If you follow me, you know I like to push the limits of rigid heddle weaving, but at the same time, I want weaving to be easy and fun. And I love pick-up sticks!!! Often when I use multiple pick-up sticks they slide over each other so need to be inserted only once. However, I also have patterns where one pick-up stick needs to be reinserted each time it is needed. When I first started weaving with multiple sticks, I didn’t mind reinserting the stick each time.
Fringe twisting is just one more step in finishing your weaving. And just like every other thing in the weaving process, you need to think about your fringe before the project ever gets on the loom. Let’s look at fringe generally first.
Why twist? The most important reason is because it looks nice and stays looking nice. An untwisted fringe looks great when it is freshly trimmed and pressed. After that the yarns begin to unravel, shred, tangle and, let’s face it, start looking a bit ratty. If you are making something for baby, a blanket for example, long thin threads can wrap around little fingers and cut off circulation.
As many of you know, my 2020 weaving challenge was colour. I needed to use more of it, particularly the bright colours. I didn’t just want more colours though, I wanted confidence to put colours together. I made a ridiculous number of tea towels. 2020 became the year of tea towels. Tea towels act as a perfect palette for mixing colours and if I wove an ugly tea towel, well, that would be one more tea towel for my kitchen! As it turned out, each one was my favourite, until I wove the next one!
Welcome to a New Year! From what I’ve seen on social media many are embarking on weaving! I know you won’t regret it!! As a weaving instructor I see many new weavers and weavers who want to improve their weaving. There is lots of advice I could give, but today I’m going to keep it short and sweet: don’t beat so hard! That’s it.
I’m on a few weaving groups on Facebook as well as following a number of rigid heddle weavers on Instagram. As I read the posts I learn a lot, some I agree with, some not so much. One idea that seems to be coming up a lot lately is mohair. Specifically, that one should not use mohair for warp. I must disagree!
Care and Feeding
Last week we discussed choosing the right loom. This week is about providing your loom with what it needs to thrive. It might be your loom’s responsibility to please you, but it is your responsibility to provide it, and you, with the proper tools and equipment. A new loom package will give you everything you need, except the yarn, to get started with basic weaving. You will get a loom, a reed (some let you choose the size, most give a 7.5 or 8 dent reed) 2 shuttles, clamps, warping peg and a threading hook.
It can be tempting when starting new hobby to minimize expenses. After all, you may not like it. But I guarantee you won’t like it if you don’t have the right equipment! Trying to weave on a 32” loom without a stand will cause you physical pain and you’ll start to associate weaving with pain. Not getting the size reed to use the yarn you really want to use will leave you feeling dissatisfied with your finished products. And using poor quality fibres can create so many problems that you dread going to your loom. Skimping can sabotage a potentially beautiful relationship. Besides, for most of us it is psychologically less painful to drop $600 in one fell swoop and have everything we want/need than to be continually spending $100-150 while still feeling there is more we need to be really content.
What else should you get?
32” with stand
1. A stand is a must if you are getting a loom bigger than 24”. If you are getting less than 24” I still recommend a stand because it makes warping so much easier. If you or someone you know is handy go ahead and build your own…but remember that the designers of the stand for your loom have had lots of experience and know what height and angle is best and how to balance it so it isn’t prone to tipping!
2. Extra reeds. Think about the yarns you want to use and the projects you want to weave and get the right reeds. The 7.5 or 8 dent reeds that many looms come with are great for dk and worsted weight yarns. 10 dent for sport and fingering, 4/8 cotton, or 2/8 cotton doubled; 12.5 for fingering; and 15 for lace. At the other end, a 5 dent is good for aran/bulky and a 2.5 for super bulky. You might also consider getting 2 of the same size so you can learn double weave to either weave wider blankets, get the sett you want (2 10 dent reeds allow you to weave at 20 ends per inch) or weave twill.
3. Extra shuttles of various sizes. Just because you have a 32” loom does not mean all your shuttles should be 32”. The shuttles should be just a little longer than your project is wide. It’s just more comfortable. Using a 32” shuttle takes a lot of shoulder energy and can be tiring so if you are working on a 12” scarf, using a 14” shuttle is much more comfortable.
Pick Up Stick and Shuttle
4. Pick Up sticks…these are like shuttles except with points on the end. They make it very easy to create complex looking patterns.
5. A couple good books and classes. I’m a fan of in person classes over online classes simply because a live instructor can personalize to you specifically. S/he can see what you are doing and give tips specific to you. Plus you will learn from the others in the class and perhaps meet new, local, friends! That being said, online classes do have benefits…you can do them at your convenience, repeat as many times as you want and have very experienced teachers.
6. Good quality fibres that you love! Life is too short to use ugly yarn. This is your hobby and you should enjoy every moment spent at your loom. Don’t sabotage a potentially beautiful relationship by using poor quality yarn because it’s cheap. Get the best you can afford, something that feels nice in your hands and gives you pleasure just to look at. Even for beginner projects, maybe especially for beginner projects! Your first projects may not be perfect but if you hate the yarn, can’t stand the feel if it or it's a mess on the loom you will begin to associate weaving with negative emotions. First impressions are important!
Fun and Handy Extras
There are always a few things that you don’t really need, but they definitely add to the ease and enjoyment of weaving.
Varident Reed
1. Varident reed: this is pretty cool. It’s a reed with pieces of reeds of all sizes that you can put together in the order you want to use any weight yarn in one project. Great for using up all those little bits of leftover yarn.
Fringe Twister
2. Fringe twister: another very cool gadget. Just clip, turn and tie and you have a beautiful twisted fringe. Untwisted fringes tend to look a little tattered over time.
3. Extra warping sticks: if you plan to weave lots of yardage, these will come in very handy.
4. A portable light that will clamp onto your loom. It’s always nice to have good light!
Just a quick note about buying used looms. This is a great way to get a fantastic deal. Before you buy, make sure all the pieces are there, that the loom holds tension and that you can get parts if you need them (extra reeds, double heddle kit if it isn’t built in, stand if you want one etc). It’s not a deal if you can’t use it.
I hope if you are considering a loom, or are a beginner weaver, you have found this helpful. If you are not a weaver, and you’ve read this far…wow! Thanks! Here’s my words of wisdom for the week: Life is always easier with the right tools (whether it’s a skill to learn or a physical object). It’s worth learning what they are and acquiring them. So many times we “make do” and struggle, but if we used the right tool (or skill) the job would have been done faster and better, with less grief, and we might have enjoyed it! I don’t believe we need to buy everything, on the contrary I believe we should buy less. Borrow when you can, share what you have. But when you do buy, buy the right tool. You will enjoy life more!
It’s hard starting new relationships. They take time and effort. You have to set boundaries and learn the other person’s boundaries. It can be a bit of an uncomfortable shuffle during the first little while, then suddenly it becomes an effortless dance, like you’ve known each other forever.
Building a relationship with your rigid heddle is the same. It’s hard work learning a new language, new movements and boundaries. And then, after failures, frustration, maybe even tears, everything falls into place and weaving is second nature. Over the next few weeks I’m going to give some tips and advice about how to develop a relationship with your rigid heddle that will last a life time.
Pick the right loom
When choosing a loom, you should do your homework. Just like you won’t like everyone person you meet, you won’t like every loom. While all rigid heddle looms operate in much the same way, they have distinctions. Some fold, some have permanently attached rods, others are removable. Reed sizes vary with the brand of loom. Some come finished in a choice of gorgeous finishes, others are completely unfinished.
Think about what you want to make before you choose your loom.
If all you ever want to do is weave narrow scarves with dk weight yarn a 10” Cricket by Schacht or the Ashford Samplit might be perfect for you. But if what you really want are tea towels and wraps, these looms will bring more sadness than joy. Think about the width and length of what you want to make. Sure, a 16” loom with a double heddle kit can weave 32”, however if you plan to make a 32” baby blanket for every baby born to anyone remotely connected to you, you would be happier with a 32” loom right from the start.
Talk to other weavers and visit your local yarn store that carries looms.
People who weave are a great resource. We love being invited to talk about our passion (we’re used to being asked to stop talking). Tomorrow, April 27, is LYS day, here’s my plug: Local yarn stores care more about you being happy with your purchase than the amount of money you spent. Your local store might have looms you can try. You can ask about why one loom over another. Describe what you want to make and they can prescribe the right loom. If they don’t have the one you want, ask if they can get it (and ask why they don’t carry it, there might be a really good reason!) Ask about the price of accessories. Ask how easy it is to get parts. And when you buy your loom from a local yarn store you can feel great about going back to them for help and advice. In addition they may offer services such as assembling your loom, patterns, help reading patterns, choosing the right fibre for your project and whatever else you might possibly need (including advice about any life issues you might be experiencing completely unrelated to weaving) all free! And we want to see your finished pieces, honestly! We feel a little like midwives, helping dreams come to life. We love to see the end result. Please, come and brag about your projects so we can celebrate with you. And we’ll genuinely commiserate with your *ahem* not so successful projects.
