Making your own Vävstuga Tie-Up cords

This is the jig I use to cut treadle cords for the Vävstuga Tie-Up System.  It's simply a piece of wood with a nail driven through it. This movie starts with a hole of the Texsolv cord threaded onto the nail. I line the cord up with my pre-measured mark at the other end of the board and cut the cord with scissors.  Always cut the cord between two holes rather than through the middle of a hole. You see me thread the new end onto the nail in order to cut a second cord. When I make several of these at once I can fit 20 cords onto the nail before doing the next step.

Then you see me making three marks at the end of the cord with a wide black Sharpie marker. You will have time to put the three marks on the other side of the cord as well because you won't need to make it fit into 30 seconds of movie time. It's also a good idea to mark the hole that the nail is going through. This can just be a light marking made on the outside of the cords while they're still in place on the nail.

I take the cords off of the nail and melt each cord in a flame at that end. I take more care melting the end of the cord with the three markings because this end should have a nice round point on it so that it will easily slide into your lamms and treadles.

The last step you see here involves threading a bead onto the Texsolv cord, then threading the nice pointy end of the cord into the marked hole that was originally on the nail. Pull the end of the cord all the way through to snug up the bead.

Use black beads on the long cords as they will correspond with the black squares in your tie-up. Use white beads on the short cords as they will correspond with the white squares in your tie-up. 

Cutting new heddles apart

Texsolv heddles are manufactured in one long string, and when you buy them new they are bundled as shown here with twist ties holding the bundle together.  I find it easiest to cut them apart while they are still bundled together. Here you can see me stuffing a scissors blade through the loops and cutting.  I repeat this process until it seems like I have cut all or most of the loops.  Then I turn the bundle around so I can cut the other end.  You will most likely miss a loop or two, but these will be easy to cut once you are threading the heddles on your loom. Unlike freshly cut Texsolv cord, freshly cut heddles do not need to have their ends melted in a flame.

Removing heddles from a shaft

It is usually a good idea to remove all extra heddles from your shafts before weaving begins.  In this demonstration you can see me reach my index finger through the upper loop of the extra heddles.  I pull the purple string through the heddles, wrap it around and pull it through again. Then I cross the string over the eyes of the heddles at an angle and thread it through the bottom loop of the heddles.  I wrap it around and pull it through again, same as above. Lastly, I tie the two ends of the string into a bow.

Remove the bottom safety pin and remove the heddles from the bottom shaft bar. Replace the safety pin. Then remove the upper safety pan and slide the heddles off completely. Replace the upper safety pin.

Cord loops for tie-on bar

Here you can and see me threading the last of five cord loops through a hole in the back beam. The first four cord loops are already in place before the movie begins.  Each piece of Texsolv cord is 265 cm (104") long for a Standard loom and 250 cm (98") long for an Ideal loom. The first end of this fifth cord loop has also already been secured to the warp stick on the floor. After you watch me thread the other end of this cord through the beam  I use a latch hook to create a loop in the end of the cord. I place this loop onto the warp stick on the floor and tighten it. I then pick up the tie-on bar and slide it through all five loops from the back beam. I pull the tie-on bar away from the back beam until the warp stick snugs up to the beam.  I turn the crank to wrap up the new cords onto the back beam.

Be careful to cut all the cords to exactly the same length!

I am enthusiastic about this method of attaching the tie-on bar to the front and back beams for the following reasons:

• The big loops make it easy to slide the tie-on bar in and out.
• Each loop is an individual piece of cord that maintains even tension.
• Tie-on bar stress is reduced by removing outside loops on narrow warps.
• Angled cords are less likely to create grooves in your beam than straight cords.
• When the angled cord is wound up onto a beam it provides a sturdy and flat surface on which to place your first revolution of warp sticks.

Warping trapeze

The warping trapeze is a helpful tool for winding the warp on the back beam by yourself. The path the warp takes around the breast beam, foot rail, and upper bar add enough friction to the weighted warp to produce a very tightly and evenly wound beam, which helps any weaving project.

Puddling warp

Here we see a puddle of warp being created on the floor as it is being unwound from the warping mill. The next thing you see in this short clip is the puddle being lifted back up off the floor as it is rewound onto the warping mill.

If (when) too much warp of a particular color has been wound onto the mill, it is advisable to make one of these "puddles" carefully on a chosen spot of the floor where it won't be stepped on or otherwise disturbed. Be sure not to lose the end by dropping onto the top of the puddle after cutting. Several puddles of different colors can be made, each in its own spot on the floor. Just be sure that adjacent puddles are not allowed to touch each other. The yarn can then be reused when that color is next needed in the warp sequence. It lifts right off the floor, as seen in the latter half of this movie.

Sleying the reed with a buddy

Set the reed on top of the shafts so that it rests on the shaft supports. One person sits inside of the loom and places the warp threads onto the sley hook. The person behind the loom stuffs the hook into the next dent and pulls the warp threads through. If the person handing threads holds a whole group of threads under tension and angled down a bit it can be easy to see which threads come next. It is especially nice to use this two-person method for projects with a lot of shafts.

Using shaft safety pins and folding up the shafts

The first thing we see here is how to insert the shaft safety pins into the shafts. To complete this process you will need four safety pins. While the safety pins are in place the heddles cannot fall off of the ends of the shafts.

The next step shown is taking the bottom four shaft bars and folding them carefully up on top of the upper shaft bars.  The shaft supports are raised such that they are up and out of the way for the warping process.

If you are using eight shafts or more, you will need to use longer safety pins. Eight shafts are too bulky to wrap up in the same manner so you simply raise the shaft supports as high as they go and you will have plenty of room to put your warp on your loom.

Julia, the little red loom from Glimakra

Introducing Julia, the brand new entry-level offering from Glimakra! The introductory price is $595 for the two-shaft version. I have been working with the designers and manufacturers over the last several months to fine-tune this darling little loom for optimal comfort and function. It has easily produced a four shaft rag rug in Rosepath, as well as a six shaft twill and a six shaft block weave. If you put your order in right away we can be sure that Glimakra will make enough of them in their first manufacturing run.

Winding a bobbin using a pirn

Place a pirn on the bobbin winder and wind the yarn over itself a little to get started. Grasp the yarn firmly between the thumb and forefinger of your left hand then rest your left arm comfortably on the table.  Turn the crank of the bobbin winder clockwise.  Move your left hand slowly toward one end of the pirn as you wind until you reach within 1/2" of the end of the pirn.  Reverse direction until you reach within 1/2" of the pirn on the other end as well.  Keep reversing direction in this manner, turning back just a little farther from the ends of the pirn each time.  Pull a loop through the last wind to secure the end.

[This movie is silent.]

Winding a butterfly shuttle

These little hand-manipulated butterfly shuttles are used for some kinds of rugs, tapestries, inlays or other weaves that don't require a weft to go all the way across the warp.

Start by hanging onto the end of the yarn with your little finger. Wrap the yarn in a figure-eight motion around your thumb and forefinger, building it up progressively toward the inside of your hand.  Gently slide the butterfly off of your finger and thumb and wrap the yarn around the middle of the butterfly tightly several times. Break off the end, tuck it under the last wrap and tighten it.  The end of this movie shows me pulling the original end of the yarn out of the butterfly as it would pull out during the weaving process.

Adjusting the temple

Lay the temple upside down on the warp, up close to the reed, and remove the metal pin.  Slide the temple open to lengthen it just enough that the middle of the teeth line up with the edge warp thread at the reed. Take a peek and see where the closest holes line up for the metal pin. Shorten the length a little if necessary to line up the holes and insert the pin. Place the teeth  in the weaving 1/8-1/4" away from the selvedge and 1/4-1/2" away from the last weft. Be sure the metal pin is away from the reed. Weave about one temple's width and then move the temple forward on the weave. Move it more frequently with very fine and tight weaves. It is best to weave a little bit after moving the temple before advancing the warp on the loom in order to avoid weft streaks.

Weaving with two people

Len and Lisa give a beautiful demonstration here of weaving a blanket together. If you have the opportunity to try this out even with a non-weaver friend who only has to catch and throw the shuttle it's a whole lot of fun! The most amazing part is that it feels like less than half of the work compared to doing all the weaving by yourself and it's much more social. Try it and let me know what you think.

Flossa bars at work

These flossa bars are made of two flat metal bars that are attached at one end by a wooden handle. The knotting of a row of "Flossa" or "Rya" knots across the warp can be seen in this movie clip. After the row of knots is finished several rows of plain weave are woven (three pics in this piece), then a knife is inserted in between the two metal bars near the wooden handle. The knife carefully slices across the tops of the knots to form uniform cut pile. I had these flossa bars custom made in Sweden recently and I am pleased to make this hard-to-find tool available. Check the bottom of the shuttles page in the store for sizes that are offered.

Steady loom feet

This movie shows a loom functioning with the steady loom feet in place. You can see the loom foot wiggle with each beat of the beater due to the fact that it is sitting in a little metal swing. These are advantages to using the steady loom feet:

• Reduce stress to arms from beating
• Protect floor
• Prevent loom from traveling across floor

Aluminum beam protector

This aluminum beam protector is very smooth and is molded to fit your beam perfectly. If you are using very fine and delicate threads on an old and rough beam, using the aluminum beam protector will ensure that your warp threads do not snag. Likewise, if you are using hard warp yarns under tight tension, such as linen rug warp on a new loom, the aluminum beam protector will protect your beams from developing grooves.

This movie demonstrates how to insert the beam protector under a warp that is already on a loom.  First the warp tension is loosened, then the beam protector is slid into place. In order to secure the beam protector to the loom while no warp is in place, simply tie a string around each end.

Warp stick collector

As the warp sticks become exposed on the back beam and are ready to exit the loom, many of us are accustomed to the clatter as the sticks fall onto the treadles and spread around on the floor in a messy fashion. The warp stick collector is an accessory that screws onto the treadle beam and catches the sticks as they fall. It also serves as an excellent storage place for the sticks until the next time they will be used for beaming a warp.

Also seen here is a second warp beam, mounted above the regular warp beam. A second warp beam is useful for tensioning two warps separately.

Quickly re-attaching a warp after cutting, part 1

This process is shown in a series of two mini-movies and only works for fairly tight weaves.

This first movie shows inserting a stick into an open shed. Next I cut the warp off with scissors, making sure I leave about a half inch of fabric on the stick side. In this case I wove a half inch with red weft so I could easily see where to cut.

Quickly re-attaching a warp after cutting, part 2

In this second movie, the weaving that was cut off has been taken away from the loom. I have removed two cord loops  from the tie-on bar, and I slide the bar into the opening of the warp retained by the stick. When the tie-on bar reaches the middle of the warp, I slide the middle cord loop onto the tie-on bar. I continue sliding the tie-on bar through the remainder of the warp and end by sliding the last cord loop onto it. The final step is to tighten the warp tension.

If you are concerned that your fabric may not be tight enough to firmly hold the warp threads in place, it can help to run a line of FrayCheck or some other glue across the fabric before cutting.

Removing shafts for storage

This process requires four rubber bands. Wrap a rubber band securely around the ends of the upper shaft bars on each side. Lift the shafts out of the shaft supports, being careful to keep them level to prevent the heddles from sliding around. Roll the heddles up onto the upper shaft bars. Secure a rubber band on each end of the rolled up shafts. This is a useful method for removing shafts from your loom if, for example, you have just woven an eight-shaft project and you want to do a four-shaft project next.

A weft loop disappears

I think this is usually easiest to do while the piece is still on the loom. Thread a needle from the selvedge into the weave following the path of one part of the weft loop. Snip that part of the loop a little bit away from the selvedge. Thread the longer end through the eye of the needle and pull through the weave to overlap with the short end. Hold the short end with one hand if necessary so that it doesn't get pulled out through the weave. Clip both ends close to the fabric.

Unweaving, method 1

It is quick and easy to take out a portion of a loose weave. Make a separation in the warp threads near the selvedge in order to cut the wefts without accidentally cutting a warp thread too. Remove the short weft loops at the selvedge by strumming the edge warp threads out to the side with thumb and forefinger. Pull the wefts out from the middle of the weave one at a time.  Loosening the warp tension just a little may help the wefts pull out more easily.

Twisting fringe on a rag rug

The start of this movie shows two pairs of warp threads separated a bit from each other. Then you see me take about a foot-long piece of the same yarn and set it between the two pairs of warp threads. Pick up the two pairs of warp threads, one in each hand, and tie them in a snug overhand knot around the newly set-in piece of yarn. Now I grasp three threads in each hand and twist both hands to the right, followed by wrapping the two sets of three threads to the left. Repeat this process of twisting the threads to the right and wrapping to the left. When the twisted fringe is long enough, take the two longest ends of the six ends, loop them around the fringe, and pull the two ends through the loop and tighten. I use the white piece of cardboard to measure the correct length for the fringe. The notch in the cardboard shows where the end of the fringe should be secured in order to make all the fringes uniform. The best warp to use for a sturdy rag rug is Bockens 12/6 cotton. 

Cold mangle in use

Lift the handle of the mangle and unroll most of the linen mangle cloth. Spritz a small amount of water evenly on both sides of the piece to be mangled. Flatten and guide the piece with both hands such that it enters the mangle as straight as possible. Lower the handle and press the start button. Keep some pressure with the flat of your hands on the piece, pulling in every direction as much as needed to ensure that it goes in straight and flat. It may be best to remove the article right away and enter it back into the mangle a second time starting from the other end of the piece. This allows you to check for unwanted creases and overall appearance. Let the machine run for a few minutes until the piece is as flat as you want it. Remove the piece and lay flat or fold to dry. Large pieces need to be folded to enter the mangle. Mangling usually works best in the warp direction.

Band loom

This band loom has two treadles and weaves warp-faced bands with ease. The process seen here can be described as follows:

1. Step on the treadle.
2. Hold the shuttle between thumb and forefinger of the left hand.
3. Beat weft with knife.
4. Stuff the shuttle through the shed.
5. Keep palm up, thumb over band, rest of hand under band.
6. Grab shuttle on far side of band.
7. Keep palm up, thumb over band, rest of hand under band.
8. Tug weft to adjust band width.
9. Step on the next treadle.
10. Beat weft with knife.
11. Stuff the shuttle through the shed.
12. Grab shuttle on near side of band.
13. Tug weft to adjust band width.
14. Start again at the beginning of instructions.

This may seem awkward at first, but as the hands become familiar with the movements this becomes a very quick and satisfying way to weave warp-faced bands.

Your weaving chant can be:
STUFF/TUG
CHANGE
WHACK

Hackling flax

Here we see the process of combing a flax strick through the hackles. I'm starting with the course hackle and you see me doing two passes on this hackle before I turn the strick around so I can comb the other end. You can see the tow fibers collecting in the tines.

Next I move to the medium size hackle and pull the strick through that one. After several passes I turn the strick around again to comb the other end. Notice the tow collect in this hackle as well. The last step would be to repeat the process in the finest hackle, visible to the right.

Line linen is spun from the long fibers left in the hand after hackling. Tow linen is spun from the fluffy fiber that is left behind in the hackle.