Skill Guide: Learn How to Weave Krokbragd on the Rigid-Heddle Loom

You’ve mastered plain weave on the rigid-heddle loom—now what? Consider giving krokbragd a try. I know, krokbragd fabric can look complex, but just as with color-and-weave, this structure is much simpler than it appears, especially on the rigid-heddle loom. All you need is either a second heddle or a combination of a pick-up stick and a heddle rod with string heddles to get your loom ready for weaving krokbragd. Even better, krokbragd doesn’t require a complex weaving sequence to remember; instead, it’s as simple as 1-2-3.

Want to know more about this simple and versatile weave structure? This skill guide has you covered as we go over everything you need to know to get started weaving krokbragd on the rigid-heddle loom including:

• What you need to know before you get started
  
• Two methods for setting up your rigid-heddle loom for krokbragd
  
• How to make string heddles and set up a heddle rod
  
• How to weave and design krokbragd
  
• Tips and tricks

Every item we’ve selected for this guide is part of your All Access program and will help you get the most out of your subscription. Check out the Little Looms Library and our video course website for more learning opportunities.

Happy Weaving,

Christina

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Krokbragd Basics: What to Know Before You Start Weaving

What Is Krokbragd?

As you might be able to guess from the name, krokbragd hails from Scandinavia, and, more specifically, from Norway. Krokbragd, which literally translates as “crooked path” in Norwegian, gets its name from the stepped, geometric designs it produces. As a three-shaft weave, krokbragd needs three unique sheds. In plain weave, you have two sheds—every other thread up, and every other thread down—which is why we need to use either a second heddle or a combination of a pick-up stick and heddle rod with string heddles.

Krokbragd is also unique in that it requires three picks of weft to create one solid row of weaving, making it not only a weft-faced weave, but an extremely dense one at that. These three-pick weft rows make weaving slower but also open up a whole world of design within a relatively simple structure simply by changing your weft color order. Before weaving your first krokbragd project, consider putting on extra warp to sample different color combinations and color orders.