Norwegian double-cloth

Warp-weighted loom experiments in a complicated technique

Abstract

The Norwegian reversible double-cloth tradition, known in areas of Scandinavia from the Viking Age to the Early Modern Era (eighth to 18th centuries), disappeared before it could be documented. Evidence indicates that surviving double-cloth coverlets were woven on the warp-weighted loom, raising the question of how the loom was utilised to produce these relatively complicated textiles. Building upon a prior study, experimentation in the width of a coverlet was conducted to determine the interaction between weight-row disposition and adequate shed formation, utilising four weight-rows placed in four separate configurations. Best results for shed formation were achieved with all rows behind the shed rod, but with the forward two rows attached to the shed rod at regular intervals. Heddle length was shown to impact both shed formation and pattern transfer, and heddle length together with weight-row placement revealed potential problems in accessing shed openings past the loom uprights.