Overshot Weaving

Day 119: Overshot weaving is a technique in which floats of pattern thread ride above a contrasting background of plain (tabby) weave. It has a number of variations, each with their own name, but the principle is the same when weaving on a standard loom: one throw of a heavier weft is followed by a tabby throw of the lighter thread to lock the pattern thread in place. However, when adapting overshot to a warp-faced weaving method such as inkle weaving, the process has to be "stood on its head" so that the warps create the floats rather than the weft. I had not done any overshot on the inkle loom, so I decided to go all-out and picked up the challenge of weaving Celtic knots in the style known as "Monk's Belt." It took the better part of the morning and a lot of picking back before I'd gained confidence in the technique, but as you can see, it is now progressing nicely. The pattern thread is less than optimal, knitting worsted being rather "grabby" and requiring a lot of coaxing when trying to open a shed, but it was what I had on hand and it wouldn't have busted the piggy bank if I'd decided to cut it off and throw it away. My next piece of Monk's Belt will use a smoother thread for the floats, but the same 8/2 cotton for the background.