Tip of the Month - April

 When I'm teaching new weaver to warp their looms, whether multi-shaft or rigid heddle, I often find that they shred their warps when threading the heddles.  The reason it happens is that the warp is held taught behind the heddle/slot/hole, allowing the threading hook to run down warp, catching in the ply.   This month I'll show you how to stop this happening.

The images are showing me warping my latest project on an 8 harness mechanical dobby, but the principles apply to any loom.

Grasp your warp yarn about 6" or 15cm in front of the heddle/slot/hole you're going to thread.

 Insert your threading hook in the heddle/slot/hole and move the hand holding the warp to the back of the heddle without moving your hand up the yarn.

You will now have a loop of yarn behind your heddle which can be placed over the threading hook.

Pull the loop through the heddle/slot/hole, letting go of the warp with the other hand.


I hope you all find this tip useful.  Please let me know if you have any other problems that need solving.  If I can help, I'll post them here!

Best wishes and happy weaving, spinning and dyeing.

Colour & Weave in The Hague

After two successful workshops over the last 2 years, Jane Deane, Amanda Hannaford and I were invited back to The Hague with a new tutor, Helen Melvin.

My workshop was Colour and Weave on rigid heddle, or 4 and 8 shaft looms, using plain weave with light and dark warp and weft threads to produce patterns.  I showed how to design colour and weave patterns on paper and how to substitute warps of different colours and textures to add impact to the woven swatches.

Here you can see everyone busy weaving their swatches.

Looms ranged from rigid heddle looms.....



















to 8 shaft looms.

Here you can see some warp ends that have been substituted for a different colour and texture.











Here a student is weaving her own colour and weave swatch that she had designed on paper.















All the workshops were very successful and we have all been invited back next year.  My workshop on 17 and 18 March 2012 will be The Theo Moorman Technique.  I'm really looking forward to returning to Dineke's Studio, De Spinners.