Norwegian Pick-Up Bandweaving

Designing plain weave bands is such a fun way to play with color and pattern. And when I finished the Bandweaver’s Project Book, I wanted to write a post about that. I knew that many weavers would want to come up with their own color arrangements for the projects but some would be hesitant to try.

Then I connected with the lovely and talented Annie MacHale and ordered her book, In Celebration of Plain Weave—Color and Design Inspiration for Inkle Weavers. What a treasure! Now, instead of writing the post I’d planned, I’m recommending Annie’s book.

Annie’s enthusiasm for inkle weaving and her easy writing style make the book an enjoyable read. She generously shares her passion and knowledge, and every page is jam-packed with photographs and color charts to illustrate every point.

Part One is all about color and tips for choosing color combinations. Importantly, it’s illustrated with bandweaving examples so you can see how color knowledge is applied in practice to this specific weave structure. My favorite section is the one about adding depth, where Annie shows how to make a design pop with highlights, outlines, shadows, and accents.

Part Two is about designing patterns—those interesting combinations of stripes, bars, and dots that emerge through different orders of color in the warp. Annie illustrates all the basic pattern elements and lots of variations.

Part Three contains 200 color charts that show what the designs will look like when woven. You can copy these examples or use them as starting points for your own ideas. And Annie’s even made the charts available in a free online pattern editor where you can make changes. I like that some of the charts are similar to those next to them on the page to show how even a small change can create a different effect.

Whether you have an exuberant approach to color, or one that is more understated, this book gives you all the practical information you need and plenty of inspiration for designing beautiful plain weave bands in your own style. I heartily recommend it.

You can see sample pages and order the book at Annie’s etsy shop here.