Refined

 

I've been weaving for a very long time.  I've been studying the ergonomics of the various steps in weaving since day 1.  Well, ok, maybe day 2.

While I cannot claim that everything I do is unique to me - of course it isn't! - I took what was taught and then adjusted it to better fit my goal of working efficiently and ergonomically.  

I tend to do things that others don't.  Which is perfectly fine.  No one has to do everything the way I do.  Everyone has to find the best way for *them*.  Because we are all 'different'.

We are different sizes, have different equipment, different environments, work with different yarns.  We have different approaches, and different preferences.  Our bodies work in different ways.  So there are things I do that some people find 'wasteful' in terms of the use of their time.  For *me*, however, those 'extra' steps save me time further down the process.

When I explained to a student the other day why I did something, I made a point of including the *why* of the process instead of just the *how*.  And I realized that too often the *why* of what I'm doing gets glossed over.  Generally there just isn't the time to go into the whys of the hows, so people don't understand the process or why I do the things I do.

I explained to my student that she needs to weave as if she would play chess, not checkers.  She can't just think about the next move, but the next six moves, the next six steps in the process.  Because you can do things to set up for the next couple of steps in the process that will be more efficient.

Bottom line, however, is that each weaver must figure out what those steps are, and if 'mine' are useful or not.

So here is an explainer of why I tie slip knots into each group of threads as they are threaded through the heddles.

I thread in groups, usually 4, 5 or 6 on a 4 shaft loom, or up to 8 on my 16 shaft Megado.

As each group gets entered into the heddles, they get tied into a slip knot.  Just before I tie the knot, I lift the group upwards and do a quick eyeball check to see if the threads appear to be in their correct order, or if one has 'missed' the eye of the heddle, or gotten snagged and gone into a heddle with another thread.  It happens.  So much easier to correct right then.

Once I've done my check, I tie a slip knot into that group and slide them to my right (I only thread right to left.  I've tried centre out and hated it.  For those who do that, if you prefer it, you should do that.)

Once I've done a threading repeat, I will then tie a slip knot into that repeat and move them to the right.

Why?

Because of two reasons.  I tie the slip knot into the repeat as a way to help me keep my place in the threading.  This is important when doing a complex threading, especially over multiple shafts.  I tie the slip knot into the smaller threading group to make sleying easier.

Tieing the slip knot is a matter of a split second.  It is done with a single swift movement, taking barely any time at all.  When I do this, it saves me all sorts of time during sleying and is well worth my time to do it.

Here is a short video showing me sleying and then tieing *that* group into a larger knot in preparation for tieing on at the apron.

When I bundle the groups up this way, it makes the next step in the process easier.  Faster.  I spend less time at the loom doing these steps.

And, less time getting the loom dressed is A Good Thing.

Further to my comment about not feeling very productive while others think I'm 'amazing'?  It's *because* I'm efficient.  I can do things in much less time than others can.

That doesn't make me 'better', or even the 'right' teacher for every student.  But if you like my results, you might want to at least check out what I do?  

School of Sweet Georgia

Handwoven 

We stand on the shoulders of giants.