For Jenn and Dee and anyone else who can sit through a tutorial

Some time ago Jennifer hoped I would post pictures,

and I took pictures, and saved them to post in a continuum.

Eventually I thought, what a bore, and would have skipped the project,

except then Dee asked too. That's a quorum!

Here I am, winding forty bobbins, which will drop forty threads into a two inch bout,

yielding twenty threads per inch. 

This thread is 8/2, which yields excellent "hand" for fabric at 20 epi, and that's the most technical explanation I can give in twenty words or less.

Eleven two inch bouts ready to have thread wound on.

 Forty threads from the spool rack, put through front and back reeds of the tension box, to keep them in order.

The threads go under and over as many pegs as necessary to provide adequate tension. No tension and the threads go on in a sloppy, useless mess.

The silver thread guides keep the threads between the bout dividers.

Two bouts finished, starting on the third of eleven.

At the end of each bout, I tape down the threads, then cut them. I tie an overhand knot in the lose ends, then secure the knot through the next cord. I'm sure the knot has a name; the overhand knot goes through each loop and it's pulled down snug to secure the threads from the spool rack.

All eleven bouts are wound and taped down. The thread guides are back in their little bag.

Next, I lift the taped ends of each bout up and fasten the tape to the yard stick taped to the back beam.

Here is the same thing from the other side. 

When all eleven bouts are up and taped to the yard stick, I count the threads in each bout.

There should be forty. No time like now to go looking for a missing thread.

Now I need to unroll some slack so I can begin threading the heddles. I roll the thread up on the yardstick, then unroll it. My sister used to lift it high over her head and walk backwards. Not that brave.

Now I'm in front of the loom and the threads coming off the warp beam have enough slack to work with. I didn't take a picture, but that assembly on the right end of the warp beam is the brake. The brake is off, to allow the beam to move freely.

This sequence of heddles uses a pattern of sixteen heddles, four on each harness. I count off all sixteen as a group before I begin threading. It helps avoid errors. Unthreading and rethreading hundreds of heddles is no treat. Ask me how I know.

All heddles are threaded, and each group of sixteen tied off in a slip knot. The first bout is threaded through the reed.

Through the reed, and secured again with a slip knot.

Tied up to the cloth beam, and a few inches of "idle weave" to straighten up the bouts.

Four repeats of the towel pattern done. The first eight rows are plain weave, the next eight are twill. Blue jeans are woven in twill. 

Here is the magic. That V is called the shed, and I throw the shuttle back and forth between the changing shedds.

And I change the shedds by stepping on combinations of treadles tied to the harnesses.

The end.