This is a Warp Displacement pattern, so you may want to review the linked post. I’ve included an explanation for how to follow the chart, but you may be frustrated if you’re not familiar with the technique.

I called this pattern Zulu because it reminds me of an African tribal shield, and because we always loved singing the “Zulu Warrior” song when I was a kid.

Zulu, front—three colorways

Zulu, back—three colorways

Here’s the story about this pattern: when I posted it on the Facebook Pin Loom Weaving Support Group about a year ago, I only posted the yellow and green one (since that’s all I’d woven). I got a couple of reactions to it. One person said the back looked like seaweed and another person said the back looked like the shape of a dulcimer (which she plays).

We were holding a square swap at that time, so I made a dulcimer-colored square (center, above) for the gal who plays the dulcimer. Unfortunately, with the warping configuration I chose, the dulcimer shape didn’t show up well, so I made the third square above. That’s the one she received.

The original chart for Zulu has notes about the warping layers of the first two squares from the photos above (the warping configuration for the third is the same as the first). WordPress doesn’t allow me to upload bitmaps anymore, so I apologize if the notes are fuzzy. (I’m posting two charts below with instructions for how to read them.)The next photos show a closer look at the front of each square. In fact, after taking numerous closer looks at the three squares, I discovered that all three are woven differently—and none according to the charts. (If you think that discovery wasn’t wildly frustrating after all the [unseen-by-you] work I’ve done, think again.)

Zulu Variation, front (with optional plain weave stitches in rows 5 and 12)—L1&4 yellow, L2&3 green

Zulu, front (with optional plain weave stitches in rows 5 and 12)—L1&2 tan, L3&4 dark brown
I honestly don’t know what I did here. R2 and R15 are different from each other. I think I did plain weave on R3 and R14. It was over a year ago, so I’ve forgotten now.

Zulu, front (with optional plain weave stitches in rows 5 and 12)—L1&4 tan, L2&3 dark brown

Instructions:

Note: As with all of the charts, red indicates going Under while blue indicates going Over. Purple (rows 5 and 12) indicates an option: you can go O3 or you can Plain weave three (P3). All the samples were woven with P3 instead of O3. Apparently none of the samples includes the U3s in R3 and R14; I think they were all plain woven. This goes to show you that you can do a lot of variation on your own.

R1: P
R2: P4, (go Under the next two L1 warps, Over the next three L3 warps, Under the next two L1 warps, O1) x 3, P3*
R3: (U3, O1) x 7, U3
R4: (go Under the first/next two L1 warps, Over the first/next three L3 warps, Under the next two L1 warps, O1) x 3, go Under the next two L1 warps, Over the last three L3 warps, Under the last two L1 warps
R5: Rpt R4 or P3 in place of O3s.
R6: Rpt R4
R7: Rpt R3
R8: Rpt R2
R9: Rpt R2
R10: Rpt R3
R11: Rpt R4
R12: Rpt R4 or R5 variation
R13: Rpt R4
R14: Rpt R3
R15: Rpt R2
R16: P

*Please Note: R2 ends as it began—with P4—but since the first stitch of the final P4 is O1, that instruction is included in the repeat.

Here is the chart with optional stitches marked. You can mix up and vary these rows to your personal delight.

Zulu variation

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