What are heddles and what was their use?

Heddles are taut threads (now metal sheets) with an eyelet, which are fixed vertically in wooden frames. All the warp threads were passed through the heddles according to a very precise pattern that prepared the weaving of the desired fabric. Basically, the greater the number of frames with heddles used, the more complex the fabric that could be created. The heddles were used to lift certain warp threads, to allow the passage of the weft thread thanks to the use of the shuttle (opening of the “step”). The movement of the heddles was controlled by the respective pedals, which the weaver lowered thanks to the movement of her foot.