How to Weave a Holiday Table Runner

2. Take this warp to the loom and thread one end per dent (or slot/hole in rigid heddle loom) in a 10-dent reed for 15 dents. Leave 11 dents open and continue sleying (putting yarn ends through reed) for 67 ends. Leave 11 ends open and then sley remaining 15 ends. Note:

• Dent is the weaving term for the slots in the reed.
• Sley is the term used for putting a yarn in the dent.

3. Wind a warp of 18 ends (three yards long) of the gold yarn.

4. Leave one empty dent on each end of the existing empty 11 dents and sley gold yarn in center nine slots.

5. Wind a warp of four ends (three yards long) of metallic yarn and sley into final four empty dents.

Figure E

6. For a floor or table loom, thread the loom in a straight draw or alternately on two different shafts (figure E). This project is woven in plain weave so only two shafts are required.

7. For a rigid heddle loom, sleying and threading are the same.

8. Tie on to the back beam in groups of 10 and beam warp per instructions for your loom using paper to separate the layers.

9. Tie onto the front beam and adjust for even tension across the loom. Note: This is very important as uneven tension produces frustrating, difficult weaving.

10. Weave a header of plain weave using several strands of yarn in one pass. Once the yarns is evenly spaced weave a few picks of plain weave.

Figure F

11. Now beginning weaving the runner.

• Weave 2 inches using the second green color (different from the warp)
• Weave 1-1/2 inch using the gold
• Weave 56 inches using the green
• Weave 1-1/2 inch using gold
• Weave 2 inches of green
• Weave a few extra picks (figure F).

Figure G

12. Using overhand knots, tie off groups of warp threads of about 10 ends to finish the edges. Trim fringe to even lengths (about three inches) (figure G).