“Designing and Weaving Double Cloth” is the title of my forthcoming book, and that pretty much sums up the content!
Yep, this is a substantial (224-page) hardback book about designing and weaving double cloth. It’s a book that aims to de-mystify the structure of double cloth without taking away the magic. It’s a book of theory, practice and many, many examples. It’s not a project book, even though it does include several fully-specified projects. My intention is to help you design and weave your own projects.
* Scroll further down the page for information on delivery overseas
What’s inside?
There are nine chapters in total and the first seven are organised by design element. That is, each chapter introduces a new design element to incorporate into your double cloth repertoire. At the end of each chapter I’ve created a project which puts that element to work using inspiration drawn from the landscape of Scotland.
The final two chapters are focused on the practicalities of weaving double cloth, from choosing a sett to handling the shuttles to adding finishing touches.
Design Gallery
Here’s a sneak peek at the way I have put those design elements to work in some of the example projects.
Inspiration for Layers
Layers in action
Inspiration for Blocks
Blocks in action
Inspiration for Diagonals
Diagonals in action
Inspiration for Curves
Curves in action
Looms and shafts
I have aimed to include as many options as possible for different looms, while acknowledging where there are particular constraints. Throughout the book I have provided liftplans for table and dobby looms, and tie-ups and treadlings for floor looms with treadles. I’ve included options for looms with rising shafts or sinking shafts and for countermarche looms. However, not every draft can be woven on every loom! That’s where I need to hand it over to you to think about what you most want to achieve in your designs.
The book will be of most use to weavers with eight shafts or more. Chapter one is focused mainly on four-shaft weaves, and there are more options for four shafts in chapters five and nine. The majority of the drafts in the rest of the book are on eight shafts, with twelve shafts making a particularly strong showing in chapters three and four, and examples on sixteen or more shafts popping in from time to time.
Disclaimer: You read this book at your own risk! If you then find yourself heading out to buy a loom with more shafts, the author cannot be held responsible.
Pre-ordering the book
If you are in the UK, you can pre-order the book directly from me and I will include a little extra gift that I am concocting behind the scenes! You can choose a signed or unsigned copy, and I will ship it to you as soon as it is available.
The publication date is planned for 24 March 2026, but I need to emphasise that this is not set in stone! It depends on world shipping lanes, and you know how that can go, so please bear with me.
If you are outside the UK then I am afraid I can’t ship a copy to you myself, but you can order it directly from Crowood Press. Just head over to their website, click the option to ‘Notify me when available’ and fill in the little form there. Alternatively, you can pre-order from your preferred retailer. Blackwell’s is generally a good option as they include worldwide shipping in the cover price.
If you are in the USA or Canada, the book will be published especially for you about six months later, so you may want to wait for that rather than pay for shipping across the Atlantic. However, if you can’t wait, you can certainly order from the UK. Or you might want to pre-order the e-book and eliminate that shipping cost altogether.
