I have a 12 shaft AVL with Texsolv heddles. Some of the heddles are marked with color, but I don't know what the previous owner marked them with. It is much easier to thread with each shaft having a diferent color and I want to mark more of them. Does it matter what kind of marker I use? Washable (that wasn't used before, I don't think)? Permanent? Some kind of fabric pen? I don't want color to transfer to my project. Suggestions?
Thanks!
Thinned-down acrylic paint is great, and that's what I use. Dilute down until it has the consistency of heavy cream, then take a bunch of heddles (clipped together at the top is OK) and swoosh the eyes in the puddle of paint. Very quick and simple, and permanent. (Thanks to Bonnie Inouye for putting me on to this!)
You can also use permanent marker, but it takes a lot longer and depending on the marker, the colors can fade - mine have got to the point where the blue marker (put on by theprevious owner) is almost indistinguishable from the green. Someday soon I'll mark all of them with acrylic paint!
I'm pleased that I painted not onlythe area around the eyes of my Texsolv heddles, but also the cut ends at the top. When I need to check which shafts are raised when I'm weaving, it is quick and easy to take a look at which colored ends are sticking up.
Also, if your heddles are not already colored, leave white as one of the colors used--saves on paint and labor.
You can also paint every 10th (or whatever counting system you use) a different color. Although it is a chore to do, it makes counting heddles much easier in the future.
Janet
