Taming Tangles

 

Finally started threading the next warp and thought I should remind people how I deal with the warp during that job.

I beam on the Megado sectionally.  You should be able to see the stick I store the taped sections on to get the cut ends close enough to thread through the heddles.

I print out the entire width of the warp, in as large a font I can 'afford' to print out.  This warp fit onto 5 pages of paper.  Fiberworks prints out with numbers in the draft, and numbers the pages in order.  If I remember to save the file before printing, it also prints out the name I have given the file on the top of each page.

As I thread, I have a typists clipboard that I clip the draft to for easy viewing.  On the Megado, the 'castle' is fairly low and the clipboard fits (just) on the castle so I can easily see it.  I then study the progression, decide on the number of ends in the groups - which varies depending on how the progression flows across the width of the warp.  Sometimes there may be 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 per group.

 As I thread each group I slip knot the group I've just threaded, then mark that group off on the draft.  When a repeat has been completed, I take that larger group and bundle them into one large group and slip tie those.  You can see 3 large knots, then, if you look really closely, you may be able to see two smaller knots.  The two smaller groups are the straight draw from 16 through to 1, divided into two groups of 8.

Now some people object that they can't face tying all those slip knots.  The thing is, by having smaller groups secured, I can grab the next group *when I'm sleying* and separate out the next group in the proper order and slide the group to where it belongs in the reed, and sley the reed.

Instead I see photos of threaded warps that are not secured in any way at all with the individual threads loose and willing to tangle with their neighbours.  And you have to then *find* each thread in the sequence, when you can just group the next few together and know which ends belong in their proper place.  

When people complain about the knot tying I ask them to show me how they do it, and...usually they do it some strange, unergonomic way.  I have a very short video on You Tube  It was taped showing exactly how I tie a slip knot for a group in preparation for sleying, but when I'm doing it 'at speed' it takes about a second - maybe 2.  It takes almost no time at all, keeps my threads secure, makes the task of sleying easier...plenty of reasons for me to learn how to tie that very simple knot.

But of course, everyone has to do what they prefer.  People who dress the loom front to back will do something else.  If they are happy, then they are happy.  :)

"Best" Way to Thread

 

Once again the 'arguments' about the 'best' way to thread continue.  This person does A, that person does B, that other person swears by C, and round and round and round we go.

The best way to thread is what works 'best' for...*you*.

Someone said they thread one way, and during the course of the day, taking many breaks (because threading posture isn't very ergonomic!) they can thread X ends.

I'm now dealing with an injured body (NOT weaving caused, but impacts my weaving).  I used to thread a simple sequence at the rate of about 300 ends per 45 minutes.  

How long it takes, well, it depends.   

I am now using much finer threads than I used to do for 'production' purposes, and quite frankly, fancy twills in fine threads over 16 shafts (e.g. 2/16 to 2/20 cottons) take longer than fat threads in a simple sequence over 4.

IOW, your mileage will vary...

I primarily beam sectionally, so I beam the warp, then thread the heddles, then sley and tie on.

The Megado (and the AVL previously) allows the weaver to remove the breast beam, remove the beater top and reed, and sit more or less at the front of the loom, either just inside or very near the loom.

I have always used task lighting because my studio is in the basement and even though it has fairly 'large' windows (for a basement), I live around the 54th latitude, which means during the winter, daylight hours are much less than during the summer.  Good lighting is imperative.

My threading draft gets clipped to a 'typists' clipboard which now lives on the top of the Megado castle during threading, as it makes it easier to see the draft.  (This is a new addition so isn't shown in this photo.  As life throws curve balls at you, sometimes you need to change.  Just saying.)

I also have a task light at the back of the loom which is not shown, especially useful on dull/dark days, which makes it easier to see the yarn at the back of the loom.

If you biggify the photo, you may be able to see the groups that I tie together in a slip knot as they get threaded.  This makes the warp much easier (for me) to sley later.  (Also, You Tube video clip showing how I tie the slip knot.)

When I saw a demonstration by Norman Kennedy, I immediately adopted his method, which I show in a video clip on You Tube (and elsewhere).  Not everyone will find this suitable for them, but it works well for me.

Sometimes people don't want to go through the 'work' of learning a new technique.  And that's fine!  Not every approach will work for every person.

If you think 'my' (and others) technique will work for you, be prepared to use it - as quickly as possible - at least 7 times before you judge if it is going to be beneficial to you.  Make 'time studies' so you can compare and see if you are actually more efficient - or not.  

The best result is one that allows for the most 'comfort' and high accuracy.  As we age and our sight perhaps grows dimmer, and brains also grow duller (especially after a brain injury - sigh) the best approach is to be as accurate as possible.  I'm still struggling with the 'accuracy' part due to brain malfunctions.  But it *does* seem to be getting better.

And that is called 'progress'...

Of Toolboxes

A weaver's toolbox will reflect the quality of the cloth they routinely weave.  A weaver who frequently weaves rag rugs will have tools/processes different from one who routinely weaves damask in fine linen.  Unless s/he does both, of course.

Because we are not stuck in doing just one kind or quality of cloth, but anything that we wish to do. 

As human beings we discovered that tools could make a task easier, more ergonomic, increase efficiency.  But tools also take time to learn how to use them effectively, and not everyone wants to do that.

I have my standard type of textile that I enjoy making so most of my tools and processes have been honed to make the job of doing those fabrics as efficiently as possible.  Even though I won't be production weaving any more, there are just some things that are physically uncomfortable enough that I'd rather do them as efficiently as possible so that I can be done with that bit.

For example, threading and sleying the warp.  I had been weaving for over 20 years when I learned about the brass hook and how efficiently I could complete those tasks once I learned to use it.

It isn't that I don't enjoy threading, because I don't mind it.  I like the meditative quality of getting the threads into the heddles.  My back and neck don't enjoy it nearly as much.  So, for me, using this tool is a benefit.

I have other tools and processes that I prefer to use that others find puzzling.  But not everyone is the same, and no one has to do anything in terms of weaving in the 21st century.  I simply share what I do and let others judge for themselves if my processes/tools are something that they might find valuable.

So I use a temple - when I need to.   There are times when using one gives me the results I desire by working more slowly.  If I need to use a temple, I get into the mindset of using it, going more slowly in terms of weaving, but having fewer problems in getting the cloth I want.  I may adjust my weaving speed in order to carefully place the weft to the fell rather than my more usual speed when I beat it into place.

I like to use the warping valet (or sectional beam) but if those tools aren't available, I know how to beam a warp without them.  While I much prefer the bamboo or wooden blinds, I can use sticks or paper.

If necessary I know how to adjust the shed geometry of my looms by shortening the distance between breast and back beam, or raising the height of the back beam.

I can adjust my shuttle throwing to accommodate a tender yarn, or a cloth that is very open - or very dense.

These are all adjustments that can be made so that I am successful at what I am aiming to achieve.

Every new tool requires an adjustment period.  The Megado certainly is requiring me to tweak my processes, and under deadline pressure I am waiting until I've crossed a few more things off my list before I go back to that loom.  While I have made progress, more tweaks need to be made, and I need inventory, not more flawed test warps while I work through the slippery end of the learning curve.

For people wanting to learn more, take a class, preferably in real life so you can get real time feedback from an instructor.  If that isn't possible, then on line classes are available.  If you learn by reading, there are rafts of books (including mine) which will shed light.

There is no one correct answer in anything related to weaving.  It depends.  Fill your toolbox with as many different processes/tools as you can afford.  Know when to use a tool or tweak your process.  Keep learning.  Keep digging.  Keep peeling the layers off the onion of knowledge.

Not Written in Stone

I'm old enough that I remember when the convention for writing a straight progression (aka twill) was from the rear most shaft to the front most shaft.  Somewhere along the line, the convention got turned around and pretty much all 'new' publications show the progression beginning on shaft one going towards the last shaft.

I find this older convention easier to thread.  I hold four (or more, depending on the repeat) ends in my fingers, threading all the threads in order.  For me this is less stressful on my body and makes things go a lot smoother and therefore more quickly.

For all those people who say they aren't concerned about how fast they can thread, all I can say is that the posture for threading is uncomfortable and the longer I have to stay in that position, the more my body hurts.  So yes, I am concerned about how long it takes to thread because I don't like hurting for my craft!

I also like to get to the zen part of weaving where I can sit and throw the shuttle and weave.  For me that is the happy part of weaving (and no, I don't get bored if I have to weave more than one of something).

I love getting messages from people saying that they have adopted some of my methods and that weaving is less frustrating and they are more productive.  One recent message said that instead of taking four hours to thread, it now took 45 minutes.  That is a significant savings in terms of sitting in a cramped uncomfortable position.

There has been discussion on some of the chat groups about where the 'proper' placement of the lease sticks is.  Gather any six weavers together and you will get six different methods of beaming a warp.

Hence my recommendation to choose an expert, learn their method very well, then adapt that method to best suit your needs.  Become your own expert.

Also understand that any threading is not written in stone.  Using Fiberworks and the 'shaft shuffle' tool, I can take any threading and rearrange it to better suit my needs - like changing a straight progression from shaft one through to four, to four through to one as shown above.

Allergy Season

Winter has loosed it's hold on us and with it...allergy season appears to have arrived.  Another really bad nights sleep left me lethargic again today and the grey dreariness outside didn't help.  But I did manage to weave off a scarf and then threaded the AVL over two sessions this afternoon.  Tomorrow I'll weave the last of the scarves on the small loom and finish setting up the tea towel warp on the big loom.

I was already fast at threading when I switched to the method learned from Norman Kennedy - which, in effect - doubled my productivity.

But all that means is that I am faster than I was before, not that I am always fast.

Speed of threading will be reduced by many things.  The complexity of the sequence for one.  The fineness of the threads, for another.  How co-operative the threads are (i.e. how much twist energy is left int he yarn), too.

So while I can thread faster than what I did this afternoon, given the complexity and fineness of the threads I was working with I'm quite satisfied with my productivity.

After all there is the ideal.  And then there is reality.

Currently reading Destroyer Angel by Nevada Barr

Threading

While reading this post remember that I am only discussing what works for me.  If you are happy with your results, there is no need to change anything.  If, however, you find that the posture for threading is uncomfortable you may wish to think about what you are doing.

Recently there was some discussion on one of the chat groups about why threading from the back towards the front (i.e. shaft 4, then 3, then 2, then 1) might be more efficient than threading from the front shaft towards the back (i.e. 1, then, 2, then 3, then 4) when doing a straight draw.

I'm not sure I can explain it in stills and text and may just drag out the video camera next time I'm setting up the small loom where there is more room to position the camera for better viewing.

One of the reasons I find threading the back towards the front more comfortable and efficient is partly to do with hand position.  In the picture below I've got the heddles arranged so that they are ready to be threaded from the front towards the back (1-4).  I'm not saying I never do this, just that I try to minimize this position as much as possible....

In order to thread the heddles in this sequence I have to scrunch my shoulder and rotate my hand in a thumbs down position.  When this position is held for any length of time it becomes very fatiguing and muscle cramps can set in as a result.

With the heddles set up to thread from the rear most heddle forwards, my hand is in a more neutral position with a thumbs up position and my shoulders are not scrunched up.  I can hold this position for a much longer time with fewer ill effects such as muscle spasms.  There are other factors at work in addition to the above which I will try to discuss in more detail when I manage to make another video about threading.  In the meantime there is a video clip on my You Tube channel - link to the right hand side of the page.

As for the actual threading, I decided to do a two block turned twill for this warp but since I have 16 shafts it actually worked out better to spread the blocks out over all 16.  Using the Fibonacci sequence the blocks are (from left to right) 1, 2, 5, 8.

I left out the number 3 from the sequence so that the number of ends needed worked out evenly with the number of ends required for the width of this warp.

I also arranged the blocks so that the two largest ones were on the shafts nearest me.  In the chart above you can see how many ends are required for each block (8, 16, 40 and 64) and which shafts those ends are threaded onto.  The right hand selvedge has 8 ends to balance the draft.  I have also noted how many groups of four are required for each block so that I can easily double check my threading as I complete each repeat.

The reason I arranged the blocks this way is because I cannot work for long periods with my hands extended in front of me so keeping the bulk of the work as close to my body as possible makes the whole job much less tiring and easier to do.

And here are the first two repeats nearly finished.  Each repeat in each block gets tied in a slip knot and then the entire block gets tied as well.  This gives me a visual check in case I get interrupted.

Threading

close up - you can clearly see the holes in the cloth where the lace blocks are forming. The colour is not correct in this photo - see photo below

Sometimes it is hard to know how to thread a pattern. In this video clip I'm working with huck lace and plain weave. I break the pattern down into it's component parts - 5 ends of huck A, 5 ends of huck B, 5 ends of huck A, then four ends of plain weave or foundation ends. The next part of the pattern changes to Huck B, Huck A, Huck B, then four ends of plain weave.

The cloth will be woven in a design that creates little boxes of lace surrounded by plain weave.

The treadling will follow the same as the threading and I break the treadling down the same way.

The treadling is a 19 pick repeat. I have set the treadles up so that I 'walk' them - or alternate - and I count each pick 1 through 19, which gives me the first lace box, then 1 through 19 which gives me the second lace block.

Still reading Labyrinth by Kat Richardson, and she referred to St. Mark's as having a labyrinth in the floor. I wonder if I can get into the church during the Seattle Weaver's Guild sale and check it out????

Threading

One of the fun things about travelling and meeting other weavers is that we can have conversations about things like techniques and preferences.

Some weavers really dislike TexSolv heddles. I like them, but part of why I like them is due to the way I thread.

I thread in groups, not one thread at a time, so I actually like the fact that TexSolv heddles don't move around very easily. :)

I have also numbered the tops of the bottom heddle bars to make it easier to find the shafts I want to work with.





This photo shows the stick I tape all the warp bouts to in order to bring them all forward so that I can easily reach them. It also shows the numbers (in red) on the top part of the shafts. In this photo I am 2/3's of the way through a one inch section of warp ends, just ready to thread the last 8 ends (taped to shaft 16).

The heddles have been brought forward from the left hand side and stacked - in order - from shafts 16 through 9.

Below I am about to thread ends 8-1.



Unfortunately I didn't have anyone handy to run the camera so I can't show my threading method, but I've covered that elsewhere. What I wanted to show here was that rather than thread my fingers through the individual ends, I pinch them between my index and middle finger at the top, and my thumb and ring finger at the bottom. This allows me to either hold the ends under tension or apply some slack to allow the ends to bow outwards just a little. This makes getting the hook around the end I want easier.

The photo also shows that I am supporting the the heddle that I will thread next by placing my ring finger on the heddle just below the eye (I know it looks like my finger is on the eye, but really it's just below.

As I thread each heddle, my ring finger moves to the next heddle in line to support it until all 8 ends are threaded and then I pull all 8 through their respective heddles in one motion.

Once that is done, I tie a slip knot, move the heddles to the right, and begin the next group by pulling the heddles from the left. In this repeat (which is a straight draw over 16 shafts) I'm threading 8 ends per group. How many ends I do at once will depend on the repeat - it may be 4, 6, or 8.

I don't put a cross into the sections - just tape the bout. Generally I am threading a solid coloured warp, or a random coloured warp, so preserving a strict warp end order isn't a priority for me. It is for others and they have come up with various ways of preserving a cross while beaming sectionally.

Ergonomics = Efficiency

This is a photo showing how I catch the shuttle as it exits the shed. The point slips through my index and middle finger, and my thumb acts as a gentle brake on the bobbin so that it doesn't over run and let off more weft than required. I catch and throw my shuttle this way regardless of the width of the warp I'm weaving.

I know it's hard to relearn muscle memory if you have been doing something physical another way, but working ergonomically is much kinder to the body than working akwardly. The other bonus is that ergonomic motions generally mean increased efficiency.

The last few days I've received a couple of emails from people that have warmed my heart.

Elaine R writes:

I've been weaving on the shawl on my Kessenich and practicing your technique. While I don't have it down pat yet, I certainly got a lot more woven in a short time than I have before on such a wide piece.

With each bobbin change I try a different shuttle, and I think I've figured out which one works the best. I will have to have Rick flatten out the end a little to get rid of the point so I can push it better with my finger, but that is easy. One of my goals this year is to do more weaving and use up many of these cones of yarn. I mainly do scarves, shawls and table linens, and with
your good guidance, I should get a lot done.

A good shuttle will encourage the holding and throwing of it in this manner. There are many shuttles available that are awkward to catch and throw this way due to the shape and size of the point of the shuttle. What I recommend to people is that they try holding their shuttle this way and if it is awkward, try different styles until they find one that does feel comfortable. My shuttles are all Leclerc boat shuttles. I use the regular ones with my Fanny and the low profile ones on the AVL because the shed on that loom is smaller.

Sharon S writes:

Laura, I have dramatically increased my speed of dressing a loom thanks to your CD Weaver words and videos.

After winding a couple of longish (for me) warps back to front I did a 4 yard warp front to back and even though it went fairly smoothly I still had a few popped threads while beaming and it wasn't nearly as relaxing. So I'm thinking I'm becoming a back to front warper, at least on the standard loom but maybe on the Baby Wolf, too.

But the biggest thing that got faster was my threading. The last threading i did was an 8-shaft lace weave that was threaded 1-8-1-2-7-2 1-6-1 2-5-2 1-4-1 2-3-2. The method you show in CD Weaver was much faster than what I did before but I noticed tonight that you mention the method is best for 4-shaft threadings that are basically "in order" (not so much for the block weaves). I agree with that assessment.

My question, though, is what do you do for block weaves? Is it just slower and I should accept that or do you have some lovely tricks that work in those situations?

I've gone from taking a week of working a couple of hours each night to thread 320 ends to threading 450 ends in two sittings - maybe a couple of hours each? That's nowhere near your speed but it's still a substantial increase in my own speed and I'm enjoying my weaving a LOT more because I'm getting to the cool part quicker. I guess I'm sold on getting better!

Thanks again for the CDs, for your blog, for being so willing to share.

I use the Harrisville brass hook that has the threading hook on one end and the sleying hook on the other.

While threading block weaves is slower than twills if you hold the hook like a pencil, you only need a tiny hand movement to thread. You don't need to move your entire arm and shoulder. This method of threading requires less physical effort on the part of the weaver and is less tiring.

Using the hook in much the same manner, you can sley the reed the same way. A small flick of the hand passes the thread(s) through the dent - no large arm/shoulder movement. Again much less effort required, and less taxing on the weaver's body.

I'm all in favour of working smarter instead of harder and accomplishing more by doing less. :)