Looming sense of doom...

[Quixoticgeek]

A friend who's in the local Guild of Weavers and Dyers messaged me the other day asking if I wanted a Loom. "How big is it?" I ask.

"It'll fit on your table"

I think for a moment, can't be that big then, "Sure why not"

"I'll bring it over on boxing day"

Boxing day arrives and they bring the loom in.

Wow.

It does fit on my table, but with about 20mm to spare... It's an 8 bar loom of solid wood. I hadn't quite realised how big it is. Rather impressive for it's size.

Now I just need to learn how to use it... and work out what to use it for...

J

 

[Toddy]

Hmmm, deceptive aren't they ?

The lady who taught me to spin on a wheel and to weave had an eight shaft loom. It had a room to itself in her house, though she wove all her own bedspreads, curtains, and towels on it as well as gifts of blankets and the like too.
Joyce learned to read Swedish so that she could use their linen weaving patterns. Her work was superb and very beautiful, and I still miss her.

Very best of luck with the loom and the weaving

cheers,
M

 

[dewi]

Could you use it to make wool blankets?

 

[Quixoticgeek]

Could you use it to make wool blankets?

In theory, yes. Tho they would have to be made from 800mm wide strips. Tho it wouldn't be any cheaper than buying the fabric.

I'm going to start small with something simple. Then once I've got that worked out, I'll see about something a bit bigger. Ideally I'd like to try weaving some wool to make a dress with. But that's gonna take a lot of time to learn. For now I'm just over whelmed by the size of it.

J

 

[dewi]

All the good stuff seems to come in large packages.... my wife got a potter's wheel a couple of years back and asked me to collect it... I was thinking it'd be the size of a large frying pan... got the shock of my life when I got there... its about 6ft long, 3 ft wide and about 3ft high!

Same thing happened when we bought the milling machine... it said on the advert that it had a 12" cutting platform, so I presumed it would easily fit on a desktop. It's nearly 4ft long, 3 foot high and 2 and a half foot wide.... and it takes two seriously strong individuals to shift it. I managed to get it into the car, but it was like transporting a pallet of bricks!

Only bit of kit I've got recently that I thought would be bigger is a sewing machine for stitching leather. I was expecting something with steam coming out of it and huge turning wheels... it got here and it looks like a regular sewing machine!

 

[boatman]

My wife bought a heddle loom so as to learn the craft before we built a prehistoric loom. Trouble is that the hut on a site, where we do living history displays, to house the prehistoric one was never renovated and she has become enamoured of weaving itself. Craft fairs with scarf and stole sales now take up several weekends a year.

 

[Quixoticgeek]

All the good stuff seems to come in large packages.... my wife got a potter's wheel a couple of years back and asked me to collect it... I was thinking it'd be the size of a large frying pan... got the shock of my life when I got there... its about 6ft long, 3 ft wide and about 3ft high!

That's a large potters wheel. I think the one i use is about 3' long, 2' wide, and 2' tall. I know the guy it belongs to can fit it in the boot of his car.

Same thing happened when we bought the milling machine... it said on the advert that it had a 12" cutting platform, so I presumed it would easily fit on a desktop. It's nearly 4ft long, 3 foot high and 2 and a half foot wide.... and it takes two seriously strong individuals to shift it. I managed to get it into the car, but it was like transporting a pallet of bricks!

Would love to have a milling machine, but living in a 1st floor flat, it's not gonna happen any time soon... One day, when I can have a proper workshop.

Only bit of kit I've got recently that I thought would be bigger is a sewing machine for stitching leather. I was expecting something with steam coming out of it and huge turning wheels... it got here and it looks like a regular sewing machine!

It's all in the gearing and the sharpness of the needle. At some point I want a sewing machine that will do leather. But can't justify it currently.

J

 

[dewi]

It is a big bit of kit... I get frustrated because although she does use it, she prefers to build with the clay rather than throwing it... this is one she did recently by building rather than throwing...



With the milling machine, its an awesome piece of kit, but its noisy and it does take up a lot of space. I wouldn't like to try to lift it up a staircase with the weight of it... it wouldn't be so bad if you could take bits off it like you do with the large kilns, but its just one big lump of a machine. I've got an idea for a leather stamp I want to make, so I'm going to attempt shoving some brass through it... see what pops out the other side... I'm expecting to break a few bits working with brass.

Sewing machine was very cheap... cost less than £50 to buy and £20 postage... came complete with needles and thread. I'm only using it for hidden stitching until I get the hang of it.

 

[dewi]

Is it about this size Q?

 

[Quixoticgeek]

It is a big bit of kit... I get frustrated because although she does use it, she prefers to build with the clay rather than throwing it... this is one she did recently by building rather than throwing...

View attachment 39026

Nice. My pottery skills are very much beginner. I can just about throw a cup. or a Bowl. But my Glazing is poor and I need more practice.

Is it about this size Q?

View attachment 39027

More like this in terms of scale. Only it's an 8 bar, so more complex and full of bits I don't yet understand. It's about 3' by 3' by 2' tall.

J

 

[dewi]

Holy mushrooms! That is a big piece of kit!

It'll be fun exploring what you can do with it though... its big enough to make cloth for clothing.

Starter project could be a tote-style bag maybe? Or a diary cover?

 

[Quixoticgeek]

Holy mushrooms! That is a big piece of kit!

It'll be fun exploring what you can do with it though... its big enough to make cloth for clothing.

Oh yes, as long as no part has a width of more than 800mm, should be entirely doable.

Starter project could be a tote-style bag maybe? Or a diary cover?

I'm thinking a square of fabric is my first target. To see if I can get that to work. Maybe a small cushion cover?

J

 

[dewi]

Cushion cover would be cool... I always aim too big or complicated with first projects. Made my wife a leather notebook cover with inside inserts and a pen holder as my first complete leather project... carved a design into the face. Thoroughly enjoyed making it, learn loads doing it... but maybe I should have started with something a little easier.

Is it easier to work with thicker thread to begin with? Or does it not make much difference?

 

[Toddy]

Oh that's nice Julia, and it looks clean too with no worm or rust
Good catch

Did it come with a guide ? there are loads of generics out there but if there's a name on the frame then the chances are that someone's put up a warping guide to it online.

Funnily enough I bought a new reed hook last week from a company I hadn't used before; Fibrehut.
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/fibrehut?_trksid=p2047675.l2563
Very pleased.

cheers,
M

 

[Quixoticgeek]

Mine isn't the actual one in the picture, that's just an example. There is a little surface rust on the heddle, but nothing I can't shift with a rough cloth, or maybe with the first attempt at putting some yarn through it...

I'll take a photo when it's a bit more presentable (i.e. doesn't have remains of xmas dinner on the table in the background...)

J

 

[Robson Valley]

You are going to have a wonderful time with that loom. Even "practice scarves" are warm, fuzzy & comfortable to wear.

 

[Toddy]

Mine isn't the actual one in the picture, that's just an example. There is a little surface rust on the heddle, but nothing I can't shift with a rough cloth, or maybe with the first attempt at putting some yarn through it...

I'll take a photo when it's a bit more presentable (i.e. doesn't have remains of xmas dinner on the table in the background...)

J

WD40 and Baker's Twine. There are auto things that do a really good job on a vaguely rusty reed too. It's just a patience thing.

That said, a lot of folks just weave darkish colours through it and use a lot of silicon loom dressing on the warps and it does clean it up. If it stains badly, then oxalic acid will remove it.

Person to ask is Andy, HelterSkelter; he helped pay for his way through the Textile college by sorting out all the looms in the weaving shop.

atb,
M

 

[Goatboy]

If you're looking for a wee project I was looking at something last night that brought this post to mind.
I was up in my pals "Moroccan" room (think Zen Room from Rocky Horror Picture Show) and he had a new "picture" on the wall. I thought it was a postcard at first but it was a little woven eastern carpet, complete with tasselled fringe, behind glass. Lovely little thing though I joked that it would make a lovely prayer rug for "Muslim Barbie". Maybe too small and footery for a first project though. Maybe a shemagh or wrap might be a better choice.
Looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.