SCHACHT Cricket Rigid Heddle Looms Instruction Manual
- June 28, 2024
- SCHACHT
Table of Contents
CRICKET LOOM
PROJECT INSTRUCTIONS
EASY CRICKET SCARF
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Schacht Spindle Company 6101 Ben Place Boulder, CO 80301
p. 303.442.3212 f. 303.447.9273
© 2017 Schacht Spindle Company, Inc.
01.17
LEVEL: BEGINNER
PROJECT OVERVIEW
If you’ve never woven before, a scarf is a great first project. You can use the yarn that came with your Cricket Loom to make this scarf. See the Cricket Assembly and Weaving Instructions for all of the basics on how to weave. You can also visit our web site at www.schachtspindle.com.
Fabric Description: Plain weave.
Finished Size: 4¾” wide by 67″ long, plus 5″ fringe at each end.
Equipment: Cricket Loom with an 8-dent reed; one shuttle.
Warp and Weft: Brown Sheep’s Nature Spun Worsted Weight Wool (50 gram balls included with your loom), blue and green. You’ll need 80 yards of green and 120 yards of blue.
Note: The colors of yarn shipped with your loom may be different.
Substitute the color you prefer for the blue (color A), and the other color
for the green (color B).
Warp Length: 90″
Width in Reed: 5¼”
Total Warp Ends: 42
Ends Per Inch: 8
Picks per Inch: 8
Warp Color Order: 2 ends color A, 8 ends color B, repeat 4 times and end with
2 ends color A.
Total color A ends: 10
Total color B ends: 32
Note: When using the direct peg warping method, you will have 2 threads per
dent when you are measuring the warp
WEAVING
With color A, weave 8 picks per inch (balanced weave) for 70″ or until you can’t weave any longer.
FINISHING
Remove from loom and tie overhand knots in the ends to prevent raveling. Gently handwash with mild soap in hot water. Rinse well and lay flat to dry. Steam press and trim fringe to 5″.
EASY CRICKET MUG RUGS
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Schacht Spindle Company 6101 Ben Place Boulder, CO 80301
p. 303.442.3212 f. 303.447.9273
© 2017 Schacht Spindle Company, Inc.
01.17
LEVEL: ADVANCED BEGINNER
PROJECT OVERVIEW
This project is a great introduction to weft-faced weaving. If you remember, warp threads are the vertical threads on the loom and the weft threads are the ones that cross the warp. In weftfaced weaving, the weft completely covers the warp. Weft-faced weaving is a fun way to experiment with designs. These mug rugs illustrate just the beginning of the pattern possibilities of weft-faced weaving. Think of each coaster as a little experiment–and have fun playing around with pattern.
Weave Structure: Weft-faced plain weave
Warp: cotton carpet warp in pale yellow
Weft: Worsted wool in blue, yellow, orange, green and white. (This
project uses Nature Spun sport weight wool from Brown Sheep Yarn.)
Warp length: 40″ which allows 10″ for loom waste and take-up.
Width in reed: 4″
Ends per inch: 8
Number of warp ends: 32
Picks per inch: 30
WEAVING
Using carpet warp, leave a 12″ tail and weave 8 picks packing in the weft so it completely covers the warp, about ¼”. Cut off the yarn and weave the end back into the same shed for about an inch. To secure the weft and make a fringe, hemstitch (see page 3) across the bottom edge of the weaving with the tail you left when you started weaving. For these coasters we encircled 3 warp ends in each group. End the coaster in the same way.
PATTERNS
It’s fun to weave a set of mug rugs with different patterns, but if you prefer, you could weave a set of coasters using just one of the patterns. Once you get the hang of weaving these, try some patterns on your own.
Weave about 4½” for each mug rug, leaving 1½” of warp unwoven between each mug rug. After all the mug rugs are woven, cut them apart, sew in any ends left hanging and steam press.
PATTERN 1
- Weave 8 picks of carpet warp
- Weave 10 picks blue
- Alternate green and blue for 3″
- Weave 10 picks blue
- End with 8 picks of carpet warp
PATTERN 2
- Weave 8 picks of carpet warp
- Weave 4 picks yellow
- Alternate blue and yellow six times
- Weave another row of yellow
- Repeat alternating yellow and blue 6 times, weaving an extra yellow after each sequence of 6 repeats, for a total of 3½”
- Weave 4 picks of yellow
- End with 8 picks of carpet warp
PATTERN 3
- Weave 8 rows carpet warp
- Weave 8 rows yellow
- Weave 2 rows green
- Weave 2 rows yellow
- Weave 2 rows green
- Weave 2 rows yellow
- Weave 12 rows blue
- Weave 1 row yellow
- Weave 12 rows blue
- Weave 1 row green
- Weave 12 rows blue
- Weave 1 row orange
- Weave 12 rows blue
- Weave 1 row yellow
- Weave 12 rows blue
- Weave 1 row green
- Weave 12 rows blue
- Weave 2 rows yellow
- Weave 2 rows green
- Weave 2 rows yellow
- Weave 2 rows green
- Weave 8 rows yellow
- Weave 8 rows carpet warp
PATTERN 4
- Weave 8 rows of carpet warp
- Weave 8 rows of blue
- Weave 2 rows of orange
- Weave 1 row of yellow
- Weave 2 rows of orange
- Repeat 2-5 six more times
- End with 8 rows blue
- Weave 8 rows of carpet warp
PATTERN 5
- Weave 8 rows of carpet warp
- Weave 8 rows of blue
- Alternate orange and blue 4 times
- Weave 2 rows of orange
- Alternate white and orange two times
- Weave 2 rows of orange
- Alternate orange and blue 4 times (this completes the border)
- Weave 10 rows blue
- Weave one row of green
- Repeat 8 and 9 three more times
- Weave 10 rows of blue
- Repeat border in reverse, steps 7-1
HEMSTITCHING
Hemstitching is a great way to prevent ravelling. It is easy to do on the loom when the weaving is under tension. These instructions are written working right to left, but if you are left handed, you may find it more comfortable to work left to right. Hemstitching is a twopart stitch, and once you have the hang of it, it progresses smoothly.
1. Begin by leaving a tail about three to four times longer than the width of
your weaving at the right side of your weaving.
2. Weave three to five rows.
3. Thread a tapestry needle with the tail, and work on a closed shed. Note:
Part of the weft tail is darker to more clearly show the path of the yarn.
4. Beginning at the right selvedge, insert the needle diagonally right to
left under three warp ends and up two weft ends.
5. Bring the needle to the surface.
6. Place the needle over your working end and encircle this group of three.
Pull tight and repeat.
Additional information on hemstitching can be found in Interweave’s Compendium of Finishing Techniques, by Naomi McEneely.
EASY CRICKET DRAGONFLY BAG WITH PICK-UP
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Schacht Spindle Company 6101 Ben Place Boulder, CO 80301
p. 303.442.3212 f. 303.447.9273
© 2017 Schacht Spindle Company, Inc.
01.17
EASY DRAGONFLY BAG
LEVEL: ADVANCED BEGINNER II
(See note in Project Overview for a beginner’s option.)
PROJECT OVERVIEW
This bag is a great way to try out using a pick-up stick. The back is woven in plain weave and the front is woven with a pick-up pattern. If you don’t feel that you are ready for pick-up patterns, just weave the entire bag in plain weave following the instructions for weaving the back. We used the Incredible Rope Machine to make the rope trim. See the warping and weaving instructions that are included with your Cricket Loom or visit our web site at schachtspindle.com. This pattern was adapted from page 28 in Betty Davenport’s book, Patterns and Textures on the Rigid Heddle Loom.
Fabric Description: Plain weave with deflected weft accents
Finished Size: 7″ x 8½”, plus handle.
Equipment: Cricket loom with an 8-dent reed, two pick-up sticks, two stick shuttles. Optional: Incredible Rope Machine.
Warp and Weft: Brown Sheep’s Nature Spun Worsted Weight Wool (245 yards per ball). 1 ball each Orange You Glad (color N54), 25 yards; Goldenrod (color 125), 30 yards; Natural (color 730), 25 yards; and Spring Green (color 109), 25 yards. Any similar worsted weight wool can be substituted.
Warp Length: 26″
Width in Reed: 9″
Total warp ends: 69 working ends.
Ends per inch: 8
Picks per inch: 8 in plain weave areas.
WARP COLOR THREADING GUIDE
| Goldenrod | 7* | 17 | 17 | 17 | 7 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Green** | 1+ | 1 | 1 | 1 |
- Begin threading in from the edge of the heddle to center weaving.
** Use Spring Green doubled (2 ends work as one).
+ Be sure all Spring Green warp ends are threaded in slots.
WEAVING
Wind a shuttle with Natural and another shuttle with Goldenrod.
To weave the back: Weave plain weave alternating Natural and Goldenrod for 10″.
To weave the front: Weave 1″ of plain weave alternating Natural and Goldenrod, then weave pattern for 10″.
PICK-UP PATTERNS
Pick-up Stick A–1 up, 8 down (pick up all Spring Green warps)
Pick-up Stick B–Beginning with Spring Green, pick 1 up, 3 down, 2 up, 3 down, repeat, ending with Spring Green.
WEAVE PATTERN
- Up
- Pick-up stick B (doubled Orange You Glad)
- Up and pick-up stick A
- Down
- Repeat #3 and #4 two more times
- Pick-up stick B (doubled Orange You Glad)
- Weave 7 picks of plain weave
- Repeat 17 four more times
- End with an inch of plain weave
FINISHING THE FABRIC
Remove fabric from the loom. Secure the cut edges with knots or machine stitching to prevent raveling. Handwash in warm water with mild soap and lay flat to dry. Steam press on the wrong side.
ASSEMBLY
Fold fabric in half to make sure that the front and back of the bag are equal lengths. Make any necessary adjustments and then fold top edges over to wrong wide and hand or machine sew 1″ hems on either side of the bag. With right sides togther, stitch ¼” side seams. Press and turn to right side. Make a 54″ long rope handle. Either make a twisted cord by hand or use the Incredible Rope Machine to make an 18-ply cord using 8 ends each of orange and green and 2 ends of Goldenrod. Begin with about 70″ long lengths (the cord will take-up about 25%). Tie overhand knots in the ends of the cords and then handstitch to the side of the bag. ·
REFERENCES
For more projects, visit our web-site at schachtspindle.com.
See our web newsletter, E-Newes, or follow our blog for additional patterns and inspiration.
See the Cricket Loom Assembly and Weaving Instructions that came with your loom for a glossary of weaving terms and additional references.
HOW TO USE A PICK-UP STICK
You can create patterns on your Cricket Loom by using a pick-up stick. For this bag, two pick-up sticks are used to make the patterns. Both pickup sticks can stay in place behind the heddles because they slide past each other.
To pick-up warp threads, place the heddle in the down position (slot threads will be raised). Then, behind the heddle, pick-up raised warps as noted in the pick-up pattern. Slide this pick-up stick to the back of the loom and use a second pick-up stick to pick up the second sequence. Slide this pick-up stick to the back as well. You’ll notice that the pick-up sticks slide past each other.
There are two ways to use your pickup stick. To make weft floats, place the heddle in the neutral position, bring the pick-up stick up to behind the heddle and turn in on edge. You’ll see that you’ve made a new opening, or shed, for your shuttle. To make warp floats, place the heddle in the up position and then slide the pick-up stick up to the heddle, leaving it flat (don’t turn it on edge). You’ll see that when you slide the pick-up stick forward, warp threads are raised from the lower part of the shed to the upper part of the shed. Pick-up stick A is used to weave warp floats and pick-up stick B is used to create weft floats.