How to Start a New Length of Tapestry Weft Without a Bulky Edge Knot

Pause while you still have enough yarn to handle the ending comfortably. Identify where the replacement belongs, whether the yarn separates into plies, and whether you want tails on the back or ends woven into the fabric. Those choices determine which method to try.

Your situation	Method to try	What to check
Starting at an outside edge	Back-facing tail or pigtail	Which side of the outermost warp the yarn crosses
Replacing yarn inside a shape	Continue the weave with both tails behind	The next over-under crossing
Joining thick, separable yarn	Staggered-ply splice	Combined thickness through the overlap
Joining wool with tapered ends	Overlap the wisps	Whether the ends stay integrated after packing

This decision aid combines the methods below; it is an editorial guide for choosing a sample, rather than a universal rule for every yarn. Try the appropriate join in a small area before repeating it throughout the piece.

The selvedge is the outside side edge. Examine the path of your first pass before securing anything: if the new weft passes behind the outermost warp, its starting tail can already hang behind the tapestry. Mirrix documents this as a sufficient starting arrangement. Starting and Ending Threads in Tapestry Weaving

If the weft passes in front of the outermost warp, Mirrix uses a pigtail to send the end backward:

1. Bring the tail behind the outermost warp and its neighboring warp.
2. Loop the tail around the outermost warp.
3. Position the end toward the back of the tapestry.

Follow the illustrated yarn path in Mirrix’s pigtail instructions.

Use the back of the tapestry as your reference even if you weave from the reverse side. Before continuing, look at the intended front: the loose end should not project from the edge.

You do not have to carry an almost-empty length all the way to an outside edge. Mirrix describes ending it within the tapestry by taking the tail backward, then inserting the replacement one warp over, continuing the existing weave sequence. Mirrix’s instructions for replacing weft in the body

Trace the last crossing with a finger before introducing the fresh yarn. Ask which warp the original yarn would cross next and whether that crossing belongs over or under. Place the replacement accordingly, keeping its starting tail behind. This small check is especially useful when a short end makes the yarn path difficult to see.

An overlap is another documented option. Jane Patrick’s Schacht manual overlaps replacement wefts across a few warps within the weaving. Choose this deliberately: overlapping two full yarns introduces extra material at the join. Explore Tapestry Weave-Along, page 6

A knot-free join can still look bulky if two thick ends occupy the same space. Angela Tong’s Mirrix tutorial addresses this by separating the plies and staggering them. Her example uses three-ply cotton and leaves an ending tail of at least 3–4 inches. Splicing: Weaving in Your Ends

For that three-ply example:

1. Untwist the ending yarn and leave one ply hanging behind.
2. Carry the remaining two plies across two warp threads, following the weave.
3. Drop another ply and carry the remaining single ply across two more warps.
4. Prepare the fresh yarn in the opposite direction so its tapered sections overlap the old sections.

Tong leaves the ends untrimmed until the piece is off the loom. Mirrix’s three-ply splice

Think of the overlap as a thickness calculation. With equal three-ply yarns, a two-ply section of old yarn plus one ply of new yarn gives three plies; farther along, one old ply plus two new plies also gives three. Madelyn van der Hoogt describes this constant-thickness principle in her weft-joining guidance. Ask Madelyn: Starting and Finishing a Weft

The calculation assumes comparable plies. If the replacement yarn is thicker or has a different construction, matching the number of plies alone will not match the thickness. Inspect the actual overlap before packing it down.

For wool, tapered fiber ends offer another approach. Tapestry artist Sarah C. Swett describes weaving the old yarn through its wispy end, then overlapping it with the wisps of the replacement. She creates those tapers by breaking or untwisting the yarn rather than making a blunt cut; for yarn that resists breaking, she describes tapering it with scissors. Weaving in the Ends

Swett explains that wool fibers help hold these ends together. Her examples use wool warp and weft, although she also discusses wool weft on cotton warp. She notes that smooth millspun yarn requires particular care with the overlap. Treat this as a material-dependent technique, and inspect a sample before choosing it for a smooth, uniform surface. Swett’s explanation of fibers and overlap

After arranging the join, check the yarn allowance across the pass. Patrick explains that the weft needs extra length to travel over and under the warps; small bubbles supply that length. Too little allowance produces draw-in, while too much can produce an uneven, bulging surface. Her manual also advises keeping the edge turn snug without pulling the selvedge inward. Explore Tapestry Weave-Along, pages 5–6

Repeated folded starts at one selvedge can accumulate thickness. Patrick alternates starting sides and favors joins within the weaving when continuing the same color. Schacht’s starting-weft guidance, page 6

Use this diagnostic sequence before weaving much farther:

• A lump exactly at the replacement: inspect for a full-thickness overlap; consider tapering separable plies.
• An edge that bends inward: check the turn and the yarn allowance across the pass.
• A loose loop at the side: inspect the edge turn before changing the join itself.
• A tail visible on the front: retrace its route to the back.

These checks distinguish extra material at the join from uneven placement of the new pass.

Keep the tails available while you assess the replacement. Look at the front, the side edge, and the back. Check that the plain-weave sequence continues, the tail follows the intended route, and the join has not created an obvious thick spot. For a splice, retaining the tails until the piece leaves the loom follows Tong’s documented method. Mirrix’s splicing tutorial

For your next replacement, choose one method that fits the location and yarn, then inspect it before adding more weaving. A back-facing start handles the edge, a continuous weave path handles an interior replacement, and a tapered overlap controls thickness. Keeping those three decisions separate makes a knot-free start easier to repeat.

• Mirrix Looms: Starting and Ending Threads in Tapestry Weaving
• Mirrix Looms, Angela Tong: Splicing: Weaving in Your Ends
• Handwoven, Madelyn van der Hoogt: Ask Madelyn: Starting and Finishing a Weft
• A Field Guide to Needlework, Sarah C. Swett: Weaving in the Ends
• Schacht Spindle Company, Jane Patrick: Explore Tapestry Weave-Along, hosted by The Woolery