And Still Learning

I spent about an hour at Linda's, watching how she warps from the back of her loom using "angel wings" which are really like another set of hands.  She first slipped the end of the warp through a supplementary rod and lashed to the apron rod and then slipped the cross through the lease sticks which are securely held in place by the angel wings.

She didn't have any space at the back of her small loom for her raddle so secured it to the beater bar. Using the crochet chain known as a "counting thread" that separates the warp into one inch sections, she slipped each section between the nails, then removed the counting thread.  A Schacht loom raddle comes with a cap which she subsequently placed on top.

The raddle is a bit too far from the back to spread the yarn out so she spaced the threads by hand.

She reached this point in no time flat, and that included walking around and talking.

Cindie Kitchens sent me this picture she took while recently warping her loom.  For one thing my loom is big and looks much more like this one, including the wooden raddle.  I also watched a Webs video and took away some ideas from it.  I think this is where my raddle needs to be.

Yesterday I decided to try it again.  I'm also moving the cross one peg to the right though as you can see by the ambient thread, old habits are hard to break.  I bought this ball of thick-and-thin at the guild weft-over sale for $2 so am not too worried about the investment

.I had placed the counting thread to the left of cross while winding the warp so wasn't able to put the raddle on the back beam like Cindie did.  Instead I ended up putting it on the front beam - it's too big for the beater bar.  I learned that it doesn't do a great job at spreading the warp that far away.  I'm still struggling to make this a smooth process and I'm getting closer. I get frustrated but I like it that I'm finally understanding this process.  As in all things weaving, there is always something new to learn.

I find that threading the heddles from the front isn't has hard on my neck but there's another reason I'd like to get this under my belt.  To warp from the back I have to remove the warp beam, and Arthur's 40" beam is super heavy.  I can't help thinking that it's only a matter of time before I can't muscle it anymore.

I'm looking at these three for weft.  It's 8/2 Tencel and I have no idea what the warp is, though it's very soft, fluffy and light.  I used most of the ball and have a 12" wide scarf in the reed  It's for me to wear around the house this winter.

Thursday will be the end of of two sessions-a-week of physical therapy and acupuncture.  I'm doing a lot of muscle building exercises and wearing scarves all the time like my therapist recommends.  This is my sixth week and I try not to be sad that I didn't have this caliber of treatment right after my accident.  I'm getting the help I need now and notice it most when I'm backing out of a parking space - because I can!

I finished weaving the ugly towels which was hard to take so was happy to also finish at the same time my red Christmas scarf though I plan to wear it all the time after I take it to the Guild meeting for show-and-tell tomorrow.

I cannot believe how pretty huck lace is - and how simple!  I had to order knitting yarn for Christmas sweaters for my great grandkids and while I was at it ordered a cone of this 16/2 bamboo in white.  I think it will be absolutely exquisite.  Now that I'm done getting ready for the holiday show next month I am weaving for me, me, me.