Adapting Patterns to Fit Different Weaving Widths

One of the most helpful skills you can develop as a weaver is learning how to adapt a pattern to fit your loom. Not every project is written for your exact weaving width—but with a few simple adjustments, you can make almost any pattern work.

Whether you’re weaving on a 10", 16", or 25" rigid heddle loom, or a multi-shaft loom, the goal is the same: keep the design balanced while fitting your available space.

Click here to download your Adapting Patterns to Fit Different Weaving Widths Worksheet & Free Earth Science Towel Pattern!

There are several ways to adjust your weaving width.

Start by looking at how the warp is structured

·         Is the warp one single color or does it have stripes of several colors?

·         Does it include pattern repeats?

·         Are there wider border stripes that can be increased or reduced?

Next, we will need to know how many ends per inch.

Start by finding the total number of ends in your pattern, then divide that number by the dents per inch of your reed. For example, if you are using a 10-dent reed and your pattern has 230 ends, you will have 23 ends per inch.

What If My Warp Is All One Color?

This is the simplest approach to adjusting the width.

• Reduce or increase the total number of warp ends to achieve your desired width

Examples:

230 ends = 23”

200 ends = 20”

150 ends = 15”

What If My Pattern Has a Repeating Design?

If your pattern includes a repeating design, you can easily adjust the weaving width by changing the number of repeats.

Here’s an example using a warping chart with repeats. The chart shows the total number of ends in the pattern. You’ll also need information from your pattern, such as the ends per inch (epi) and total number of ends. Most patterns will provide this information. You can find the complete pattern for this example at the end of this presentation.

Let’s calculate a new weaving width of 15" from a 21.4” weaving width.

• Ends per inch: First, we need to know how many ends per inch the pattern has. This pattern has 10 epi.
• Find total ends: Ten ends per inch at 15" weaving width will be 150 total ends. 15 × 10 = 150 ends
• Reduce number of ends: The original pattern has 214 ends, and we need to reduce this number to 150. (Subtract 214-150 = 64.) This means we need to take out 64 ends to get our 15” weaving width.
  Reducing repeats: There are 4 ends per repeat. We need to figure out how many repeats to take out. (64 ends divided by 4 = 16.) Take out 16 repeats. (53 repeats in original chart – 16 repeats = 37)

Option 3: Adjust Borders

If your pattern has borders you can easily adjust your pattern by reducing or adding more ends.

You can:

• Make borders narrower or wider
• Remove borders entirely
• Add borders to fill extra space

This is often the easiest way to “fine-tune” a pattern to fit your loom exactly.

These are just a few ideas for adapting a pattern to fit your preferred weaving width. The main thing to know is how many ends are needed for your weaving width. Then either reduce or add to that number to get the weaving width to fit your loom.

Once you understand how ends per inch and total ends work together, it becomes much easier to confidently adjust patterns for any loom size. Don’t be afraid to experiment a little—many weavers make small adjustments to patterns all the time to better fit their equipment and the projects they want to create.

I hope this gives you more confidence to adapt patterns and make them work for your own loom and weaving style.

Remember, patterns are a starting point. As you gain experience, you’ll become more comfortable making adjustments and creating projects that work best for you and your loom.

Please click on the link below do download this worksheet and free weaving pattern. The Earth Science Towel project is a great pattern to practice adjusting to different weaving widths. Try adjusting to 20” weaving width or maybe even 32” weaving width to make a bath towel.

Happy weaving!

Jodi Ybarra

Cotton Clouds, Inc.

Click here to download your Adapting Patterns to Fit Different Weaving Widths Worksheet & Free Earth Science Towel Pattern!