MultiWeave. Knight’s Tour and Other Sources of Inspiration

Introduction

MultiWeave is a textile technique for creating three-dimensional woven structures using only warp and weft yarns. Inspired by 3D printing and additive manufacturing, it allows for the construction of layered, net-like, and sculptural forms through the use of temporary warp supports. The MultiWeave¹ technique, introduced in 2016 and further developed through research projects² hackathons, and collaborative workshops, continues to evolve in unexpected and inspiring directions ^{3 4 5}. This paper outlines several new developments in MultiWeave since its presentation at the Algorithmic Pattern Salon in 2023⁶. These advancements highlight how weavers and designers are increasingly combining material innovation, computational logic, and performative exploration to extend the expressive and structural capabilities of the method. At Pallas University of Applied Sciences, MultiWeave has become both a research method and a practical tool for textile creation. The process emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, peer learning, and DIY toolmaking, fostering a community of experimentation. Examples from artists, students, and designers across Europe illustrate how MultiWeave is applied in artworks, garments, geotextiles, and furniture. By supporting modular and open-ended construction, MultiWeave bridges technology, craft, and sustainability—marking it as a contribution to contemporary textile practice.

The basic idea of MultiWeaving is shown in Figures 1-3.

Figure 1: Step-by-step creation of a warp loop field. (a) Vertical support element; (a1) and (a2) indicate the upper and lower turning points of the warp thread around the support; (b) shows the direction in which the warp yarn is applied across the row. Drawing by Kadi Pajupuu.

Figure 2: Diagram of weft path variations around and between warp loops: (b) placement between warp rows; (c1) following the warp row alignment; (c2) crossing rows; (c3) diagonal paths; (c4) zigzag movement. The material’s thickness (d) is defined by the warp height and number of weft layers. Weft positioning can also create vertical voids or enclosed spaces within the structure. Drawing by Kadi Pajupuu.

Figure 3: Final step: connecting the upper ends of warp loops to adjacent loops to stabilize the structure. Drawing by Kadi Pajupuu.

1. Algorithmic Sequences: Knight’s Tour in MultiWeaving

One recent area of inquiry has been the integration of the Knight’s Tour algorithm into the MultiWeave process. The Knight’s Tour, a classic problem in combinatorial mathematics, describes a path that a knight takes on a chessboard, visiting each square only once.⁷ For our exhibition (in cooperation with Marilyn Piirsalu) in 2020 “Knight’s Tour” at HOP Gallery⁸, I used this principle as a basis for determining the sequence of guiding the weft thread in a 5x5 warp matrix. The accompanying video visualized this path through painted horse figures leaping across the grid, each representing a warp connection point (Figure 4, 5). This experiment opened new avenues for algorithmically generated weaving patterns that are both aesthetic and structurally meaningful.

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Figure 4: Knight’s Tour on a 5×5 Grid. Video created for the exhibition Ratsurada (Knight’s Tour) by Marilyn Piirsalu and Kadi Pajupuu, HOP Gallery, Tallinn, 2020.

Figure 5: Segment of the installation in which the paper yarn structure follows the path of a Knight’s Tour sequence. Kadi Pajupuu, Ratsurada (Knight’s Tour), HOP Gallery, Tallinn, 2020.

2. Dynamic Positioning: Angled Warp Rows

While warp loops in MultiWeave are usually formed in straight rows, recent experimentation with the construction of the warp support base has introduced greater flexibility. By cutting stripes from fluted polypropylene sheets and inserting bamboo barbecue sticks into the flutes, the supports can be mounted at varying angles. This allows weavers to construct dynamic three-dimensional structures where the orientation of each row is determined after the loops are formed. This real-time structural decision-making enhances the tactile and sculptural potential of the method, especially in art and design applications (see Figure 6).

Figure 6: MultiWeave warp rows arranged in a non-parallel configuration and fixed at various angles using a flexible support structure. Material used for both warp and weft: paper yarn. Kadi Pajupuu, 2024.

3. Weaving with Multiple Weft Ends

To address the time-intensive nature of manually guiding weft through complex warp configurations, students at Pallas University of Applied Sciences developed a technique for weaving with multiple weft ends simultaneously. This method, documented in a student-made video, shows how collaborative handling of weft threads can both accelerate production and introduce aesthetic variations. It suggests possibilities for scaling up MultiWeave in performance, educational, or small-scale industrial contexts. (Figure 7, Figure 8-11)

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Figure 7: MultiWeave performance by Sigre Kodasma, Liisi Tasso, Hanna Maria Org, Christina Kasesalu. Video by Grete Käärma.

Figure 8: MultiWeave performance by Sigre Kodasma, Liisi Tasso, Hanna Maria Org, Christina Kasesalu. Photo by Grete Käärma.

Figure 9: MultiWeave performance by Sigre Kodasma, Liisi Tasso, Hanna Maria Org, Christina Kasesalu. Photo by Grete Käärma.

Figure 10: Removing the warp supports. Photo by Grete Käärma.

Figure 11: Christina Kasesalu testing how wearable this structure is. Photo by Grete Käärma.

4. Functional Applications: Svea Tisell and Furniture Design

Swedish designer Svea Tisell has brought MultiWeave into the realm of functional object-making. Her furniture line, showcased under the brand Kryss, uses reclaimed climbing rope to create self-supporting structures without frames. Through careful tensioning and the inherent strength of the MultiWeave geometry, the furniture adapts subtly to weight and pressure. These works highlight sustainability, mono-materiality, and modularity, pointing to MultiWeave’s potential in environmentally conscious design. A video from Tisell’s studio demonstrates her process (Figure 12) and the adaptability of her pieces in real-world use⁹.

Figure 12: Svea Tisell. MultiWeaving the chair.

5. Performance and Tool Enlargement: Mirjam Hemström Farsi

Artist Mirjam Hemström Farsi has scaled up the MultiWeave tool to architectural proportions, using it in performative installations where the act of weaving becomes a public event. In her gallery exhibitions, she constructs the fabric in real time, building both tension and audience engagement. This performative use of MultiWeave transforms it into a live medium for storytelling and spatial interaction. (Figures 13-15)

Figure 13-15: Mirjam Hemström Farsi at Tyresö konsthall, March, 2025. Photos by Linda Wardal.

6. Combining MultiWeave with Recycled Garments

During the 2024 Structure and Material course at Pallas UAS, textile students explored the potential of combining MultiWeave with secondhand garments. The results demonstrated how the technique can be used to re-contextualize waste textiles by integrating them into structured forms. These experiments produced hybrid pieces that blur the boundary between garment, sculpture, and surface design (Figures 16-23).

Figure 16: Anželika Botšarova. MultiWeave structure integrated into a secondhand garment. (Pallas UAS, 2025)

Figure 17-18: Gabriela Eva Eero. (Pallas UAS, 2025)

Figure 19: Janeli Liivak. (Pallas UAS, 2024)

Figure 20: Meribell Kivimets (Pallas UAS, 2025)

Figure 21: Helena Mai Posti (Pallas UAS, 2025)

Figure 22: Kristiin Talviste (Pallas UAS, 2024) Photo: Lisette Laanoja.

Figure 23: Marilyn Piirsalu (2024). Photo Lisette Laanoja.

7. Artistic Practice: “Listed Souls” at the 9th Tallinn Applied Art Triennial

In my own artistic work, I continue to explore the narrative and conceptual dimensions of MultiWeave. For the 9th Tallinn Applied Art Triennial, I created “Listed Souls” using paper yarn and a warp support tool made from bamboo sticks and fluted polypropylene. The fragility and lightness of the material stood in contrast to the structural clarity of the MultiWeave grid, creating a work that reflects on order, identity, and impermanence. (Figure 24)

Figure 24. Kadi Pajupuu. Listed Souls. (2024)

8. MultiWeave in the Landscape: “Growth and Decay”

My installation “Growth and Decay,” presented in the 2024 exhibition Between Borders, Between Materials at the Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design, used biodegradable materials and soil within a MultiWeave structure made of linen felt. Waste wool was added into the cavities, and seeds were planted directly into the form. Over time, the piece transformed, becoming part of the landscape and continuing to change throughout the exhibition period. The work speaks to cycles of regeneration, decay, and the interface between textile and ecology. (Figure 25, 26)

Figure 25. Module made from linen felt, filled with waste wool, soil and plants. Kadi Pajupuu. Growth and Decay.(detail, 2025). Photo Marilyn Piirsalu.

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Figure 26: Growth and Decay. Part of the installation. Video Marilyn Piirsalu.

Conclusion

The recent developments in MultiWeave confirm it as an adaptable, open-ended weaving system that bridges algorithmic logic, ecological thinking, artistic expression, and social collaboration. Whether used to encode mathematical problems, repurpose discarded materials, or build living environments, MultiWeave challenges conventional boundaries between textile, sculpture, and architecture. Its DIY ethos and modularity continue to inspire new forms, tools, and communities of practice.