Free motifs
Design and sketch a motif and enlarge it to the correct size. Draw the outlines on a transparent plastic and attach it on top of the finnweave while weaving. Large and clear motifs are suitable for a free style pick-up method.
This simple pattern was inspired by a dried peony leaf.
Draw the pattern on a graph paper
Draw the motif on a graph paper and fill the squares inside the outlines of the motif. Light sketch style pattern is produced by filling only the squares under the outlines of the motif. Pick up a row at a time by counting the threads carefully. The thinner the yarn, the more precise and detailed the pattern can be. If the sett is 4 + 4 = 8 ends/cm and the width is 40 cm, the warp has 320 ends total. The size of the graph pattern is thereby 320 : 4 = 80 squares.
Tips
- Symmetrical and repeating motifs are usually beautiful and clear in a finnweave.
- You can utilize cross-stitch patterns for finnweave, plus the patterns are already drawn to a graph paper.
- You can include a frame in the pattern, which makes the finnweave firm and ties the layers together.
Old finnweave textiles
The collections of museums have finnweave textiles with wonderful patterns that you can get inspired from and find ideas for your own designs. The patterns and motifs for finnweave can be found in books and online. By glancing at them you can see the great possibilities it can offer. It’s not a coincidence that the finnweave textiles have been originally woven from wool. The flexible and fluffy wool yarn crisscrosses from one layer to another, smoothly following the pick-up patterns.
The structure of the fabric becomes stable and the patterns clear. The beautiful surface is the cherry on top. Pick up the patterns carefully because the fuzzy wool threads get easily tangled and stuck together. There might be mistakes on the backside of the fabric that you won’t notice while weaving. Too dense warp causes the ends to stick together and make the sheds unclear. Smooth and durable yarn is therefore the best choice for finnweave.
In the picture, the black and red finnweave from a flea market is woven from thin 2-ply wool yarn. The sett is 4,5 + 4,5 ends/cm in the finished product. Each 18 cm block has 40 pattern units. The width of the entire textile is 90 cm. The selvedges are open. The fringes have been twisted separately to both layers.
