use it for thrums,” she said. Well, I thought, that’s an awful lot of thrums. But she set me on the right track and I had a second warp threaded correctly to take home for practice.
While weaving at home, I still had the same issue with tension control. After many attempts at tying and re-tying the warp, I was able to get the tension fairly even but it’s still apparent where the warp was advanced. I was also frustrated by the pattern warps not appearing on top of the weaving even though I followed the pattern correctly. Finally, after a “happy little accident” when I lost my place in the pattern, I learned that the direction of passing the shuttle and which shed the pattern threads are in make a difference.
With the pick-up band finished, I went back to the first warp I measured. It seemed such a waste. So I untangled it, added extra background warp ends to help the pattern stand out more, and threaded the heddle for a second band. I’m still having the same issue with tension, but it’s much easier to pick up the pattern warps correctly. It doesn’t feel necessary to count the pattern warp ends any more, either – just follow the pattern visually.
I’m looking forward to trying my handspun for pick-up bands and using multiple colors. Maybe even converting knitting and crochet patterns to pick-up. The good news is that these bands can be woven on an inkle loom and a two-shaft band loom so I won’t have to fight the tension issue.
And I still have plenty of thrums to spin a nice tweed yarn with a brown fleece in my stash.
The inkle band and first pick-up band – reverse and front.
The “happy little accident” – before and after.
The second pick-up band.
