Sunday, April 10, 2022

2 1/2 hours--just normal, not a record

I set out to tell you about warping a loom. My sister came to help, switching out new tubes of thread for empty tubes, so I could keep on turning the crank and not have to attend to that end of the business. A friend of hers called, and when Jan mentioned what was going on, she heard "Oh, can I come watch?" People sat that a lot. Jan sent her some pictures, so I'll use them.

When Jan arrived, I'd just finished weaving to the end of the warp. My arms and back were pretty tired. On my own I might have called it a day, at eleven in the morning. But, my little sister had given over part of her day to helping me, and it wasn't her fault I didn't go back after supper last night and finish the weaving. So, we ate lunch and started in.


There are maybe twenty half pound tubes of 8/2 cotton thread on the shelf. To start, some of them must go on the empty pegs on the rack to the right. There are 40 pegs, some of which you can't even see.


OK, all thread loaded and pulled to the tension box. Three full spools are visible here and probably will make it through the process. All the rest probably will be replaced. Birthday balloons in the background.


Here is all the thread, from the rack, through the tension box and being wound onto a bout. The threads go through two reeds, and over a peg in the tension box. The reeds control the threads to 2", the width of each bout. The peg adds tension to the thread. You also can see thread guides on the bout edges. These keep the threads from inadvertently slipping into the bout on either side.


Now for the real work. There is a crank that fits one end of the beam, and there is a weaver, turning the crank to turn the beam and draw the warp through the tension box and into the 2" bout. There are 125 turns of thread on each bout. I have calculated the yardage and the shrink and know my material costs. All that calculation is in a little notebook in the other room. Someday I may think about it and share the information.


Here are all 11 bouts wound on and ready to tie to the old warp. Everything is easy after the beam is loaded, and I'll probably take some sweet time getting to tying. On the arm of the chair is the medium grey I just took off, and under that some more cream, to finish the warp.

Done! Left on the shelf: seven tubes of warp. Had I needed even one more turn, six of those tubes would now be on the spool rack and only one tube left on the shelf.


28 comments:

  1. It’s not easy work is it?
    As long as ‘you’ know what you’re doing all will be fine - I’ve no idea what you’re doing…..you lost me at - “There are maybe twenty half pound tubes of 8/2 cotton thread on the shelf” 😊

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    1. Hard work 2 1/2 hours a month. The rest is down hill, easy peasy.

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  2. Labor intensive! You must get a good sense of satisfaction when you complete a task, otherwise you wouldn't do it. I get my satisfaction in gardening. Reorganizing things would be second, then creating something from very little resources is immensely satisfying.

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  3. Most people have no idea how labor intensive just about any handmade thing is. There was a time when it was known and appreciated but then the Industrial Revolution happened and generations later people are clueless, so used to mass produced cheap products.

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  4. I agree, Ellen. Without experience or observation, people can't know what goes into any handwork, and tend to assume it isn't much work! Right.

    I really have no clue what you did, Joanne, all the terms being unfamiliar. I don't know what a bout, or a beam is etc , so what's happening looks totally mysterious, but certainly labor intensive. Good for you and sister.

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  5. Amazing! That is lots and lots of thread. I've never seen a loom and your description gives me some idea of the craft and skill that goes in to weaving.

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  6. Hari OM
    I so enjoyed the pictures... the words just pegged me with tension and turned me into a crank... so I looked upon the balloons and grinned! ;*P
    YAM xx
    I=Introspection

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  7. Thanks for the pictures. My understanding is still incomplete, but less so than before.

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  8. Gosh, you and your sister did you proud. Thank you so much for the pictures.

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  9. Thank you for the photos which have lessened (a bit) some of my ignorance. Now rest.

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  10. What a complex process! Good thing you're an expert!

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  11. This is the most time consuming part, right? I'm glad you had help with it, can't imagine you doing it all by yourself anymore.

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    1. It could be as a one person job. Much better with a helper. It is the most physically taxing part!

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  12. There was a time when I owned a large loom and there was a time when I gave it away Joanne;) Your description of the work involved tells me why. I am so glad everything is tied on for you.

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  13. Every time you explain this along with pictures I am amazed at your abilities! I understand the basic concept but it sure does look confusing and very labor intensive. I'm sure glad Jan could help you!

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  14. Teamwork!!
    Worth doing it well to prepare for a month's worth of weaving.
    Well done both xx

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  15. I'm sure you've described this before but it still seems like a foreign language to me! Well done on getting it all sorted

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  16. Amazing! So complicated to us but perfectly simple to you. Good thing you know what you are doing. You will have lots of towels for your shows...

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  17. I can only repeat what everyone else has said which is basically....WHAT?

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  18. Weaving is an act of magic to me. And the result - your towels, is wonderful.

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  19. Weaving is a beautiful and amazing art.

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  20. Looks like jolly hard work but I know the ones you sent me are much admired.

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  21. It is amazing to me how you do such beautiful work from a process which sounds complicated. I’d like to be able to watch the process to better understand it.

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  22. Thanks for this post. I have always been fascinated by weaving. Hooray for sister power!

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  23. Yet again I wish I had sat down and watched my older friend when she did her weaving. (I boarded with her one summer between university years.) There's nothing quite like seeing something done to help you understand it better. I'm glad you had help doing this. 125 turns times 11 bouts is ... 1375 turns -- and that was just your part of the job!

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  24. Your photos show just how complex a process this is. How wonderful that Jan is helping you. Awesome that Jan could help you.

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