Throughout my weaving journey, I’ve experienced many moments of clarity as I learn new-to-me tips, tricks, and techniques from my fellow weavers. When this happens, I usually gasp aloud, saying something along the lines of, “What? I didn’t know you could do that!” Back when I was first learning to weave on a rigid-heddle loom I may have even yelled the moment I learned a new-to-me method for winding my stick shuttle.
Not only was I able to wind the shuttle with more yarn without it getting too bulky, but it also unwound easier as I wove! It was a revelation. Now that I’ve been weaving for a good 15 years, and I can’t imagine winding my shuttle any other way.
While I believe the best way to learn a technique is by doing it, the second-best way is to watch somebody who knows what they’re doing demonstrate the technique. In this video featuring Stephanie Flynn, you’ll learn two techniques for winding a stick shuttle, including the one I still use today.
Tips for Winding Your Stick Shuttles
If you couldn’t guess it from the video, I used to wind my bobbin using the circular method of wrapping around the shuttle in a straight line, from the cutout to cutout. Now, I use the figure-eight method Stephanie recommends. Along with being a more efficient winding method, it has other benefits, such as being able to can wind two colors on the same shuttle (one on each side).
In some projects I like to beat with my shuttle rather than with the heddle. I find I can fit more yarn on just one side of my shuttle using the figure-eight method than I can with the circular method—and yes, this also works on belt shuttles for bandweaving, too! For maximum yarn packing, sometimes I’ll even combine the two methods, weaving first a figure eight and then filling in the center. However, I do notice a difference in how the yarn unwinds from the shuttle when using the center section.
If you’re not already using this method, give it a try! I bet it will become your new favorite way to wind a stick shuttle.
Happy Weaving!
—Christina