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How to Read a Rigid-Heddle Weaving Pattern

Learn how to read rigid-heddle warp color orders, weft color orders, and sleying charts in this All Access Exclusive.

Susan E. Horton May 13, 2025 - 6 min read

How to Read a Rigid-Heddle Weaving Pattern Primary Image

Sara Goldenberg White's Butterfly Wings Shawl from the 2020 issue of Easy Weaving with Little Looms. Photo Credit: George Boe.

Contents


Learning how to read charts is an essential part of weaving on the rigid-heddle loom. Once you can interpret the color and sleying orders, a whole new world of weaving will open up for you. In this exclusive guide for All Access subscribers, you'll get all the information you need to read these handy charts. Happy Weaving!—Christina

Weaving patterns include a variety of charts and graphs to convey detailed information in a concise manner.

Weaving graphs are generally called drafts, and for rigid-heddle weaving, there are three main types you’ll see Easy Weaving with Little Looms: warp color order (sometimes called the threading), weft order, and sley charts.

Reading the Warp Color Order

The threading or warp color order portion of a draft provides the sequence for warping your yarns and is read right to left. Each row in the warp color order represents a different color.

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