Max Mosscrop

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Temples. I made this pair of temples a while ago,

Temples.
I made this pair of temples a while ago, copied from an old pair once used by a linen weaver from Lopham in Norfolk, in the collection @gressenhall_fw They were too big for stuff I was making at the time and this is their first proper outing. They work beautifully. The holes made in the cloth by the pins will disappear when the linen is washed. Unlike most modern temples the pins are in line with the bars rather than projecting down, so they don’t damage the shuttle race. They also have no mechanical parts to wear out, just a short length of cord which is easily replaced.

The pair I copied are monogrammed “GS” and perhaps belonged to a George Shaw who was one of the North Lopham weavers who met with the Parliamentary Commissioner investigating the plight of handloom weavers in the village pub on 15th February 1839.

The earliest example given by the OED of the use of the word temple(s) in this sense in English is from c.1475:

“A Tempyll of a wefer, virgula.”
Catholicon Anglicum (MS BL Add. 15562) f. 125v

Another, from 1688:
“Temples,..two Staves with broad ends set with sharp Pins,..by the pins putting into the selvage of the Cloth it is kept open while it is in Weaving.”
R. Holme, The Academy of Armory, or, A Storehouse of Armory and Blazon iii. viii. 348/1

#weaverstemple #handloomweaving #oldtools

Weaving huckaback. The opening between raised and

Weaving huckaback.
The opening between raised and lowered warp threads is called a shed, the word being derived (I have just discovered) from an old germanic verb meaning to divide, separate or distinguish.
#shed #LawsofForm #linenweaving #heddles #handloom

Sleying, tying on, tying up. I like to sley huckab

Sleying, tying on, tying up.
I like to sley huckaback alternately 2 then 3 ends per dent, with the 2 middle ends of each 10 end repeat sleyed together. It doesn’t make any difference to the finished cloth both it looks more regular on the loom and easier to spot faults.
#sleying #handwoven #huckaback #linen

…and threading the heddles… #weavingtechnique #ha

…and threading the heddles…

#weavingtechnique #handloomweaving #threading #entering #draught

Varnishing those heddles with shellac. I think - h

Varnishing those heddles with shellac. I think - hope - this makes them more resilient to abrasion from the warp.

Still making those heddles. My jig is based on an

Still making those heddles. My jig is based on an antique one used by @theburroughsgarret from whom I learned the technique. Thanks Justin.

Another new set of heddles. This is for huckaback,

Another new set of heddles. This is for huckaback, so four leaves: two with six heddles per division, two with four, 1000 heddles total. 25/3 linen thread.
#heddles #healds #knittedheddles #stringheddles #heddlemaking

Warp beam wound. Next job is heddle making…

Warp beam wound. Next job is heddle making…

More clips of warp beaming the other day. Passing

More clips of warp beaming the other day.
Passing the warp around several beams like this effectively turns the loom into a giant yarn tensioner. I learnt about the principle of coil friction from ‘Mechanics for Textile Students’ by W.A. Hanton (1954). The tension of yarn slipping over a curved surface increases exponentially with the degree of lap (the extent to which the yarn wraps round a cylinder). In this case every 10kg of tension at the front end is turned into about 90kg at the yarn beam, which is wound really tight.

Beaming. There’s a lovely archive film of four Iri

Beaming.
There’s a lovely archive film of four Irish linen weavers doing this job: two working the raddle, one pulling the warp chain and one turning the beam. This is my (less lovely) current method of doing it on my own. I move the raddle side to side every half turn or so to slightly crisscross the warp, and I angle the raddle to gradually reduce the width on the beam. High tension is achieved by passing the warp around the breast and knee beams to make use of coil friction (you can hear it groaning!). This is my longest warp to date at 28m - nothing compared to the 90 or 120 yard warps that were usual for the Norfolk linen weavers.

Spreading the warp in the raddle. According to the

Spreading the warp in the raddle.
According to the OED, the name ‘raddle’ originates in North America, used for example in a Massachusetts probate record from 1648. Perhaps it is related to ‘ravel’ and ‘rathe’. ‘Ravel’ was used by Scottish author John Duncan and is recorded from 1805. ‘Niffler’, ‘sniffler’ and ‘evener’ were also used in Scotland. ‘Rathe’ (raeth, wraithe, raithe) is the oldest name I found, used in a Worcestershire probate in 1564. It also referred to the rail or shaft of a cart.
#raddle #ravel #niffler #evener #rathe

New raddle (or niffler as they were once called in

New raddle (or niffler as they were once called in Scotland). I used to make these with nails but dowels make for narrower dents which give a bit more control during beaming.
#raddle #niffler #handloomweaving #weavingtools

I wound this warp from ten spools so that each hal

I wound this warp from ten spools so that each half-gang of ten ends corresponds to one repeat of the huckaback threading and one dent in the raddle. The whole warp is 28m long with 1000 ends, for some tablecloths & napkins for a special customer @mount_vernon , the historic home of George Washington.

#warpwinding #linenweaving #warpingmill #handloomweaving

Look what arrived in the post: Gooseberry Jam by @

Look what arrived in the post: Gooseberry Jam by @jw_anderson . Made with gooseberries from @houghton_hall and linen by yours truly. I wove the linen from a draught called “The Right M & O Huggaback” written by North Yorkshire weaver Thomas Jackson c. 1740.
I’m delighted by this, not least because gooseberries are my absolute favourite. Honey, damson jam and marmalade also available from JW Anderson’s London stores.
Big thanks to the team @jw_anderson for putting this together.
Last image courtesy @cooperhewitt museum NYC

More woven linens from the V&A collection, from my

More woven linens from the V&A collection, from my second study visit last week:
1164-1888, German, 1500s - 1600s
1164A-1888, Flemish or Dutch, 1400 - 1699
1164B-1888, Northern European, 1500s
990-1899, Northern European, 1500s.
More on my blog, link in bio.

Another beauty from the V & A collection: Acquisit

Another beauty from the V & A collection: Acquisition number 989-1899; woven linen; 1670-1699, German; 320 x 400mm, folded. More details on my blog, link in bio.
.
#wovenlinen #damaskdiaper #indigo #V&Atextiles #textilehistory

Another bird’s eye linen from the V&A collection,

Another bird’s eye linen from the V&A collection, this one Flemish, dated 1400s.

Bird’s Eye: more historic linens from the collecti

Bird’s Eye: more historic linens from the collection @vam_east , from my study visit. All German, 1300s. More on my blog, link in bio.
Acquisition number: 1162C-1888

Bird’s Eye: more historic linens from the collection @vam_east , from my study visit. All German, 1300s. More on my blog, link in bio.
Acquisition number: 1163-1888

Bird’s Eye: more historic linens from the collection @vam_east , from my study visit. All German, 1300s. More on my blog, link in bio.
Acquisition number: 1163A-1888

Bird’s Eye: more historic linens from the collection @vam_east , from my study visit. All German, 1300s. More on my blog, link in bio.
Acquisition number: 1163A-1888

Bird’s Eye: more historic linens from the collection @vam_east , from my study visit. All German, 1300s. More on my blog, link in bio.
Acquisition number: 1163B-1888

Hemming some new M & O towels, fresh off the loom.

Hemming some new M & O towels, fresh off the loom. This same linen was woven by Thomas Jackson in North Yorkshire in the early 1700s. He called it “The Right M and O Huggaback”

Barley Corn? Huckaback? More linen from my @vam_ea

Barley Corn? Huckaback? More linen from my @vam_east study visit. These three pieces are German, dated 1200s - 1300s. Acquisition numbers 1161-1888, 1161A-1888 and 1161B-1888. They all have the same weave structure which is sometimes called Barley Corn and is like Huckaback but with 4 ends and picks in each weave unit rather than 5. Anybody know what this is called in German?
There’s more info about these on a blog post on my website.

Woven 700 years ago. Last week I spent a few hours

Woven 700 years ago. Last week I spent a few hours with some old linens from the V & A Museum collection. This is: Woven linen. 1300s. German. Accession number 1163E 1888. Many thanks to staff @vam_east storehouse for access & assistance.

I’m opening my studio next weekend 13th & 14th Jun

I’m opening my studio next weekend 13th & 14th June, 11am - 5pm, as part of @camberwellartsfestival
Come and watch me weaving The Right M & O Huggaback as wrought by Yorkshire weaver Thomas Jackson c. 1730. Or just come for a chat about linen, weaving, looms and the Norfolk villages of North & South Lopham. Or the weather.

Studio 14, Coldharbour Studios, 26 -34 Southwell Road, London SE5 9PG.
5 minute walk from Loughborough Junction Rail Station
Buses 35, 45, 345 from Brixton or Camberwell.
Limited parking on the forecourt.

2nd image courtesy Cooper Hewitt Museum NYC

Getting things ready to take up to Norfolk for the

Getting things ready to take up to Norfolk for the Spring Fling @gressenhall_fw on bank holiday Monday where I’ll be showing linens inspired by the old Lopham linen industry, alongside @theflaxandfleeceproject generously supported by @ctanorfolk

Gressenhall Farm & Workhouse Monday 25 May 2026 10:00 - 16:00

“Join us for Spring Fling to celebrate all things farming - from fibres and flowers to food! Activities range from animal and machinery displays, sheep shearing, farrier demonstrations, and visiting our East Anglian rare breeds include newly hatched Norfolk Black turkeys. Admire the 1899 Panhard car on display and 1922 Farmers Foundry engine steam up (11am-2pm approx.). Enjoy tractor trailer rides, free face painting (10am-12noon & 1-3pm; first come first served), and more activities and demonstrations in the Marquee takeover with Costume & Textile Association. Treat yourself in the Mardler’s Rest Cafe, giftshop and secondhand bookshop, enjoy local food vendors and explore the museum’s agricultural collections!”

I’m looking forward to showing my handwoven linens

I’m looking forward to showing my handwoven linens at the Spring Fling @gressenhall_fw on Monday alongside @theflaxandfleeceproject , kindly supported by @ctanorfolk

“Join us for Spring Fling to celebrate all things farming - from fibres and flowers to food! Activities range from animal and machinery displays, sheep shearing, farrier demonstrations, and visiting our East Anglian rare breeds include newly hatched Norfolk Black turkeys. Admire the 1899 Panhard car on display and 1922 Farmers Foundry engine steam up (11am-2pm approx.). Enjoy tractor trailer rides, free face painting (10am-12noon & 1-3pm; first come first served), and more activities and demonstrations in the Marquee takeover with Costume & Textile Association. Treat yourself in the Mardler’s Rest Cafe, giftshop and secondhand bookshop, enjoy local food vendors and explore the museum’s agricultural collections!”

Gressenhall Farm & Workhouse
Monday 25 May 2026
10:00 - 16:00

Structure & notation: detail of linen currently on

Structure & notation:
detail of linen currently on the loom, and the draught for “The Right M and O Huggaback” as recorded by Yorkshire weaver Thomas Jackson (1668-1746).
The structure consists of 12-end units, alternating between tabby and rib weave, with 3 ribs of 4 ends each. The 3 ribs can be seen as the uprights of the letter M, which is presumably why Jackson thought this was the right version. When washed the tightly woven tabby units will expand into a somewhat circular O.
I think of M and O and huckaback as distinct families of weaves, although they have alternating tabby units in common.

Manuscript image courtesy of Cooper Hewitt Museum, New York.

The warp from last week in the heddles from the we

The warp from last week in the heddles from the week before, making Thomas Jackson’s ‘The Right M and O Huggaback’ from three centuries ago.

Beaming, once upon a time: silk weavers in Stoneho

Beaming, once upon a time: silk weavers in Stonehouse, Lanarkshire.
The first photo shows the process of beaming the warp through an angled raddle, off the loom. I think one of the two is Tam Sorbie. The second photo shows one of the weavers tying on the new warp to the ends of the old.
Thanks to Stonehouse Heritage for giving me permission to use these images from their website: https://www.stonehouseheritage.co.uk
I think it was @theburroughsgarret who first told me about Stonehouse.
#silkweaving #stonehouse #crafthistory

More warp beaming. The Lopham weavers used to bea

More warp beaming.
The Lopham weavers used to beam warps of 80, 100 or 120 yards. I’m not there yet (this one is 24 meters) but my technique is improving.
The warp is under high tension, helped by friction from passing it round the breast and knee beams. I work the raddle side to side so that layers of yarn cross at a very slight angle, and the width of the warp is gradually diminished by angling the raddle so each layer is slightly narrower than the previous, which stops the ends collapsing. Even at the finish it’s quite firm, giving me confidence to go longer next time.

Beaming the warp. This job was traditionally done

Beaming the warp.
This job was traditionally done by a team of four or more; I have improvised some work-arounds to do it solo.
“Two persons are employed to hold the ravel which serves to guide the warp, and to spread it regularly upon the beam; one or two to keep the chain, or chains, of the warp, at a proper degree of tension, and one or more to turn the beam upon its centres.” John Duncan (1808) p. 11-12
#linenweaving #handloomweaving #handweaving #traditionalcrafts #historiccrafts

Doing this again. It takes me just over a minute t

Doing this again. It takes me just over a minute to make a heddle, a day to make a leaf of 400, four days to make four leaves. These are for “The Right M & O Huggaback” as wrought by Yorkshire weaver Thomas Jackson in the 1700’s. The spacing of heddles along the shafts is specific to the draught, which helps avoid mistakes when it comes to threading the warp.

A first look at a Thirteen-End Huckaback linen han

A first look at a Thirteen-End Huckaback linen hand towel. This is the first one cut from a roll I finished weaving a few days ago. It has acquired a nice lumpy texture after washing, as I hoped it would. I’ve been calling it “Lucky Huck”, but I‘ve recently been told it was called “Chorded Huckaback” in Virginia in the 1840’s (thanks Frances).

#handwoven #huckaback #linen

Cutting and hemming 13-End Huckaback linen. Still

Cutting and hemming 13-End Huckaback linen.
Still hard & starchy from the dressing, the linen cuts and folds like paper, which is helpful for turning hems.
I was delighted to get a message the other day from someone who found a draught for 13 end huckaback in a recipe book written by Betsy Morton from Charlotte County, Virginia, in the 1840s. She called it “chorded huckaback”, perhaps a reference to the way the floats work together(as they will once washed)?

Finished! 13-End-Huckaback linen towels coming soo

Finished!
13-End-Huckaback linen towels coming soon.
#handwoven #huckaback #linen

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