Doup (Continuous) Leno
Lacy Scarf
By: Cheryl Dunworth of The Weavin' Place
February 2011
Cheryl has created a clever way to weave doup leno on her Flip rigid heddle loom. She shares her technique with us here as a guest contributor to Yearning To Weave. Cheryl first presented this material at the New Orleans Weavers Guild in October 2010.This article focuses on the doup leno technique, and does not have explicit directions for creating the scarf.
Leno, the technique of twisting warp threads to create lace, is a finger technique that offers absolute freedom and creates a lacy, stable structure often not possible with other lace techniques. The downside of creating leno is that the twists need to be made each row. Doup leno is a way to create the twists by using string heddles, or doups, to make the twists automatically.
Equipment:
Flip or Cricket Rigid Heddle Loom with
a 5-dent or 8-dent reed
2 pick-up sticks
1 shuttle
a 3/8" diameter dowel at least 4" longer than
the width of your project
pre-made string heddles (see below); You'll need ½ the number of your total number of warp ends.
Warp: Slubby or boucle-style novelty yarn, 5/2 pearl cotton in a coordinating color.
Weft: Choose either the same novelty yarn used in the warp or 3/2 pearl cotton in a coordinating color.
Warp Length: about 3 yards (but not longer).
Width in reed: Not to exceed 8".
How to make string heddles
Use carpet warp or other strong, tightly twisted yarn. Cut 50 lengths for this project, 18" long each. You can use the frame of your rigid heddle reed as a jig. Be sure to tie a tight square knot to prevent your heddle from coming undone during weaving. After you've tied all of the heddles, cut off the tails
(click on the picture for a larger image)
Scarf A
Rigid heddle: 5-dent
Warp: UKI 5/2 pearl cotton in color Ruby Glint #100 and Crystal Palace Waikiki in Hot Jazz are used in pairs.
Weft: UKI 3/2 pearl cotton in color Ruby Glint #100.
Scarf B
Rigid heddle: 5-dent
Warp: UKI 5/2 pearl cotton in color Burnt Orange #149 and Cryastal Palace Waikiki in Hot Jazz are used in pairs.
Weft: UKI 3/2 pearl cotton in Burnt Orange #149.
to about ¼" length. Detailed instructions on making and using string heddles, well as step-by-step pictures, can be found in the Schacht News from the Ewes newsletter, Summer 2010 issue.
Warping
Use the direct warping peg method. Hold 2 yarns together (one smooth and one novelty). Sley through every other slot (there will be 4 ends in each slot). Beam the warp. To finish sleying the reed, take one novelty yarn and one smooth yarn out of each slot and sley into the adjacent slot. There will be 2 ends in every slot, 1 novelty and 1 smooth. Note: there are no threads in the holes. Tie onto the front apron bar.
Establishing the leno pattern
Working behind the heddle, use the first pick-up stick and pick up every smooth warp thread in order. Slide the pick-up stick to the back of the loom.
Using the second pick-up stick, pick up the same smooth threads as on pick-up stick 1, but pull the smooth thread over the top, around and under the adjoining novelty thread, then up the other side (creating the leno twist). Place the smooth thread on pick-up stick #2.
Be sure to check your work as you go to make sure that the leno twist has been successfully made.