adminWeaving with wool roving is a simple way to add bold texture, soft color, and depth to a wall hanging. Roving is carded, unspun wool fiber, so it creates thicker, more expressive rows than ordinary yarn. Use it across a whole warp or weave smaller sections for layered shapes and color accents.
Weaving with Wool Roving: Materials and Preparation
Choose roving in colors that work together, and check the fiber’s length and weight before starting. In the example, each pink or red sample weighed about 0.25 oz and measured about 12 inches wide. The blue roving was about 3 feet long. A 13-color sample pack cost about $11 plus shipping, while a 4 oz length of mint roving, about 12 feet long, cost about $10. Prices vary, so compare quantities as well as color options.
- A loom
- Cotton yarn for the warp, fringe, and securing rows
- About 3 feet of blue wool roving, or a color of your choice
- Four 12-inch lengths of wool roving in pink and red shades, or colors of your choice
- Chunky white or cream wool yarn
- A dowel rod cut to fit the weaving; it is not shown in the original materials list
- A large tapestry needle and scissors
Warp the Loom and Add Fringe
Step One: Warp the loom with cotton yarn. Begin at the top-left corner and finish at the bottom-right, or finish at the top-right if you prefer an even number of tassels. Add fringe along the bottom. Cut three lengths of chunky yarn for each peg, making 51 lengths in total. Each length is about 25 inches; trim the ends after weaving if needed.
Step Two: Weave about 2–3 inches from the base of the warp to fill the lower section before adding another fringe layer.
Step Three A: Cut cotton yarn, or yarn with a different texture from the first fringe. Use three strands for every two warp strands, adding three more for the final warp strand if the warp ends at the bottom. This gives 51 strands in total. Each length is about 16 inches. Place three strands beneath two warp rows, then pull the center of the strands upward.
Step Three B: Bring the ends toward the raised center and pull them down through it. Tighten gently and adjust the fringe. Repeat across the warp.
Step Four: If the warp ends at the bottom, tie the last three strands in a loop around the final warp thread. Adjust the fringe so it sits neatly at the front. A warp that ends at the top will have two strands here instead of one.
Weave the Roving Rows
Step Five: Start about three warp strands in from the edge to help conceal the tail and create a tidy finish. Tuck the roving tail beneath the outer-right edge, then weave it over the next warp strand and under the third. Begin the row by bringing the other end around the edge and weaving over and under across the warp.
Step Six: Roving can be passed through by hand rather than with a needle. Hold the fiber in your palm, lift every other warp strand with your fingers, and guide the roving through. Because roving is bulky, each row covers more space than a row of thinner yarn.
Step Seven: Leave a loose arc in the roving before pressing it down. Shape the arc into a gentle curve, then push the row toward the fringe from the center out to both edges. This helps prevent the weaving from narrowing into an hourglass shape. A larger arc creates more bubbling; a smaller arc produces a flatter row.
Step Nine: Weave several rows of roving. At the edge, leave a tail of about 3 inches, wrap it around the edge warp strand, and tuck it into the next row. Weave three rows of cotton yarn to help maintain the width of the piece. Finish the cotton yarn about three strands from the edge, tuck the tail under, and trim it to about 3 inches.
Step Ten: Tuck the next roving tail where the cotton yarn ends, crossing the two tails beneath the same strand. Weave to the edge, wrap around the edge strand, and continue over and under to the opposite side. Use a small arc for a flatter row, but avoid pulling so tightly that the warp edges draw inward. Wrap the end around the edge strand and weave it through the next strands to secure it.
Steps Eleven to Thirteen: To start a new color, tuck its tail under the second strand, bring it around the edge strand, and continue weaving. This helps keep both ends of the row full. Press the completed row gently to secure the tails. At the opposite edge, tuck the tail under the second strand and trim it to about 3 inches. Start the following row by tucking its tail under the third strand, then weave over and under across the warp. Repeat the same edge treatment on alternating sides. The thickness of roving makes small tucked-in ends easier to conceal.
Step Fourteen: Add three rows of cotton yarn at the top. These rows are optional, but they help hold the roving in place and maintain the weaving’s width.
Secure and Finish the Wall Hanging
Steps Fifteen and Sixteen: Trim bulky roving tails on the back, leaving enough fiber to keep them from slipping out. Use leftover cotton yarn to stitch over the ends and through the warp strands. Stop weaving at the desired height, then carefully remove the warp from the top pegs. Tie the strands into loop knots close to the top row without pulling the fabric.
Steps Seventeen and Eighteen: If the warp ended at the bottom, there will be an uneven number of strands; tie the three strands on the left together. If it ended at the top, the number will be even. Tie off from the outer edges inward to help keep the piece balanced, then remove it from the bottom pegs. Turn the weaving over and use a tapestry needle to stitch each knotted strand through the back of the warp. Trim the ends or leave them in place.
Steps Nineteen and Twenty: Cut a dowel, copper pipe, or stick about 2 inches wider than the weaving. Use cotton yarn and a tapestry needle to attach it, stitching under the knots at the top and spacing the ties evenly. Leave only a little room between the rod and the weaving. Make a hanging loop from another length of cotton yarn, tie a loop at each end, and place the loops over the ends of the rod.
Ideas for Customizing Wool Roving Weavings
For thinner details, gently split the roving into narrower lengths. A light twist can add movement, while twisting two colors together creates a blended effect. Roving can also be used in small sections alongside finer yarn. Keep the warp edges straight as you work, and secure loose tails on the back for a cleaner finish.
Weaving with wool roving offers plenty of room to experiment with texture, color, and shape. Adjust the curve of each row to control how much the fiber bubbles, and test small changes as you go. Happy weaving! —Rachel
