I am a fairly new weaver and am only 5 feet tall.  Last year I made a baby blanket on a large loom and had to put chocks on the treadles (much to delight of the rest of the class).  I have a chance to purchase a 4 harness, counterbalance loom with 6 treadles and a 40" weaving width.  It is a Lillstina loom and I do not know anyone with experience with that brand.  Has anyone had experience and or advice about that brand?  Would it be too tall for me to reach the treadles easily?  At lessons I can use a Harrisville 36" loom because the front beam is only 28" high.

Comments

Jerri S

with the Lillstina has been mixed. I bought it used about 6 years ago. I've had challenges getting it to work the way I want, but after a few tweaks a year, I finally have it working quite nicely.

Mine was not in the best of shape, and I actually had to gorilla glue on side of the castle to the frame. My dog nibbled on one of the treadles as a puppy.

Having said that, I can get a wicked tight tension on the warp. My most recent tweak involved changing all the cords from the shafts to the rockers and from the shafts to the lamms and from the lamms to the treadles. I put in all new eye bolts, then tied everything up, and now get a great shed, and have been weaving off the 12 remaining yards of rug warp. I actually plan to find it a new home when I get the warp off. It's a counterbalance, and I prefer a Jack.

As far as being able to reach the treadles, mine are attached at the back, and the height in the front can be adjusted. That might do the trick for you. Good Luck. Jerri

beverly lunan (not verified)

thanks, the comments are a big help

Claudia Segal (not verified)

Hi Beverly,

You might find Laila Lundell's book, the Big Book of Weaving helpful.  I have a Glimakra Standard counterbalance and Lundell's book combined with tie-up cord kit from Joanne Hall at GlimakraUSA has done the trick.

You might want to drop Joanne and Sara von Tresckow a note.  I think they are both very knowledgeable when it comes to counterbalance and countermarche looms.  

Good luck,

Claudia

Judy Spinner (not verified)

Hi, Jerry

I'm Judy and I'm new here, having joined this morning.  I've been weaving for many years and got the same loom as yours about 6 years ago. I was surprised to see your warp going right down to the metal bar at the bottom back and them back up again to the warp roller - I've never done it that way. Seems to me that this makes it quite difficult to get warp sticks or paper in between the layers of warp, but I see you did have some brown paper in there. What do you see as the advantage of doing it this way?

I also thought I would prefer a jack loom, so for structures where you need to lift 1 or 3 shafts I have screwed three blocks under the top of the castle with large eye bolts in through which I have passed large coach bolts, one on each side and two in the centre.  On these I have slipped 4 small rollers from my young son's construction set (I think they used to be wheels for Meccano vehicles, minus the tyres). Now I can suspend the shafts individually, the only other adaptation being a set of fishing weights to add weight so that the shafts come down again.  Works great, and I have the option to chose between counterbalance and jack and it didn't cost much.

Another question: has anybody tried to knot a new warp on on this loom?  I am just finishing a length of furnishing material and need another long length of the same.  On my table loom I regularly do this without any problems, but there is nowhere on this loom where you can securely support the new warp while tying the ends. I was thinking of putting two battens from front to back and then building up some kind of surface on these, but has anyone got a better idea?

Judy

 

Jerri S

Yes, it was a little tricky getting the paper on the back beam between the warp layers, but not impossible. Oh, wait, in the pic, the paper you see has fallen off the back beam from advancing it, and I hadn't pulled it out of where it fell.  That path helps get the awesome tension. It is the path that is shown in the manual.

There is also recommendations for unbalanced tie-ups.

http://grapson.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/lillstina_user_manual.pdf

 

Judy Spinner (not verified)

Thanks, Jerry, I'll have a look at that link in a minute, just busy at the moment plying some more of my yarn as I had run out. I'm spinning 3 fleeces of some indeterminate sheep for the weft of my furnishing material, my sofa needs recovering again because the cats have ruined the previous covers. For the moment I'm just planning on re-covering the seat and back cushions. Don't know about the carcass itself, I might use linen for that.

Have a nice day! Judy

Judy Spinner (not verified)

Hi, me again. Just looked at the link and printed the instructions, great, thanks.

When I spoke about tying-on I meant knotting-on a a new warp onto the ends of the old one.  When I do this on the table look I habe z good surface to support my chained warp on.  On the Lillestina which is sort-of diagonal I haven't got anywhere to take the weight of the new yarn while I knot the ends. See what I mean?

Judy 

Mike (not verified)

I too have the Lillstina 4 shaft loom and found it very difficult to set up the correct lengths on the tie-up of the rockers, shafts, treadles and lamms.  I am intrigued at the modifications you have made - is there any chance of you posting a photograph of them.  I am also a little curious (I am a novice ! ) as to why you couldn't lift 1 or 3 shafts by using the "Universal Tie-Up" which allows all 14 lifts to be achieved by pressing either 1 or 2 treadles.

 

Best regards

Mike

Judy Spinner (not verified)

Hi, Mike, at the moment the loom is back to counter balance, but I'll try and take some pics showing the modifications to change it into a jack loom.  The problem was not lifting individual shafts but rather the less than satisfactory shed I was getting that way. As for the ties, I've recently replaced them using the Texsolv system and now it is a doddle to adjust them, you just move the peg up or down a notch and it is so quick changing the tie-up.

Regards, Judy

Mike (not verified)

Thanks Judy.  I like the sound of the eye bolt tweak that Jerri S mentions above.  I shall try that together with the Texsolv that you recommend.  Many thanks

Mike

dizzy (not verified)

Learned something new!  I have the same loom, and had looked at the manual but totally missed the recommended path.  However, with a long haired cat I don't think my warp would stay very clean.

Also, if you have the original treadles they should be able to be attached at the front or the back.  Mine have two holes at both ends for set up either way.

Mike (not verified)

I currently have a 4 shaft Lillstina, but haven't done much weaving on it, due to taking a long time in setting it up.  Like a piano, I'm sure that it will be wonderful once I've tuned it!!  However, I now have the chance to purchase a Leclerc Nilus; should I stick with the Lillstina or go for the Leclerc??  Its a Nilus, not a Nilus II

craftylady

I have a four harness lillstina loom..i have tried to follow the manual for equalizing the rocking on top per the book on internet..w no luck I have such a hard time balancing the harness' can anyone offer any help..i do  have a project on it now thanks to my neighbor that i met via weaving. but now when i push a peddle{treddle} {i am still learning the correct terms..lol} my harness don't come up even so i have to reach up and raise them all and go again..I have seeeearch for info on this loom...and don't get very far just circle..i am open to any ones help thank you for taking the time and reading this and answering. I live in the rural part of missouri and there seems to be no one around the monett, joplin, or springfield area that works on looms.

 

THE OZARK WEAVERS (not verified)

TRY THE EUREKA-SPRINGS & SPRINGFIELD AREA ! ! ! ! ! !

jmbennett (not verified)

Have had mine for 8 years.  Since I also have a Glimakra countermarch, I decided most of the stuff I use on it would also work on the lillstina. Got rid of the shafts since they were warped and a pain to try to treadle and bought 8 Glimakra shaft bars (Joanne's husband Ed cut them to size for me).  Then I purchased the shaft pins and holders to help while winding the warp and tying up. If you are short, the loom should fit perfectly. I also added all texsolve and use Becky Ashendon's suggestion of knitting needles threaded under the treadles.  Also bought new Glimakra tie-on bars for front and back--also a godsend. Hard to get my knees under there so raised it up on 2 X 4s. I also use two ratchet straps on either side of the loom while threading and sleying and this has made all the difference since it was just too heavy for me to fold by myself and became a dangerous proposition.  The ratchet straps allow me to fold it safely and by myself! I will always love this loom since it was my first but would give my eyeteeth for a second used Glimakra.  Just love those looms!  

jmbennett (not verified)

One more thing (now that i have read all the posts above) I use warp sticks not paper during beaming (so much easier!).  And yes, the warp goes straight down to the metal bar at bottom of loom and then up and over the back beam, through the heddles, then the reed to front beam. That extra length gives you a wonderful shed and depth in which to get one!

Jamie in Western KY

errn

I am excited to find this forum! I have a 4 harness Lillstina I got for graduation in the early 70s. It has been 20 years since I've used it, and I think I'll have to relearn everything. Nice to know there's help here.