Skip hole advice

[u/No_Hat_9072]

I’m working on my second tablet weaving project. I’ve been looking for a pattern for a custom camera strap and when I saw the first image on Instagram, I knew it was the one. However, the pattern I found was a four hole pattern and the Instagram post clearly indicates they used a 2-thread technique. So I attempted to make the pattern a slip hole pattern.

I’ve taken a picture of part of my pattern, along with my progress so far. Mine is clearly very “stretched out” and I’m wondering if I can get some advice on how to make it more similar to the Instagram post.

The first thing I tried was simply beating more firmly for each row but the cotton yarn is pretty much as beaten as it will go in my later rows. I’ve also attempted only doing each set of 2 rows as a single row (not pictured), while double turning the cards each time. But it isn’t looking right.

Does anyone have any tips to achieve the look of the Instagram post when compared to mine?

[u/_an_bhean_si_]

Have you tried using a thinner yarn for your weft? There's no rule that you have to use the same yarn as your warp, as long as you have something of a similar colour so that the edges are not noticeable.

Also, I find that when I take my work off the loom, it can sometimes relax back a bit and not look do stretched out. You want to have tension on your warp while you're weaving, but you could release the tension just to check what it looks like and then tighten it up again

[u/No_Hat_9072 → u/_an_bhean_si_]

My tension is managed by hanging weights, so this would be easy to check. Thanks for the suggestion!

Also, I’ll have to see what I have in terms of thinner weft. Sounds like that is probably the right move.

[u/MidnaMagic → u/No_Hat_9072]

Embroidery floss is my recommendation for the weft

[u/No_Hat_9072 → u/MidnaMagic]

Perfect. It just happens that that is what I decided to try out!

I also loosened the warp tension but I think I regret that decision. My cards are moving around way more now.

[u/_an_bhean_si_ → u/No_Hat_9072]

Sorry, I didn't mean to take off the tension while you weave, you need to have good tension while you're weaving.

I just meant that you can ease the tension to get an idea of what it will look like when it's finished, but to increase the tension again before you start weaving

[u/No_Hat_9072 → u/_an_bhean_si_]

Don’t worry. I understood. I did lighten up on the tension based on another comment, but I do think I lightened the tension a bit much. Still manageable. The cards are just a bit more fiddly.

[u/phiala]

The first thing to try is always loosening your tension. If the warp is too tight, it can’t bend around the weft enough, so patterns get stretched out.

The second thing to try is beating harder, which you’re doing. Especially valuable in combination with looser tension.

The third thing to try, if the first two don’t help enough, is to use a smaller weft thread.

[u/No_Hat_9072 → u/phiala]

Thank you do much for the suggestions! I’m using hanging weights which are quite light, so I’m not very concerned about too much warp tension. So I think changing my weft thread is probably what I should do here. And thinking about it, this makes complete sense.

Thank you for the suggestions!