red shawl and yellow belt

I imagine most of you were looking at the shawl I’m waving about in these pictures yesterday, but today I’m going to talk about the belt I’m wearing too.

I wove this belt back at the start of the year, when I’d really got into pick-up weaving

In fact, it was one of the first non-swatch practice pieces I completed.

I had quite a long warp on the loom, and remember really enjoying weaving the whole length – which, by the time I’d finished, was a band I could wrap twice around my body!

I finished the loose end of the band by folding it over, and securely stitching it. I then attached the other end to a pair of ‘D’ loops. At this point, I’d not become obsessed with the wide range of findings that are available to finish off the ends of belts: these D loops don’t quite fit the band as neatly as I’d like, but they are simple and effective.

I’m enjoying wearing my (now quite extensive) range of handwoven belts as outfit accessories, and this one has waited until summer to really come into its own. I love wearing it with this soft yellow shirt, and especially with Beamer!

If you’d like to weave your own jolly yellow belt, here’s the 49 thread draft I used:

. . . .the chart for weaving the pick-up pattern (over 9 threads)

. . .and a wee key for both charts

If you are just starting out with pick up techniques, this OXO pattern is incredibly simple to weave.

You’ll know the intuitive outside in / inside out rhythm of the motifs from colourwork knitting: you’re on familiar ground and it’s hard to go wrong.

Now it’s time to get my inkle loom out again, as I’m about to make a woven piece for my collaboration with Pilar – more of this anon!

Happy weaving!