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jeanweaves

~ Jean Williams, Handweaver

jeanweaves

Monthly Archives: February 2015

On Drawlooms

21 Saturday Feb 2015

Posted by jeanweaves in Doubleweave, Looms

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Doubleweave, Looms, Weaving

Patterned Doubleweave in Progress

Patterned Doubleweave in Progress

Drawlooms. Sigh.

When I bought my Glimakra countermarche, I included a drawloom attachment with 20 pattern shafts. These shafts are separate from those that weave the ground cloth. I had worked on one of these looms at the Weavers School in the early ’90’s and fell in love with the intricate design possibilities. Alas, the class looms were set up beforehand and we didn’t go into how to get from frame to warp.

Over the years, I read whatever I could find on drawlooms and their set-up, but my learning style is hands-on and I confess that I often have to read something many times before I can visualize it. It’s only in the execution that things start to click. And sometimes my understanding (or lack thereof) is reflected in the results. Mostly I learned by trial and error. A lot of error.

Gracious, experienced weaving friends held my hand, patiently suggested I needed more weight here or there, and explained that yes, that tie-up is right, just try it. To these I owe so much!

Recently I was going through my old weaving records and found that I had successfully woven opphämta many years ago, just not very much of it. This is a lovely pattern weave on a plain weave or basketweave background. That’s on my to-weave list for this year. And I had looked into figured doubleweave previously too, even though I couldn’t find samples from the drawloom.

The structure I’ve had the most success with has been 5-shaft satin damask. Not all my pieces have been satisfactory, but with each one, I learn more. I look forward to weaving more damask soon.

Threaded Pattern Heddles

Threaded Pattern Heddles

All this is background to what has been a learning curve over the past couple weeks. Using “Dress Your Swedish Drawloom” video with Becky Ashenden of Väv Stuga Weaving School, I set about threading figured doubleweave on my drawloom.

This is a great video with a lot of step by step instruction. I watched it several times, referring back to specific steps. In particular, I noted how she teaches threading the loom while sitting inside the frame. The video clearly explained the positions of each part of threading this way. I’ve read about this before, but never tried it. I should have long ago! It is so much easier on the body—much less stretching and reaching.

And I only dropped all my heddles once, watching in dismay as they slid off the bar in slow motion like a bad movie. O my! But back on the bar they went. I also had difficulty transferring the pattern heddles to the individual lower pattern shaft bars, probably because I didn’t have enough weight on them, which resulted in having to do some rethreading.

The warp threaded through pattern and ground heddles, then through the reed.

The warp threaded through pattern and ground heddles, then through the reed.

It took a couple extra days inside the loom, but the warp is on and the weaving is progressing. I will have to adjust the pattern so that the motif is more of a circle than an oval, but overall, it’s exciting to see the pattern take shape (see above). I’m working with two shades of jade with this warp, but plan on do some more with other hues. After all this work to get it threaded, I want to weave more than just one warp on it!

Then after the doubleweave, it’s on to opphämta and some more damask. Weaving is a learning adventure!

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Loom Maintenance Day

05 Thursday Feb 2015

Posted by jeanweaves in Looms

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Loom, Weaving

Top and bottom lamms on the countermarche

Top and bottom lamms on the countermarche

I just took warps off of both of my looms. Usually I try to alternate so that I always have a project in progress. There’s an old saying about not leaving a naked loom. However, I’ve been noticing squeaks and creaks in my looms that I hadn’t heard before. So this break is a great time for a “loom maintenance day.”

The top of the countermarche, from the back.

 

 

Looms are pretty amazing machines. There are many moving parts other than the shafts themselves. There are also the treadles, the lamms and jacks which make the shafts move. The cloth beam and the warp beam also move, just not as much. And like all machines with moving parts, you have to lubricate them from time to time. Most looms are also constructed of wood and wood needs “feeding”, especially in the winter when the air tends to be drier.

The jacks on the Baby Wolf

The jacks on the Baby Wolf

A couple years ago, Tom Knisely, the general manager and weaving instructor at the Mannings in Pennsylvania, came out with a video on this very topic:  “Loom Owners Companion.” He covers several different types and makes of looms, discusses how they work and how to keep them working well. It’s a great resource for anyone looking into getting a loom, but also good for those of us who need to keep our looms working well.

Lubricating the shaft channels

Lubricating the shaft channels

First step is to vacuum thoroughly in and around the working parts of the loom. I’m not talking just about the floor – that does get cleaned regularly—but inside the moving parts, between the shafts, by the lamms, over the jacks. It’s amazing how much lint accumulates inside a loom! Once the loose lint is removed, I can get to the joints and lubricate them. Following Tom’s suggestion, I use a silicon spray on the metal parts, especially where the shafts move up and down regularly on the small loom. Then I tighten all the nuts and bolts. Finally, I clean the wood and give it a good rub-down.

Feeding the wood

Feeding the wood

Now that I’ve cleaned and polished both of my “babies”, I’m ready for the next warps. With a little TLC once in a while, I hope my looms weave smoothly for many years to come.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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