Rock wrapping tutorial: basket weave pattern on a rock

In an earlier post, I mentioned how I’ve fallen in love with the idea of wrapping rocks this summer, and especially with using rocks as an off-loom tool for weaving. I made a little how-to weave on a rock video showing how you can whip one up in less than an hour – less than 15 minutes, in this case! – but I thought it would be nice to add a few more details in a blog post tutorial. Here’s the video, and the step-by-step instructions with screen captures from the video follow.

It starts with a rock. I find that for weaving on rocks, it works best to start with a rock that has squared off or straight sides and a coarse texture. If it is too round or too smooth, the threads like to slip off.

In this project, I’m using two colours of embroidery floss but you could experiment with literally any type of cord, yarn or string. Crochet cotton works very well, as does fingering or sock weight yarn. My only other tools are scissors (I guess I’m just missing paper for a fun game of rock-paper-scissors?) and a tool to do the weaving. I started with a blunt tapestry needle, but learned from Sarah at @LarkandBower about using that flat needle-looking tool called a bodkin, and I find it much easier to use it to get underneath the warp when I’m weaving the weft.

Preparing to weave on a rock, showing embroidery thread in two colours, a rock, a bodkin and a tapestry needle

Woven material is comprised of two sets of threads running perpendicular to each other. First, you set the warp (running up and down on my rock) and then the side-to-side is called the weft.

Start wrapping your floss neatly around your rock. I don’t usually start with a knot, I just hold the tail of the starting floss off to one side and wrap over it. Place each warp wrap carefully, snug up but not too tight against the wrap that went before it. I usually don’t cut the floss before I wrap, but you can.

Hold the tail against the rock with your fingers at the back and wrap the warp over it

You can see here how I’m holding the tail diagonally across the back with my left hand fingers while I use my right hand to wrap the floss around the rock.

It doesn’t really matter how many warp wraps you make. Some weaving patterns, like this basket weave, will prefer an even number. In the photo above, I have finished wrapping the warp and cut my floss, and I’m tucking the tail underneath the wrap. You can knot if you like, but if your warp is snug, you can usually just tuck your loose ends under.

Start by weaving the tail into the warp at the back of the rock

After completing the warp, I’ve chosen the blue floss to begin weaving the weft. I cut approximately 2.5m of the blue floss, and in the photo above I’m lightly weaving it into the back of the warp. I usually weave top down, but you can do whatever is comfortable for you. If you’re left-handed, you may find bottom-up works best. Hold the loosely woven floss in position with your finger as you turn the rock to the front side to begin to weave.

The basket weave pattern follows an over 2 under 2 repeating pattern.

This pattern is a basket weave, meaning a simple under 2, over 2, under 2, over 2 repeating across the first line. It’s a 2×2 pattern, so you repeat that first line on the second line.

The first strand of weaving on the rock shows the alternating over-under weave pattern

Make sure your floss/thread is straight, pull it gently snug, and then wrap it around the back of the rock over the warp so you’re back to the starting spot – in my case, at the upper right side, just under the first line of weft. If you want to get fancy, you can also weave the back side as you go. I did not do that for this demonstration.

Row three has a pattern change where you weave under where you wove over previous strands

Once you’ve wrapped and woven two strands of weft, there’s a pattern change. We started with over 2, under 2, over 2, under 2. Now all the unders become overs and vice versa. The third (and fourth) strands of the weft go under 2, over 2, under 2, over 2. Repeat that pattern, alternating the over-under pattern every second wrap of the weft, until you have reached your desired size. It’s all very subjective – try it and see what you like. You can always undo it and try again – one of the benefits of not using knots.

Finish by weaving the loose weft thread into the warp at the back of the rock and tucking in the end

When you’re done, lightly weave your loose end into the back and tuck the tail under the other threads. Voila, you have woven a simple basket weave pattern using a rock as a loom.

When finished, the threads are woven snuggly in a basket weave pattern on the rock with no tails or loose ends showing

Easy, right? The best way to learn how to do this is by doing it. And the nice thing about using embroidery floss is that it is quite inexpensive – you can pick up a skein for less than $1, and rocks are free. So give it a try!

And if you’re local to Ottawa and you’re interested in an in-person workshop or crafting party to learn how to wrap rocks, get in touch! This would make a super fun group activity.