Converting Rigid Heddle Projects
How do you convert a 4-shaft or 8-shaft draft to a rigid-heddle loom?
If the rigid-heddle project is plain weave (as the majority of them are), all you have to do is thread your 4-shaft loom for plain weave, being sure to observe the same sett (in this case, since the project uses an 8-dent rigid heddle, you'd need to sley 1/dent in an 8-dent reed.
One advantage the rigid-heddle loom has over a shaft loom is the capacity for weaving with relatively loose tension on the warp, making it possible to use some stretchy or fragile knitting novelty yarns that are a little harder to manage on a shaft loom.
There is also less loom waste with a rigid-heddle loom, which is an advantage if you are using expensive novelty yarns.
When rigid-heddle projects involve pick-up patterning (as for some lace weaves, for example), it is harder to adapt the project instructions to a shaft loom.
The slots made it possible to do pick-up behind the rigid heddle and leave the pick-up stick in place as you weave several picks. When you do pick-up on a shaft loom, you usually have to make the pick-up for every weft row.
Rigid-heddle projects that use two rigid heddles can be woven on a shaft loom, but you usually have to understand the weave structure being produced to translate 2-heddle drafts into a draft for shafts.
—Madelyn
Post from Interweave Press
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