I just warped my loom with about 90″ of sport-weight Sinfonia mercerized cotton, and wanting to try something different, I did every other slot to stagger the warping threads. I “think” this makes the heddle closer to a 5 dent (it’s a 10 dent heddle). Because I didn’t do an even stagger, however, I’m getting a pattern, but I like it. I think I kept weaving too long with my scrap yarn. Still learning…
After finishing a small sample with my new 19″ Glimakra Emilia, I warped the entire width using Berroco Vintage. I used the direct warping method and the warping peg. Stretching from the back of my loom to the opposite side of my workspace gave me a 91″ warp–probably a little short for a shawl but an okay length for the likes of me. When I want a longer warp, I’ll have to move my loom into the dining room.
I used blues and browns, maybe finding some inspiration in the robin’s nest outside our door. Or maybe because I like blues and browns. (Pretty much everything I make is either blue or brown!)
The warping took about an hour and used up about 500 yards of yarn. I was a little worried, having only about 200 yards of blue left, and with good reason. By the time I ended the weaving, I only had about one yard of blue remaining. That’s cutting it close! Here’s a little video of the shawl coming off the loom:
I’m pleased with my first effort. My selvedges are okay for a first project, I think. I was going for a balanced weave, but when I measured a square inch here and there, I always came out with 10 warp strands to about 7 or 8 weft, so the shawl is a little heavier than I planned. I now know if I want a lighter shawl, I’ll need to use a little bit thinner yarn. It does drape nicely, though, and it’s warm.
Now, I need to think about finishing. I braided one side, but I don’t like it much, so I’m considering unbraiding them and just cutting it to about a 3″ fringe. I also want to hand wash it and press it to see what it looks like all finished. The beginning of a piece (warping, sleying, etc.) and the ending (braiding, washing, pressing) take as long as the weaving!
The FedEx delivery person was kind enough to leave my new loom safe in a plastic bag because it was raining yesterday. I was happy because the loom stayed dry. I was even more happy to realize the loom was already put together. For some reason, I thought I had to assemble it.
The pictures aren't the greatest but they show the box, the loom in the box, the loom outside of the box, and then the fairly awful warping process. (Awful because I chose a linty cotton… I know, I know…) But I did warp about 6' of the cotton and even started to weave a little bit. It took me about 1.5 hours, from opening the box to warping to starting to weave.
I know one thing. I LOVE my new loom. It's sturdy and strong. The metal ratchets and pawls are awesome. There is, however, a little mystery with this loom. I'll share that tomorrow, after I do some detective work.
I'm watching the tracking on my new loom as it makes its way across the country: an 18" Glimakra Emilia rigid heddle. Whew! A lot of thought goes into selecting a loom, even a small one, so I'll spare the details other than saying the sturdiness and metal ratchets were appealing, along with the fact that it can fold.
It's nearly here!