There is a meme on Facebook that says that a master has failed more than the student has tried.
Photographic proof that I am batting 1000 in terms of making mistakes setting up the AVL!
Since I beam sectionally (most times) on the AVL, I rarely have precisely the number of ends that I need. Quite often there are a few dangling off the back of the loom. When I finished threading yesterday morning, however, there were rather more than I usually have so I was suspicious I'd made another threading error.
This time it was more annoying than just forgetting one end. This time I'd left out eight!
Heaving a sigh, I started tying repair heddles on the shafts where they were needed, wound 8 pirns about half full and threaded them into the repair heddles.
Then under the sectional beam tension box rail and up over the rod in the ceiling (installed for just this purpose many moons ago) and left to hang down near the floor.
From the last warp I know I can't quite get two full towels without dropping the pirns to the floor again so that will be my routine for the 40 yards of this warp. Weave a towel, drop the pirns, weave another towel, drop the pirns...
Currently reading A Slip of the Keyboard (collected non-fiction) by Terry Pratchett
7 comments:
Hi Laura,
My handy dandy fix for threading mistakes where you a lot of warp left to weave is something I "invented" a long time ago. I have a 1/4" steel rod that runs the full length of my loom and it is mounted and" elastic tensioned" with rubber bands running parallel to the raddle, I then wind my repair yarn on sewing machine bobbins and those are slipped onto the rod: stop collar or rubber grommet, sewing machine bobbin, washer spring, washer, stop collar. You move the bobbins where you need them and adjust the spacing with the stop collar. This sounds like a bunch of work to set up, mostly getting the hardware, but ...it is much easier to use compared to dangling pirns. Once threaded in you can weave until the warp is done. Somewhere I have a photo of this.
Sounds like an elegant solution. :)
cheers,
Laura
I maintain that the difference between a beginner and an expert is that the expert knows how to fix the (inevitable) mistakes. Sorry about the error, but hurrah for knowing how to fix.
And nice solution, Mighty M. That would also solve my problem with dangling pirns, namely four cats!
Does my heart good to see you weaving again, Laura. Mistakes and all. Hugs!
If I had cats or other small critters underfoot I'd definitely steal Margaret's elegant solution! But I don't so I will take a mini-break after each towel and lower the pirns...if nothing else as a reminder to pay more attention while threading!!!
cheers,
Laura
Another thing you can do is use a cone stand or whatever is small enough for your pirns and set them upright under the raddle. Loop the yarn over 4-5 raddle teeth, thread, and weave. The raddle teeth provide enough drag depending on the yarn to tension one warp thread. Set and forget.
So, Laura, how do you keep the thread from spinning off the pirns? That is, how do you 'lock' the thread when you dangle the pirn?
I put a half hitch around the butt of the pirn. :)
Cheers
Laura
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