Backstrap Weaving

Day 311: You've heard me mention backstrap weaving in a few recent posts and may have wondered what I meant. This is weaving at a very elementary level, i.e., a way to stretch warp and hold it secure (a clamp on one end, an anchor on the other), and a means of opening the sheds through which the shuttle is passed. Tension on the warp is governed by a strap running around the weaver's back (hence the name "backstrap"). To open the shed, the weaver leans slightly forward to relax the tension and alternately raises or depresses the heddle through which the warp threads run. The shuttle is then passed through the shed, and the weft thread can be beaten into place using either the shuttle or the heddle. As the work develops, the clamp is loosened and the finished weaving is pulled back through it, and likewise, the unwoven warp can be released from the anchor incrementally. Backstrap weaving can be done sitting or standing, and the warp can be anchored on any available object (tree, fence post, doorknob, etc.). Any length weaving can be made, and width is only limited by the weaver's arm span. If fancier designs are desired, pickup sticks can be employed to lift warp threads. Here, I am weaving a simple tabby pattern, creating a shoulder strap for the lined bags which were woven on my four-foot floor loom. It takes roughly an hour to make a 44" band.