Tips for Weaving With Chenille

Warping with Chenille
1. Wind you chenille into cakes and pull your yarn from the center of the ball.  This will add twist to the yarn as you pull, preventing or taming some of the notorious curling or "worming" natural to chenille.

2. If using multiple colors for your warp, try to plan warp threads the same color as your weft for the selvedges.  This will hide any unruliness on the edges of your fabric and make for a very smooth appearance along the edge after finishing the cloth.

3. Because you use a center pull from caked yarn to add twist to your warp threads, try to beam your warp by holding the threads with even tension and not combing the threads as you wind on.  (Combing the threads refers to running your fingers through the warp threads to keep everything straight and orderly as you beam your warp.) Combing your threads will confound the twist you added and the natural worming of the chenille and you may end up with more tensioning issues for your efforts.  Hold tight and even, wind on...no fussing with the threads.  

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Finishing Chenille Cloth

1. I highly recommend a hemstitch for chenille cloths.  If it something that will have a fringe, decide at the beginning of the project if you would like a crimped edge, as that will require you to weave a large header and finish with a large section of scrap yarn.  
2. Lightly wet your chenille cloth.  A spray bottle can be used here to great effect.  
3. Wrap your damp chenille in a plastic and allow it to sit overnight.
4. Remove your chenille cloth from the bag and place it in the dryer.  Using high heat, dry your scarf for about ten minutes.
5. Remove from the dryer.  If you opted for a crimped fringe, you remove the waste yarn after this step and trim the fringe to the desired length.  

This finishing process it remarkable.  It takes a stiff fabric and creates a soft, velvety cloth.  It should not be skipped nor should you feel discouraged by the texture of your cloth while it is still on the loom!
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