Hi y'all,

I live in the middle of a "vast fiber waste land", and  am trying to teach myself to weave, with the help of Deborah Chandler's book, and everything I can find online.  I have a LeClerc Artistat 36" 4 shaft loom, and have been doing samplers and test pieces to get used to using it.   Everything I have done so far has been 1 thread per dent.  

Now I'm ready to make my first scarf.. I bought some nice 8/2 tencel, figured out my warp measurements, wound it on my warping board, and it's now chained and ready to go on the loom.  I chose a simple twill pattern, and according to my measurements, it needs to have an epi of 24, so that means 2 ends per dent in my 12 dent reed. 

I understand all that, but what about when I am threading the heddles?  If it is 1 thread per heddle, do those 2 threads from each dent on the reed go into 2 heddles on the same shaft?   I hope you're not laughing at this point, because I just can't figure it out.   I am thinking that the 2 threads get counted as if they were one, and you use 2 heddles on the same shaft when threading, but I can't find anywhere it actually says to do that.    Reading these weaving drafts is like learning a foreign language to me, and I don't even know if I am explaining it properly.

Thanks in advance for your help,

Deb in N TX

 

Comments

Sat, 06/13/2009 - 20:37

Sara von Tresckow

There is a new, more comprehensive book on weaving for beginners - Laila Lundell - "The Big Book of Weaving" - available from most fiber shops.

You might wish to get a copy and read a little before preoceeding.

It sounds as though you intend to sley the reed and then the heddles before winding on - commonly known as "front to back". This is ok if you use only 1 thread per dent in the reed, but can become confusing when there is more than a single thread in a dent.

That is why it is perhaps worth warping differently by spacing your warp (with a coarse reed or raddle) and winding it onto the back beam - inserting the tieon stick through the loops in the warp. When finished, you cut the front loop anbd thread first the heddles according to your draft and then take groups of 2 threads in sequrence to sley the reed. While this sounds like more work, it is worth every minute to have good tension on your warp before cutting the loops and working with individual threads. You know that the rest of the warp is safe and sound on the warp beam where it belongs.

Some call this "back to front" - when I learned to weave it was simply referred to as "warping the loom".

Sat, 06/13/2009 - 20:44

JanS (not verified)

Hi Deb - All depends on what you want to happen here.  Using two threads together or singly will seriously alter the hand and appearance of the scarf.

If you want the threads to weave separately,  though dented together they pass singly thru the heddles, one per heddle, not on the same shaft.  Just thread them in pattern, as you did when using one thread per dent.  The threads pass one another neatly in the dent.  

If you use two threads in one heddle they weave as one in the pattern.  If you put the two threads thru two heddles on the same shaft they will also behave as one.  So here your choice depends on the size of the thread and how much you want them to stay parallel as you weave.  Put on a short 'waste' warp and try all 3 ways to thread and all will be clear.   A lot of extra and tedious re-threading but there is nothing like the seeing-by-doing method to understand what happens.  Hope this helps without being too much explaining.  Actually the testing out of your ideas can be the most fun. 

 You can download a free program WinWeave for most computers.  This is pretty basic once you try it and you can try out the weaving on the computer.  This lets you see what happens to the cloth as the threading and treadling and tie-up change.  Seeing the way this works can be a real ah-ha moment.  It is really helpful in keeping straight what the terms and diagrams really stand for.  Well graph paper works too, but better if you understand first what is happening. 

I learned to weave from the same book a long time ago and think it is really great.  If you do all the exercises you will be way ahead in what you understand.  It took me about 6 months, then I had to give the book back to the library and check it out again for the last several lessons. 

Good Luck!

 

Sat, 06/13/2009 - 21:12

TinaHilton (not verified)

If you do 2 ends per heddle, it's the same (approximately) as using yarn twice as thick.  8/2 tencel makes a lovely scarf.  I'd thread each thread through it's own heddle (1-2-3-4-3-2-1... for a point twill).  Then sley the reed at 2 per dent.  I remember being confused over this when I started weaving too.  I got it straight in my head by remembering that threading the heddles is for the pattern.  Sleying the reed is to get the right density/epi.  Be sure to let us know how the project turns out!

Sun, 06/14/2009 - 03:10

trishSA (not verified)

I love using 8/2 tencel for scarves. I thread front to back - 2 per dent for an epi of 24 and 1 per heddle. This will give you a lovely scarf.  Good luck!

Sun, 06/14/2009 - 03:16

trishSA (not verified)

Oops - I forgot to say that you follow your threading pattern 1 thread at a time - for example, if you are threading 1, 2, 3, 4  take those first 2 threads from your dent and thread the heddle on shaft 1 and then the heddle on shaft 2. Then take the 2 threads from the next dent and thread 1 end on shaft 3 and the next on 4 and continue that way. I hope you can find some other weavers from your area - I'm down in South Texas - but there are lots of great weavers in North Texas.  Good luck!

Sun, 06/14/2009 - 04:03

Debi (not verified)

Hi Deb. I have the same loom and I am now working on first big project after doing scarves. The book you have is excellent and I recommend you warp back to front. Do you have a raddle and lease sticks? Follow her book as you warp. You probably only want one thread to do into a heddle. Sitting in the front take 1st right end and put in the heddle on shaft 4 and then in 3, 2, 1. Make sure the threads don't cross each other pull those 1st four ends straight in front of you and make sure they are in a nice line and tie that bundle as she shows in the book. Do all heddles and then take  your first two ends furthest right and sley in the reed together. Just a liitle help, use her book I did. Also Peggy Osterkamp has a website you can probably google it and I did buy her DVD, a little pricey but maybe you can borrow one. Good luck.

Sun, 06/14/2009 - 12:50

Alaire Rieffel (not verified)

If you don't have a raddle (preceding message) and want to try back to front, you can substitute a coarse reed or you can make a raddle by putting finishing nails in a board, evenly spaced, but staggered so as not to crack the wood.  If you use American measurements, put the nails either 1" or 1/2" apart.

Mon, 06/15/2009 - 01:55

debstein (not verified)

Thank you ALL so much for the help!  My husband and I made a raddle this afternoon - I had been warping front-to-back, but will do this one back-to-front.   

Tina, your simple explanation of "heddles are for the pattern, sleying the reed is for the epi" made perfect sense to me, and broke through my confusion.  Thanks so much.

I'm on track now and will begin working on warping the loom this evening.   Can't wait to post about my progress - I LOVE the tencel, and think it will make a beautiful scarf.

 

Deb in N TX

Mon, 06/15/2009 - 13:43

claudia (not verified)

Post pictures as you go.  We'd love to see the project step-by-step.  I did this for my first few projects and saw things in the photos I hadn't noticed while weaving.  It can be a useful tool.

One of my first scarves was using 8/2 tencel.  The project is on Weavolution here: http://www.weavolution.com/node/2685

I used three different tencel yarns, one was variegated.

Happy weaving!

Sat, 07/04/2009 - 23:57

rlrho (not verified)

 Deb,

I, too, am a new weaver.  I found the Deborah Chandler videos a very helpful addition to her book.  I am a visual learner and seeing what the book was telling me to do helped it click.  This site:   www.villagespinweave.com/IBS/SimpleCat/Shelf/ASP/Hierarchy/0M0602.html has hers and several others.

I was able to get them through interlibrary loan.  I had to find and dust off the VCR but it was worth it.

Good luck,

Robbie

 

Sun, 07/05/2009 - 00:17

Sherie (not verified)

How's the project going Deb?  Hope you are having good luck.  Where in north Texas are you?  I'm in the Panhandle - Amarillo.

Sat, 06/13/2009 - 20:37

Sara von Tresckow

There is a new, more comprehensive book on weaving for beginners - Laila Lundell - "The Big Book of Weaving" - available from most fiber shops.

You might wish to get a copy and read a little before preoceeding.

It sounds as though you intend to sley the reed and then the heddles before winding on - commonly known as "front to back". This is ok if you use only 1 thread per dent in the reed, but can become confusing when there is more than a single thread in a dent.

That is why it is perhaps worth warping differently by spacing your warp (with a coarse reed or raddle) and winding it onto the back beam - inserting the tieon stick through the loops in the warp. When finished, you cut the front loop anbd thread first the heddles according to your draft and then take groups of 2 threads in sequrence to sley the reed. While this sounds like more work, it is worth every minute to have good tension on your warp before cutting the loops and working with individual threads. You know that the rest of the warp is safe and sound on the warp beam where it belongs.

Some call this "back to front" - when I learned to weave it was simply referred to as "warping the loom".

Sat, 06/13/2009 - 20:44

JanS (not verified)

Hi Deb - All depends on what you want to happen here.  Using two threads together or singly will seriously alter the hand and appearance of the scarf.

If you want the threads to weave separately,  though dented together they pass singly thru the heddles, one per heddle, not on the same shaft.  Just thread them in pattern, as you did when using one thread per dent.  The threads pass one another neatly in the dent.  

If you use two threads in one heddle they weave as one in the pattern.  If you put the two threads thru two heddles on the same shaft they will also behave as one.  So here your choice depends on the size of the thread and how much you want them to stay parallel as you weave.  Put on a short 'waste' warp and try all 3 ways to thread and all will be clear.   A lot of extra and tedious re-threading but there is nothing like the seeing-by-doing method to understand what happens.  Hope this helps without being too much explaining.  Actually the testing out of your ideas can be the most fun. 

 You can download a free program WinWeave for most computers.  This is pretty basic once you try it and you can try out the weaving on the computer.  This lets you see what happens to the cloth as the threading and treadling and tie-up change.  Seeing the way this works can be a real ah-ha moment.  It is really helpful in keeping straight what the terms and diagrams really stand for.  Well graph paper works too, but better if you understand first what is happening. 

I learned to weave from the same book a long time ago and think it is really great.  If you do all the exercises you will be way ahead in what you understand.  It took me about 6 months, then I had to give the book back to the library and check it out again for the last several lessons. 

Good Luck!

 

Sat, 06/13/2009 - 21:12

TinaHilton (not verified)

If you do 2 ends per heddle, it's the same (approximately) as using yarn twice as thick.  8/2 tencel makes a lovely scarf.  I'd thread each thread through it's own heddle (1-2-3-4-3-2-1... for a point twill).  Then sley the reed at 2 per dent.  I remember being confused over this when I started weaving too.  I got it straight in my head by remembering that threading the heddles is for the pattern.  Sleying the reed is to get the right density/epi.  Be sure to let us know how the project turns out!

Sun, 06/14/2009 - 03:10

trishSA (not verified)

I love using 8/2 tencel for scarves. I thread front to back - 2 per dent for an epi of 24 and 1 per heddle. This will give you a lovely scarf.  Good luck!

Sun, 06/14/2009 - 03:16

trishSA (not verified)

Oops - I forgot to say that you follow your threading pattern 1 thread at a time - for example, if you are threading 1, 2, 3, 4  take those first 2 threads from your dent and thread the heddle on shaft 1 and then the heddle on shaft 2. Then take the 2 threads from the next dent and thread 1 end on shaft 3 and the next on 4 and continue that way. I hope you can find some other weavers from your area - I'm down in South Texas - but there are lots of great weavers in North Texas.  Good luck!

Sun, 06/14/2009 - 04:03

Debi (not verified)

Hi Deb. I have the same loom and I am now working on first big project after doing scarves. The book you have is excellent and I recommend you warp back to front. Do you have a raddle and lease sticks? Follow her book as you warp. You probably only want one thread to do into a heddle. Sitting in the front take 1st right end and put in the heddle on shaft 4 and then in 3, 2, 1. Make sure the threads don't cross each other pull those 1st four ends straight in front of you and make sure they are in a nice line and tie that bundle as she shows in the book. Do all heddles and then take  your first two ends furthest right and sley in the reed together. Just a liitle help, use her book I did. Also Peggy Osterkamp has a website you can probably google it and I did buy her DVD, a little pricey but maybe you can borrow one. Good luck.

Sun, 06/14/2009 - 12:50

Alaire Rieffel (not verified)

If you don't have a raddle (preceding message) and want to try back to front, you can substitute a coarse reed or you can make a raddle by putting finishing nails in a board, evenly spaced, but staggered so as not to crack the wood.  If you use American measurements, put the nails either 1" or 1/2" apart.

Mon, 06/15/2009 - 01:55

debstein (not verified)

Thank you ALL so much for the help!  My husband and I made a raddle this afternoon - I had been warping front-to-back, but will do this one back-to-front.   

Tina, your simple explanation of "heddles are for the pattern, sleying the reed is for the epi" made perfect sense to me, and broke through my confusion.  Thanks so much.

I'm on track now and will begin working on warping the loom this evening.   Can't wait to post about my progress - I LOVE the tencel, and think it will make a beautiful scarf.

 

Deb in N TX

Mon, 06/15/2009 - 13:43

claudia (not verified)

Post pictures as you go.  We'd love to see the project step-by-step.  I did this for my first few projects and saw things in the photos I hadn't noticed while weaving.  It can be a useful tool.

One of my first scarves was using 8/2 tencel.  The project is on Weavolution here: http://www.weavolution.com/node/2685

I used three different tencel yarns, one was variegated.

Happy weaving!

Sat, 07/04/2009 - 23:57

rlrho (not verified)

 Deb,

I, too, am a new weaver.  I found the Deborah Chandler videos a very helpful addition to her book.  I am a visual learner and seeing what the book was telling me to do helped it click.  This site:   www.villagespinweave.com/IBS/SimpleCat/Shelf/ASP/Hierarchy/0M0602.html has hers and several others.

I was able to get them through interlibrary loan.  I had to find and dust off the VCR but it was worth it.

Good luck,

Robbie

 

Sun, 07/05/2009 - 00:17

Sherie (not verified)

How's the project going Deb?  Hope you are having good luck.  Where in north Texas are you?  I'm in the Panhandle - Amarillo.

Fri, 03/30/2012 - 13:42

ReedGuy

Vertical countermarch here.

When you thread the heddles, do you just put up one shaft at a time and program the sequence of threads for the pattern, then put on the next and so on? Seems that would be easiest and work toward the reed.