Monday, December 17, 2007

Advancing Twills - Preparing to Weave

Things have been pretty busy around here, a lot of them non-fiber. So I have been slow to make much progress on anything, or so it seems. However, I still have the advancing twill workshop on my mind and have been slowly dressing the loom for my first drafts.

Actually, this is only the second completely new warp I've put on my Glimakra. In the seven months I've had it, all of my afghans and blankets were woven by tying on more warp for each one. This enabled me to weave six projects, and only thread and tie-up once (my way to go!)

So, since it's been awhile, I had to go back and review each step.

Warping the loom for my next project.
I also took time to double check the shaft and lamm tie-ups that I did the first time, and to do a little tweaking.

One resource that has been very helpful this go-round, is Dorothy's Dot's Fibre To Fabric . Dorothy has an amazing ability to analyze the mechanics of the countermarche loom; something that I cannot clearly fathom. In this (click here) post, she gives a lot of good information on tying up the treadles, which is my next step.

My first tie up of the Glimakra treadles was quite an ordeal, so I am hoping that it goes a little better/faster this time. I confess that I've been procrastinating on this step, but the time has come and today is the day. If all goes well, my next weaving post will have some weaving to show! If not, then you'll get something else.

8 comments:

Laritza said...

I can't see on the picture how you are spreading the warp. No reed, no sectional beam, no raddle....curious!

Leigh said...

Laritza, you have to look closely, but the raddle is there balanced on support sticks between the breast beam and the shafts. It's probably hard to tell because the beater has been lifted out and is sitting over on the floor.

Sharon said...

Wow - I barely know my way around a jack loom and that picture frankly intimidates me.

Carol said...

Leigh,
I have noticed this before but never asked, how do you attach those jugs to the warp. As I warp by myself, it would be a great help. Also I wonder if it would work with the fishing line I use to hold weights for double weave? Thanks for all the sharing of information.

Laritza said...

Oh ok! I could not see the nails on the raddle. Now I saw them.

Peg in South Carolina said...

Leigh, I put my raddle on the back beam. I use masking tape or clamps depending on which raddle I am using. This gets the even distribution of the warp ends much closer to the actual back beam so that there is less chance of the ends getting out of place before getting on the back beam.
So many letters to try to fathom....... Will I pass.........

Dorothy said...

I'm interested to see if your answer to Carol's question (above) is the same as mine. I use a short length of linen warp thread to tie the bottle/jug to the warp, and find that a mere half knot, as used when beginning to tie a shoelace bow, holds tight, but a surgeons knot (extra wrap of the thread) is best. Sometimes I tie the bow as well. Strangely, that's all it takes, when the knot takes the weight of the bottles it seems to pull up securely, and then of course, it's easy to undo. I am weaving with cotton, it's possible that with linen or silk (less elastic threads) a different method might be needed.

Leigh said...

Carol and Dorothy, I have experimented a lot with the milk jug weights and finally settled on attaching the jugs to the warp with large s-hooks. I tie a slip knot in each warp bundle, putting one end of the s-hook through the loop on the slip knot and the other through the milk jug handle. The slip knots are easy to pull out and re-tie when it's time to move the jugs. I'll have to post a picture next time.

Peg, I have to admit you caught me. :o The raddle is where it is due to a boo-boo. I'll clarify in my next post!