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Stitching & Crafting Room:  Anyone weave?  |
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DaisyFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
1646 Posts
Diane
Victoria
BC
Canada
1646 Posts |
 Posted - Dec 30 2007 : 5:19:29 PM
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I purchased this loom at a garage sale for $10 and other than needing a good dusting, it looks in good condition. I also have a couple of shuttles that came with it, as well as four stick thingies that join into a square frame that I'm not sure what they do...can you tell I know very little about weaving??  So can one of you who knows something about weaving tell me exactly what kind of loom this is and maybe recommend a good book or two?? Our thrift stores sell all kinds of cones of fine wool for really cheap, but I really need to learn more before I buy any.
Thanks so much!
Di
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debinmtns
True Blue Farmgirl
925 Posts
Debi
Hope
Idaho
USA
925 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2007 : 5:41:20 PM
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You got one fantastic deal, let me know if you ever find another, I will be glad to pay for shipping. First thing, find a group, club. And they will help you every step. You need to learn a great deal before you start weaving. There are tons of good books and all mine is pack up. Talk to your friends, ans see if you can find someone. Stick with one person or same group. I tell you to find a weaving group and you will not be steered wrong. Everyone wants to help, but remember the advice you want is expert. They will teach how to load, weaving patterns, what yarn to use for what projects. Try using the yarn barn site in kansas for learning weight yarns and what items, too. you have done well. Enjoy, I hope this helps. You can also PM, me too.
debinmtns farmgirl #63
Have a Thankfulness Gratitude Attitude.
http://handcraftedncreated.blogspot.com/
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DaisyFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
1646 Posts
Diane
Victoria
BC
Canada
1646 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2007 : 6:23:51 PM
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Thanks Debi! At this point, EVERYTHING helps...haha. I haven't found a local weaving group yet. There are lots on the gulf islands, but I'll keep looking. I'll also keep a look out for another loom as well for you. Seems people around here are always selling stuff like this at really good prices.
Di - Farmgirl #73 |
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willowtreecreek
True Blue Farmgirl
4813 Posts
Julie
Russell
AR
USA
4813 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2007 : 6:24:56 PM
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HOLY COW!!!! This looks like a 4 Shaft Table loom with a floor stand! These run around $400 and up depending on the brand! I can NOT believe you only paid $10. It is hard to tell from the picture but it looks to be in great condition! You are one lucky girl! Eaither the person at the sale didn't know what they had or else they really wanted to get rid of it!
As far as learning to weave - I took several weaving classes in college for my art degree. You might want to check with a loval universities art program. You may be able to audit a class or find that they offer summer programs or maybe even find a student who would be willing to teach you.
You got yourself a GREAT treat! Good luck! Weaving is SO fun and rewarding.
Farmgirl Sister #17
Blog
www.willowtreecreek.wordpress.com
Felt and Fabric Crafts
www.willowartist.etsy.com
www.willowtreecreek.com
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DaisyFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
1646 Posts
Diane
Victoria
BC
Canada
1646 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2007 : 6:31:40 PM
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Believe it or not, her husband had made it for her. He was a master woodworker and had some fantastic things for sale. I questioned her about the price and she told me to just "get it out of here", that she was sick of looking at it "cluttering her basement"! One person's junk....
I can't wait to learn to use it.
Di
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willowtreecreek
True Blue Farmgirl
4813 Posts
Julie
Russell
AR
USA
4813 Posts |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2007 : 7:48:02 PM
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Wow..what a great deal!! I love it.
I have a big 4 harness loom that I havn't learned to use yet..have had it about 18 months now...sigh. No local weaving group here that I have found either. I am still hoping to find someone though. Good luck!!
Jenny in Utah
Proud Farmgirl sister #24
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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abbasgurl
True Blue Farmgirl
1262 Posts
Rhonda
USA
1262 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2007 : 8:11:23 PM
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Wow Diane, I'm so happy for you! This is a great loom, beautiful wood! I can't tell how wide it is from the photo...maybe a large table top loom? Oh by the way, your loom is called a jack type or rising shed loom.
Years ago the books I used most were:
The Key to Weaving (A textbook of handweaving for the beginning weaver), by Mary E. Black-This was considered the beginning weaver's "Bible" back then.
The Weaver's Book, by Harriet Tidball-a small practical book, step by step for beginners.
A Handweavers Pattern Book, by Marguerite P. Davidson-Just what it says, a book FILLED with weaving patterns and how to thread them. A bit more advanced.
The Leclerc company put out a really informative little book titled "Warp & Weave", by Robert Leclerc-Personally I think this is a great little book...lots of information and wonderful diagrams & photos. The company had lots of other publications as well.
Hope that helps. Happy weaving!
Rhonda
I'm a one girl revolution. |
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downbranchroad
True Blue Farmgirl
374 Posts
Joy
Southern
KY
USA
374 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2007 : 8:39:55 PM
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Wow! you lucky girl. I would love to learn to weave. I would not have room for a loom but I bet it would be sooooo much fun to have one.
Appalachian Girl
Jem
*If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you have always got.
My new blog!
http://downbranchroad.blogspot.com |
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abbasgurl
True Blue Farmgirl
1262 Posts
Rhonda
USA
1262 Posts |
Posted - Dec 30 2007 : 8:47:20 PM
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Wow Diane, I'm so happy for you! This is a great loom, beautiful wood! I can't tell how wide it is from the photo...maybe a large table top loom? Oh by the way, your loom is called a jack type or rising shed loom.
Years ago the books I used most were:
The Key to Weaving (A textbook of handweaving for the beginning weaver), by Mary E. Black-This was considered the beginning weaver's "Bible" back then.
The Weaver's Book, by Harriet Tidball-a small practical book, step by step for beginners.
A Handweavers Pattern Book, by Marguerite P. Davidson-Just what it says, a book FILLED with weaving patterns and how to thread them. A bit more advanced.
The Leclerc company put out a really informative little book titled "Warp & Weave", by Robert Leclerc-Personally I think this is a great little book...lots of information and wonderful diagrams & photos. The company had lots of other publications as well.
Hope that helps. Happy weaving!
Rhonda
I'm a one girl revolution. |
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DaisyFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
1646 Posts
Diane
Victoria
BC
Canada
1646 Posts |
Posted - Dec 31 2007 : 12:06:54 AM
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I sure wish you lived closer Jenny, we could learn together. And Joy, you could come too...we could share!
Rhonda thanks so much for the names of the books. I've written them down and am going to go to the library when I get my house back in order after New Years. I really appreciate you taking the time to list them for me. And thank you for the name of this loom...now at least I know something about it!!
Hugs to you all, you're the best!
Di |
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carmeniris
Farmgirl in Training
24 Posts
Carmen
Little Falls
Minnesota
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - Dec 31 2007 : 05:06:11 AM
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| It so hard to believe the previous owner thought of it as clutter. It is a wonderful piece. Well, I guess some of us are hoarders and some have no idea what they are throwing away. I really hope you can learn to use it. Have you checked for free classes in the internet? I found some for simple hand held looms that are just great and very detailed. Good luck. |
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4230 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4230 Posts |
Posted - Dec 31 2007 : 12:28:10 PM
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| Gee I sure wish I could find those good garage sales!! 10 bucks wow what a deal. Lucky Lucky you, have fun learning to use it. Michele |
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sunshine
True Blue Farmgirl
4877 Posts
Wendy
Utah
USA
4877 Posts |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Dec 31 2007 : 1:20:22 PM
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Filmore...hmmmmm...I have no idea where that is. I am not good at knowing the towns up north of here though. Especially above Orem..haha. I am an hour and 1/2 south of Provo if that helps. I will have to look into that...mine is a big old floor loom and I really want to learn how to use it. I do have a book and plan to get to reading it after the kids are back in school. (Weds) now that the holiday rush to finish gifts and projects is over. I would love to get it warped for a start!!! I was in a spinning and weaving guild in Calif..but concentrated on the spining part of it. I use a small navajo loom, and do okay on it, but this is way more complicated for sure. Right now it serves as a quilt rack..haha. It is as tall as me at the tallest part and about 5 feet wide.
Jenny in Utah
Proud Farmgirl sister #24
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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ponyexpress
True Blue Farmgirl
320 Posts
Sandy
Kirkwood
Missouri
USA
320 Posts |
Posted - Dec 31 2007 : 3:09:50 PM
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Wow, Diane, you got a great deal! That is a four shaft (harness) table loom. The shafts are raised by the pegs in the box at the top of the loom. The order in which the shafts are raised, in conjunction with the order in which the fibers are threaded is what produces the different weaving patterns.
The best book I can recommend is Deb Chandler's LEARNING TO WEAVE. It will take you step-by-step through the process of selecting the right fibers for the project, determining how much fiber (thread) you will need, how to dress the loom and finally, how to weave. This book helped me when I was first learning.
The "four stick thingys that join into a square" may be a warping board, which is a tool to use in measuring the length of your warp threads.
Be a little cautious about the wool thread from the thrift store. If it is old and has not been stored properly, it may be weak and will break on you. You don't need those kind of problems when you are first starting out. I would suggest beginning with a good quality cotton thread.
Do a GOOGLE
I've learned that it takes as much time and energy to wish as it does to plan.
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ponyexpress
True Blue Farmgirl
320 Posts
Sandy
Kirkwood
Missouri
USA
320 Posts |
Posted - Dec 31 2007 : 3:16:05 PM
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So sorry, hit the wrong button and sent the message too soon!!
Do a GOOGLE search for Camilla Valley Farms. She is a full-service weaving shop in Canada and can probably help you with questions, materials and books.
I love weaving. I love the planning the project, choosing the colors, deciding on the draft, and then finally seeing the finished product. I love being able to give a gift that I have created with the person in mind. Don't get me wrong -- I have made more than a few mistakes and still have the occassional "dog" come off the loom. Sometimes what I believe in my head just doesn't work out in reality. But every mistake is an opportunity to learn, and sometimes even mistakes turn into happy endings!
Good luck, have fun with it, and if you have specific questions, feel free to email me.
Sandy
I've learned that it takes as much time and energy to wish as it does to plan.
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ponyexpress
True Blue Farmgirl
320 Posts
Sandy
Kirkwood
Missouri
USA
320 Posts |
Posted - Dec 31 2007 : 3:23:16 PM
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Me again! Just looked a little more closely at the picture. It looks like the loom is missing a reed. The reed fits into the beater, which is the piece that moves back and forth between the shafts and the front breast beam. A reed comes in different sizes depending upon how many spaces there are per inch. A 10 dent reed is a good place to start -- 10 dent means there are 10 spaces per inch.
If this is a homemade loom, it might not accomodate the standard sizes of reeds available. Special sizes can be cut....a call to Camilla Valley Farm will give you the answer you need.
And again, Debbie Chandler's book will explain all this very clearly.
Sandy
I've learned that it takes as much time and energy to wish as it does to plan.
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DaisyFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
1646 Posts
Diane
Victoria
BC
Canada
1646 Posts |
Posted - Dec 31 2007 : 5:37:48 PM
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Sandy thank you sooo much! Big hug to you, I SO appreciate the advice and help and offer of more! I just went and looked through the bag she gave me and it includes what I think is probably the "10 dent reed" you refer to. It is commercially made by LeClerc and has a 10 engraved on one end of it. Reasonable deduction?? haha! Egad, this is going to be a steep learning curve! Just a little more involved than the seed bead loom I had as a kid!
There are also half a dozen more stick thingies, just plain, about 1" x 1/8" x 3' or so. Also, the four that make into the square are held at the corners by wing nuts and I've noticed there are holes drilled along their length at regular intervals.
I am going to check out Camilla Valley Farm now. Thanks again Sandy.
Diane |
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ponyexpress
True Blue Farmgirl
320 Posts
Sandy
Kirkwood
Missouri
USA
320 Posts |
Posted - Dec 31 2007 : 6:43:20 PM
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Diane, you're on your way! That is indeed a 10 dent reed! The four pieces that make into a square are also indeed a warping loom. The drilled holes are to hold pegs. Traditionally, the distance between the two sides will be 18" or 36". That makes it easy to calculate the length of your warp when winding.
The other sticks are either lease sticks (if they have small holes drilled in each end) or spacers. You will learn about using these as you learn about winding the warp onto the back beam. I personally don't use sticks as spacers, but I do use heavy weight brown kraft paper.
I also don't use lease sticks very often, but they may come in handy, so keep them.
I know this makes very little sense right now, but soon the names and terminology will become more familiar and you'll find your way.
You might also try googling HANDWOVEN MAGAZINE. I believe they have some tips for new weavers on their website.
Just keep me in mind if you have a question!
Sandy
I've learned that it takes as much time and energy to wish as it does to plan.
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ponyexpress
True Blue Farmgirl
320 Posts
Sandy
Kirkwood
Missouri
USA
320 Posts |
Posted - Jan 27 2008 : 10:15:52 AM
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Diane - how is your weaving coming along? I was thinking about you today because I'm putting a new warp on my loom for a shawl.
Sandy
I've learned that it takes as much time and energy to wish as it does to plan.
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DaisyFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
1646 Posts
Diane
Victoria
BC
Canada
1646 Posts |
Posted - Jan 27 2008 : 10:50:01 PM
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Well...the loom still sits in my craft room...BUT!...I am through the first chapter of the book my dd bought me!! I'm learning the terminology and will soon be able to actually do something with the loom! It's not entirely foreign to me, but I definitely need to read more of this book.
I'd love to see pics of your shawl as you progress if you can post them. Sounds like a neat project.
Di
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KarenP
True Blue Farmgirl
666 Posts
Karen
Chippewa Falls
Wisconsin
USA
666 Posts |
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Stitching & Crafting Room: Anyone weave? |
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Anyone weave?
