with no fine teeth is very good to use for packing the woof, and takes the place of what is called the lay. While the woof is looped out like [Fig. 21], comb it down toward you with the comb, and it will fit in evenly between the threads of the warp. As the woof of the Navajo blanket must be very tightly packed, use first the comb and then your fingers to push it down and make it compact.
Weave back and forth until all the wool in the shuttle is used. If the end of the woof extends beyond the last thread of the warp on either side, turn it back and weave it under and over several threads, and start a new piece with the end just lapping the old. The ends of the woof must never be allowed to extend beyond the warp at the sides. It is not necessary to tie the new piece of woof; the tight packing will hold it in place.
In this case the new woof must be of the red wool. Weave it across twice, or once over and back, making a very narrow red stripe, then cut it off and thread the shuttle with white. Weave the white twice across, then change to black and weave a stripe one-quarter of an inch wide. Above the black weave another narrow white stripe and another narrow red one. Put a long thread of white wool in the shuttle, and weave a white stripe one inch wide. You will have to thread the shuttle twice for this, as too long a thread will make so large a bunch that it will be difficult to pass it through the shed. After the white stripe weave another black, white, and red stripe like the first, then another inch-wide white stripe. Once more weave a black, a white, and a red stripe. Begin with the narrow black, follow with the narrow white, and then weave a wider red stripe, taking the thread four times across. After the red the narrow white, and then the narrow black stripe.
This last stripe is the lower border of
The Central Pattern
of the blanket, where your weaving will become more difficult, and at the same time more interesting.
Figs. 22 and 23.—Weaving the centre stripe.
Thread the shuttle with a long piece of red wool and weave it once across from the left, turn back and weave through five threads of the warp, draw the shuttle out and weave back again to the edge; again weave through the five threads, then back as shown at B in [Fig. 22]. Turn here and do not take up the last thread of the warp; pass the shuttle under three threads, turn on the next thread, and bring it back under four threads (C, [Fig. 22]), once more under the three threads, turning on the next as before, but passing back under two threads only. Turn on the next thread (D), and pass under three. Back under two threads (E), turn as before on the next thread under two, turn, back under two (F), turn, under one, turn on the next, under two (G), turn, under one, turn on the next, back under two, and unthread the shuttle, leaving the woof hanging.
Begin with a new piece of red wool, follow the same direction, and weave another red point on the next five threads, then a third one which will take in the last warp-thread on the left. You will notice in the diagram that the woof always turns twice on the same thread of warp.