Narrow Latvian Flower Band

This is a simpler Latvian Flower Band than the one I posted last year (Feb. 2016).  This was the first inkle band I had made, and the pattern was from a Ravelry Winter Belt WAL (Weave along) in the Knit Like a Latvian group.  The pattern is in the book Latviesu Jostas.

                                                                    Latvian Flower Band

This band has a single flower in the center, so it's easy to weave.  The colors should be red, green, blue, and yellow.  I didn't have red, so I used purple.  I used Sugar 'n Cream.  At the time, I didn't have any weaving threads.  I like using size 3/2 weaving cotton now for inkle bands, and I think the pattern would look clearer.  The yellow is so light, too--I would use a darker yellow.

I used purple for my shuttle thread (weft thread), but it should be red.  Whatever you use for your weft thread will be the center color of the flower.  If you look above, the flower is the horizontal purple line surrounded by the yellow petals. 

There are 23 threads, and you warp the band as usual: heddled, open, heddled, open, etc.  But, where you have a "doubled" thread, you can either use a heavier thread, or Two threads as One Thread.  Make sure to heddle doubled threads together as one or leave them open together as one thread.

Here is the color order for warping: 2 red, 2 green, 2 yellow, 2 blue, 2 yellow, 1 doubled green, 1 yellow (this is center of band), 1 doubled green, 2 yellow, 2 blue, 2 yellow, 2 green, and 2 red.

So, you warp it like this: 1 red heddled, 1 red unheddled, 1 green heddled, 1 green unheddled, etc.  You can start with a heddled thread or an open thread; it doesn't matter.

Weave several shots of plain weave--just as you weave a regular inkle band to begin the pattern.

Then for the pattern, you weave the band as usual except for the doubled threads.

*So, when you open the first shed for the pattern, if the green doubled threads are in the "down shed" pick them Up to the top and pass the shuttle through the shed.  Then weave 2 shots of plain weave as usual.

Then open the next shed and the doubled green threads should be "up".  Push them Down to the down shed and pass the shuttle through.  Then weave 2 more shots of plain weave as usual.*

Repeat from * to * over and over for the length of the band.  End with some rows of plain weave.

If you open your first shed for the pattern, and the green doubled threads are UP, then push them down and pass the shuttle through.  Follow with 2 rows of plain weave.  Then for the next row, open the shed and the green doubled threads should be Down.  Pick them up and pass the shuttle through.  Then follow with 2 rows of plain weave.

Repeat by either pushing down or pulling up the doubled green threads and passing the shuttle through and then do 2 rows of plain weave.  And Repeat.