Pick Up Weaving on the Inkle Loom

Pick up weaving seems like a very complicated process but actually, once you "get it" you'll find just how easy it really is and wonder what all the confusion was all about. Basically you PICK UP threads to create a design.  Patterns and charts show you which threads to PICK UP.

Here's how to do a simple pick up pattern on the inkle loom with a few threads to get you started.  You can use your rigid heddle to weave this. As long as you are creating 2 sheds (which is what the rigid heddle does) you can weave narrow bands with pick up designs.

Greek Key Pick Up Pattern

Here is another version of the same pattern similar to something that you're likely to see in commercial publications:

Greek Key Pick Up Pattern

Here's a video showing you just how this is done. Notice that all the background threads (green) are in the "heddled" position and the pattern threads (yellow) are all in the "open" or "unheddled" position on this loom.  To use your rigid heddle to weave the same thing, reverse this by having the pattern threads in the holes (the heddles) and the background threads in the slots (the spaces between the heddles).  The idea here is that the only threads that move are the ones that the pattern threads are in.

More on weaving pick up designs with rigid heddle here:
http://rigidheddleweaving.com/articles/celtic-knot-warp-faced-band/
http://rigidheddleweaving.com/articles/5-ways-to-weave-narrow-bands/
http://rigidheddleweaving.com/blog/back-to-basics-inkle-weaving-with-a-rigid-heddle/