The process which is most easy for beginners is to use a pick-up stick (large knitting needle can work) and pluck up a group of threads from the weave to float above the regular work, thus creating patterns. Good Wood sells lovely hand-crafted pick-up sticks which make this technique very easy. Or a knitting needle works fine.
To proceed, take the knitting or cross stitch chart and place it close to your work. Use the pick-up stick to weave a plain weave until you want a pattern similar to your chart to appear in the cloth. Then pick up a number of threads with your pick-up stick to match those in the chart. If you want a regular decoration proceed down the row matching the graphed chart, picking up threads as you go. Pass the weft thread(s) through the weaving shed. Change the shed, and follow the chart for the next row. Proceed in this manner until you have worked all the rows of the graphed pattern. You should have a nice raised series of warp threads to make a nice pattern in your cloth.
This is a very ancient technique use all over the world to create patterned cloth.
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Practice with simple one color patterns at first; then expand this to use different weft colors to create more complex designs. If this looks like brocade -- congratulations -- it is.
Have fun with this.
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