Double huck pattern

Properties & Qualities

Application

Accessories Clothing Furnishing

Qualities

2D Colourful Flexible Textured / tactile

Colour

Green Pink

Sample Information

Date of Creation

November 5th, 2022

Dimensions

200 mm x 150 mm x 4 mm

Weight

11 g

Culture & Context

Double-weave, in its most general sense, is a process of weaving two layers of cloth simultaneously. The interchange of these layers allows the weaver to create complex structures and patterns. Double-woven fabric dating back to the first millennium BCE has been found in Peru and in China. From these centres, knowledge of the structure spread around the world and has given rise to many different traditions of its use. In the UK it is perhaps best known in the form of Welsh ‘tapestry’ blankets, the double-layer structure being an excellent insulator.The double huck structure used in this sample is also suitable for blankets. Woven with a finer yarn, as shown here, it makes a fabric with excellent drape, suitable for use in garments and accessories.

Process & Production

For a handweaver the double-weaving process can be achieved through loom-control (that is, by assigning warp ends to shafts and manipulating the shafts) or by hand, or using a combination of the two approaches. This sample is woven on an 8-shaft loom, with each layer requiring four shafts.

Recipe Details

The warp is made from two colours, teal and magenta, of 18/2 wool/silk threaded as shown in the accompanying draft and sleyed 3|4|3 in a 10 dpi reed for an overall sett of 33 epi.The same two colours are used in the weft and the web is beaten to square.The treadling used in this draft is exactly the same as that used for the stitched double huck sample, but the tie-up has been modified to create warp stripes in both layers. Swapping shuttles back and forth every ten picks creates stripes in the weft direction.The weft sequence suggested here creates a colour-and-weave effect with vertical stripes on the face of the cloth and horizontal stripes on the reverse.