With the Baltic Style Pick Up Technique you will be able to do complex and impressive patterns. This technique is known under different names depending on where ancient bands have been found. You will find sources, that state, it is Baltic Pick Up, when the pattern threads are twice as thick as the background patterns and most of the background shows the so called basket weave. Others say, it is called speckled background, when you see a lot of the "spots" in the background. There are even more names out there for this technique, but they are all based on the same threading scheme (see below).
I will call this technique Baltic Style Pick Up, but I only use my own patterns which may be based on ancient patterns (for sure, you need to get your inspiration somewhere...), but not copy them.
For this example you will need 53 threads in total, 27 heddled, 26 open. I put two heddled and two open threads on each side for border threads.
I suggest to use a weft thread in the same color as the background threads.
This diamond is going to be the pattern for this step by step instructions.
This Pick Up Technique does not ask for partnering threads, like you would do for the basic pick up technique.
Like you can see in the picture, there is also a pattern showing on the back of your band, but it is most likely not as impressive as it is on the front.
To set the width of my band I wove a few centimeters.
If you are not sure, how to thread your loom or how to start weaving have a look at my step by step instructions.
8
7, 9
6, 10
5, 11
4, 12
3, 6, 10, 13
2, 7, 9, 14
1, 8, 15
2, 7, 9, 14
3, 6, 10, 13
4, 12
5, 11
6, 10
7, 9
8
This is the picking chart for the diamond.
Every number stands for one of the pattern threads. Start counting on the left hand side of your band, when you look at it.
The black numbers stand for the threads, that must pick up. Blue numbers are for the threads, that must be dropped.
Every picking chart on this website is to be read from bottom to top, because that is how the pattern builds up while weaving.
Put your finger in the shed, when the 8th pattern thread goes downward, pick it up and pull it up to the top threads.
Leave a finger in the thread in order to keep the pattern thread in place, while you take the shuttle through.
Change sheds and beat.
This is how the row looks after beating. You can see, how the pattern thread floats over the other row.
The next step is to pick up pattern threads number 7 and 9.
When you pick up threads number 3 and 13 you must also drop the threads number 6 and 10.
I want to weave a little diamond with four threads in the tip of the big diamond, but as you can see in the photo, there are three pattern threads in the big diamond. The two threads that are to much for the pattern must go...
Place a finger in the shed, pick up pattern thread number three and move to pattern thread number 6 and just drop it to the bottom.
Make sure, the threads are separated nicely. Depending on the tension of your warp the warp threads will tangle easily when you put your finger through the shed.
Pattern thread number 3 is picked up and number 6 is dropped in this photo.
Before I put my shuttle through, I need to drop number 10 and pick up number 13.
With my shuttle in the shed you can see the little gaps, the threads I dropped left.
Using a weft thread in the same color as the background threads will make it almost invisible.
Do not try to pull the weft in until these little gaps disappear!
You want that different structure in your band. In fact, it is called basket weave structure and it is one of the key characteristics of this weaving technique.
Pulling your weft as tight as needed to close the gaps will lead to very wonky selveges.
This is what the diamond looks like when you followed my pick up chart correctly.
Diamonds are nice design elements for bands. No matter if you weave a band with just diamonds or if you use them to connect or separate other design elements, they will always shine.
Find more pick up patterns here.