My Challenges Converting a 4-Shaft Draft to the Rigid Heddle Loom

My Challenges Converting a 4-Shaft Draft to the Rigid Heddle Loom

My latest weaving adventure was tackling a herringbone twill pattern on my rigid heddle loom, which turned out to be quite the learning experience. I used my favorite weaving design program from Not So Rigid Weaver, but in my excitement to test the pattern, I rushed through the setup—and missed some key details in the heddle lift sequence.

First Attempt: The Float Problem

For my initial attempt, I used a simple 1-2-3-4 lift sequence without realizing it was creating long

floats. It wasn't immediately obvious, but when I started winding the fabric onto the front beam, I noticed the weft yarn bunching up as I tightened the loom’s tension. I’d seen this before with other projects and usually wasn’t concerned, as finishing the cloth often smooths everything out. But this time, it didn’t go as planned: the final fabric had sections with bunched weft, and only the back side showed a hint of the intended pattern. The front looked like a chaotic tangle.

Diagnosing the Issue

I turned back to my weaving directory, which is packed with patterns for 4-shaft looms, and found a clear herringbone twill draft. Immediately, I noticed where I went wrong: the long weft floats were caused by an incorrect lift sequence. Armed with a new lift plan, I went back to the design software, adjusted the sequence, and set out to try again.

Making Material Adjustments

Since I didn’t have enough navy silk yarn for the full project, I switched the weft to cotton chenille.

This swap not only resolved the yarn issue but also gave the fabric more texture. With the correct heddle lift sequence and my updated yarn choice, the pattern finally came through clearly, with the herringbone twill design beautifully visible on both sides.

Pattern instructions can be found on the blog pattern page, or watch me weave on my YouTube Channel.