Inkle Inkle weaving is a type of warp-faced
weaving where the
shed is created by manually raising or lowering the
warp yarns, some of which are held in place by fixed
heddles. According to the
Oxford English Dictionary, the term
inkle has several meanings, the first of which is "A kind of linen tape, formerly much used for various purposes." The derivation of the word is uncertain. Inkle weaving is commonly used for narrow work such as trims, straps and belts. Inkle weaving is done on a loom known as an inkle loom. One key element that differentiates inkle looms from other band looms is that a continuous warp is required.
History A table-top inkle loom was patented by Mr. Gilmore of Stockton, California in the 1930s but inkle looms and weaving predate this by centuries. Inkle weaving was referred to 3 times in
Shakespeare: in ''
Love's Labour's Lost (Act III, Scene I),''
Pericles, Prince of Tyre (Act V), and in
The Winter's Tale (Act IV, Scene IV). Jonathan Swift mentioned inkle weavers in his
Polite Conversations. It was used to tie and tie up clothing such as hosiery, tie pockets to garments, serve as candle wicks, ties for grain and feed bags, and other household uses. Many farm households had tape looms, which may well have been built by a family member.
Equipment Because tape looms in their heyday were not mass produced, they took a wide variety of forms, most designed to be easily portable. There were types that were indicative of a certain geographic area. In Scandinavia, paddle-like hole and slot heddles were common, they were also found in colonial America. The earliest form of these rigid heddles is as a part of a backstrap set-up. This form of weaving has been used in Africa, South America, and Mexico. Box looms housing a rigid heddle were found in colonial America and in England in particular. ==Band uses==