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Friday, May 02, 2008

About That Knee Beam .....

I have been weaving away on a one yard sample warp, trying out various yarns and ideas with multiple tabby weave. Things were going pretty well until I advanced the warp. I was surprised that as I treadled, my knees were hitting the apron rod. That had never happened before. Finally, after treadling bow legged for a bit, I stopped to take a closer look.....


That's when I realized that the apron cords weren't going over and behind the knee beam. Somehow I had missed it altogether when I pulled the apron rod up to lash the warp to it.

If I had puzzled about usefulness of that knee beam before, I certainly understand its functionality now. And I won't forget to make sure my warps travel the correct path anymore, either!

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16 comments:

  1. BonnieMay 2, 2008 at 12:52 AM

    Wow, this is really amazing! I had to run and take a look at my looms. I have never heard of a knee beam. I was relieved to see that neither of my looms has one. I thought I had overlooked them all these years. I can see where it would be helpful though.

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  2. textilMay 2, 2008 at 2:01 AM

    Been there, done that :-)

    (Release the warp tension, lift off the knee beam and put it back from underneath the apron cords).

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  3. Susan B.May 2, 2008 at 4:28 AM

    I've never heard of one either (I don't have one) but I can see how it is used. I'm musing on the name now.....

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  4. AnonymousMay 2, 2008 at 4:46 AM

    So that's why they call it a knee beam...! Thanks for letting us in on the secret.

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  5. ChristineMay 2, 2008 at 5:31 AM

    Doh!

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  6. LeighMay 2, 2008 at 6:19 AM

    I agree, it was a bug doh *lol* Kind of like the first time I warped this loom and somehow had the cloth winding around the cloth beam backwards. ;)

    Textil, thanks for the tip! Brilliant!

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  7. JackieMay 2, 2008 at 8:37 AM

    You are not the first to do this. Only a couple of looms at the school have knee beams, but without fail, when a student put a warp on one of these looms for the first (or sometimes second or third time) they forget to warp around the knee beam.

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  8. JackieMay 2, 2008 at 8:37 AM

    You are not the first to do this. Only a couple of looms at the school have knee beams, but without fail, when a student put a warp on one of these looms for the first (or sometimes second or third time) they forget to warp around the knee beam.

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  9. SharonMay 2, 2008 at 1:41 PM

    I'm not laughing at you - I'm laughing with you. I made the mistake on one of my first projects of not lowering the back beam and running the warp *over* it - then I couldn't figure out why I couldn't get a shed. I'm glad I don't have a knee beam so I can't make a mistake with it &^)

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  10. KathyMay 2, 2008 at 3:49 PM

    I've been guilty of this too, Leigh! You are in good company. Just remember, only God is perfect. :)
    My, look at all that weaving space on that loom! Hmm...bigger projects in the works?

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  11. bspinnerMay 2, 2008 at 6:19 PM

    Looks like there's a bunch of us that make pretty much the same mistake. I don't have a knee beam but made the same sort of mistake with the back beam and hate to admite but more than once.

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  12. AnonymousMay 2, 2008 at 10:43 PM

    The Glimåkra makers seemed to anticipate this problem by designing a beam which can be lifted in and out. Your problem (and mine too on my last project!) can be solved easily. It makes one want to give a little jump for joy.

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  13. LaritzaMay 2, 2008 at 11:01 PM

    I've done the back beam one not the knee beam one yet.......

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  14. DorothyMay 3, 2008 at 4:31 PM

    I've done this too! In fact, when I started weaving I actually wove a couple of warps before I worked out what the knee beam was for!!

    ;)

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  15. AnonymousMay 4, 2008 at 6:00 AM

    Pretty colors in the piece on your loom. What do you do with the loose weft ends? What are the yarns? Thanks for a great blog!

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  16. LeighMay 4, 2008 at 8:59 AM

    Thank you Michele! My next post will be about that very piece!

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