Lessons Learned

I am finally weaving on my Cranbrook, but only after a very long and frustrating weekend. I choose to change out the original string heddles for new texsolv heddles and they arrived last week. Hence the loom sitting vacant for a month :(

 

I decided to run a small test warp on the loom to get a feel for her, so a short 2.5 yard warp was ran for a bath mat. You see, I have this huge box of sock loopers for such an occasion.

 

 

The loom was warped, threaded and tied on in record time. I climbed into the body of the loom, which by the way is really cool, to tie up the treadles. I kept thinking that something was off.... things don't look right. After just sitting underneath a moment and staring at all the parts, I realized that the treadles were upside down. Easy enough fix, right? So I pulled out the bar that the treadles are on and I flip them all over. Re-tie.

 

Something. Is. Still. Wrong. I am a little more than frustrated at this point. I just don't get it. So I pull out all of my manuals, books on tying up countermarchs, and hit up google. I can't find anything I have done wrong at this point, so I decide to go back to the beginning. Do I have this monster put together correctly? I open the original assembly manual and read it line by line. Nothing jumps out at me and as I am sitting there staring at a picture of the loom, the problem smacks me in the face. Why yes, my treadles were upside down, but that was because the whole treadle frame was upside down! The treadles are supposed to hang from the frame, not rest on it.

 

 

I cuss at this point. The only way to fix the problem is to take the whole loom apart, flip the treadle beam and put it back together. And oh, re flip the treadles since they were on the beam correctly in the first place. And OH, did I mention this beast is warped? My husband and I start discussing how to attack this. I would rather try to save the warp instead of just pitching it, so a game plan is put into place. I tape all the warp threads to the warp beam like I've see sectional warpers do.  Then I untied all the threads from the apron bar and overhand knot them in front of the reed in small groups. My husband unpins and pulls out the back beam while I unhook the harnesses and pull the reed out of the beater. Together we walk all these pieces away from the loom. So far so good! Pulling the loom apart at this point is a cinch, and in under 10 minutes we have the back treadle beam flipped and treadles re flipped. In another 5 we have the warp beam on and harnesses re hung. The tape worked very well and I only had 1 section pull out of the reed.

 

 

I am really surprised. REALLY surprised it worked. I have no tension issues yet and we are weaving smoothly. I don't believe my shed is as big as it should be, it is at about 2" wide. I asked some weaving friends on Ravelry about it, but we have come up with nothing yet. The loom may just need some fine tuning and that will come as we move forward.

 

 Yeah for my first rug!!

 

Finishing and photographing

I have a pile of things ready to be finished.

 

Sewing, washing, hemming, pressing and twisting fringe. FUN!

 

 

This scarf was the first warp I put on my new to me Louet Spring. Finally washed and ends knotted. 8/2 Tencel warp and weft.

 

 

This AWESOME scarf was woven for a Raveler, and used hand dyed sock yarn as the warp with 8/2 tencel as weft.

 

Only a Partial photo of this project because it is a Christmas gift! Woven with 10/2 Perle

 

And last but not least, a set of kitchen towels. The warp was hand dyed by Blazing Shuttles. I used 8/2 Cotton for weft, 3 in orange, 3 in navy and 2 in turquoise. These towels are listed in my Etsy shop!

 

 

Happy Weaving :)



 



A towel a day keeps the..........

I recently bought a hand dyed warp from a fabulous lady I found on Facebook (don't ask me how) and started following her group. Yes, I am aware that I could do it myself, but what fun is that? Not to mention the fact that I love to support the fiber community!

 

The color is bold rainbow

 

 

The warps come in standard sizes, lengths and widths. This one is 8/2 cotton 7.5 yards with 400 threads. I decided to make kitchen towels

 

 

 

The first draft I picked didn't work out so well.  It was Huck Lace diamonds, and to get the diamonds in an even shape, I had to beat VERY lightly. Too lightly for towels I thought. So I cut out almost 15" of weaving and started over. I did not want to have to rethread 400 heddles so I started playing with weaving software. I changed the tie-up to that of draft  in the same book and changed the treadling some.

 

 

 

I will probably change the treadling again for a towel or two, but I love these so far.

Click lights!

My fantastic Louet Spring has an awesome built in tool shelf on top,

 

 but said tool shelf can block the light where I am working. I thought about using a clip on light, but that would need an outlet to plug the light into. So, after a quick trip to lowes my hubby and I came up with this!

 

 

Magnetic mounted click lights. There is a sticky back with a metal piece on one side which I attached to the underside of the tool shelf. Then the click light has a magnet on it. It is battery operated and has 2 light settings.

 

 

 

Works perfect! And no cord running across my floor :)

 

 

 

Bexell Cranbrook - a dining room table replacement

Guess What? I have a new loom!

A thread started on Ravelry about 2 months ago in the warped weavers group concerning a loom on craigslist. The poster was asking for thoughts and opinions on the loom. It was a 60" Cranbrook made by Bexell and my heart dreamily fluttered as I wished that someday I could own a Cranbrook. I mentioned it to my husband and I got the big old stink eye....

 

Well, a few days later I sent a message to the craigslist poster asking if it was still available. It was and I proceeded with an epic yarn destash. Scott (my husband) said if I could acquire the funds, he wouldn't gripe to much. I put almost my entire stash up forsale on ravelry, and within 3 days I had every penny I need to buy it. It was on like donkey kong! The seller asked if I would hold off picking it up so she could finish her rug that was currently on it.

The fantastic woman I was buying the loom from loved tapestry weaving and weaving Navajo rugs. These are both hers!

 

We did a lot of talking and I found out that she was the original owner of the loom, purchased in 1977. Within all of the paper work she passed on to me was the original purchase order and manual.

 

Tear down went quick and we were off! It was about an 8 hour journey one way, and the boys did great as always. We had that baby wrapped up like a burrito on a 5x9 trailer. I spent the next day washing it as well as rubbing it down with wood beams. Putting it back together was a snap, and I did it all by myself! Seriously, was not able to be patient enough to wait for hubbo to get home. Nope.

 

This Cranbrook has replaced my dining room table, so now I officially have a loom room.

 

Pre loom with table (not used for dining)

 

 

Loom room set up

 

Official details - Bexell Cranbrook J60 4H/10T made in 1977

 

 



And were off!!!

I wove. I unwove. I wove. I unwove. 4 times. I just couldn't find a weft color that I was happy with! I started with gold, and together they were great, but the gold over powered the purple in this pattern.

 

 

 

Not to mention the fact that I was trying to get used to the new loom. Picks were wonky and uneven. I was really surprised how much heavier the beater is compared to my Baby Wolf.

 

Then I tried Silver,

 

 

Still not happy. I also tried a light blue, but pulled that out too.

 

I decided to try color on color and use the purple for weft as well. I wasn't sure about it at first, but I like it. Once it is off the loom, wash and pressed, I think it will be fabulous.

 

 

 

 

Also, I love this loom. Love it.

 



Testing Lily Louet

Ok. So I name my looms. And my new Louet Spring is officially named Lily Louet. She has finally gotten herself properly dressed! I choose a short and quick project so that I may get a feel for her. I didn't want to throw on a 12 yard warp and realize 12 picks in that I hate weaving on her.

 

 

I choose an 8/2 tencel for an easy undulating twill scarf. I also choose to use only 4 shafts instead of all 8, this being my very first go round with a countermarch loom. I feel the need to understand the process before I try to get crazy with the pattern and shaft combos! Also, the built in raddle? Awesome.

 

 

It took me a week after picking her up to get to her, but she is tied on and ready to go.

 

 

The rigid heddle also got herself dressed this week in a commissioned project for another Raveler. It is hand dyed sock yarn, fully warped in my 12" AKL. I found the color repeats and warped to produce a faux ikat scarf.

 

 

Call me crazy, but I still love weaving on my RH!!!