Innveving

Innveving is a weaving technique used in textile arts that involves incorporating supplementary threads into a base fabric during the weaving process to form patterns or textures. The added threads may run across the surface or be integrated into the fabric’s structure, and they are typically not part of the primary warp or weft. This allows motifs to be created without changing the fundamental weave of the fabric, resulting in visible contrast or raised textures.

Technique and execution commonly involve a loom capable of controlling additional passes of weft or warp beyond the base weave. Weft‑inserted motifs are created by weaving short or long supplementary threads in chosen areas, following a planned design. The size, density, color, and placement of the supplementary threads determine the character of the pattern, ranging from simple stripes to intricate geometric or floral motifs. The technique can produce both flat and subtly raised textures, depending on how the extra threads interact with the underlying weave.

Origins and usage vary across textile traditions. Innveving is discussed in Scandinavian and other European textile contexts as a form of inlay or supplementary weaving, and similar approaches appear worldwide under different names. In English-language sources, it is often described as supplementary weft weaving or inlay weaving, depending on the specific method and terminology used by scholars and practitioners.

Materials used for innveving are diverse and typically mirror those of the base fabric. Common fibers include wool, linen, cotton, and silk, chosen to provide the desired contrast and durability. The technique is employed in decorative fabrics, traditional garments, tapestries, and home textiles, where pattern and texture enhancements are valued.

See also: supplementary weft weaving, inlay weaving.