Welcome to the group! Is it fair to deduce from your profile pic that you are a re-enactor? (This is where I confess to dreaming of lengths of hand-woven, hand-dyed fabric for Tudor and Italian dresses!)

Comments

Bekahr

Hi! Yes, I am a member of the Kingdom of Calontir of the Society for Creative Anachronism. While I realize that a 4-four harness treadle loom isn't exactly "period" for the middle ages, no one seems to care - they just love watching the weaving process. *grin* I just bought a 32" Ashford 8-harness table loom and stand and have begun warping it (front to back, just finished sleying the reed) with 8/2 white that's about 7 yards long for a sample weave. There are a number of different weaves I want to try, all but one of which use the same heddle threading, so I thought this would be a great way to get my bearings on the new toy. It takes me a few days to warp because I only have an hour or so each night to devote to it. The 8-harnesses will also allow me to make more of the fancy fabrics for my garb. I can't wait. *squeal!* I'm also hoping to be able to figure out a relatively easy way to add four more treadles to the stand without "mucking up" the castle. It'll take a bit of math and measuring, but I think I can do it, making the stand a full 8-treadles! I doubt if I could get 10 on there, though, so tabby could become very interesting. LOL! I'll try to post some pictures of my projects, but it's not going to be easy because it keeps asking me for loom type - besides the Allen CB floor loom, I *made* my 4-harness loom and it doesn't seem to want me to be able to post projects using a handmade loom. Hrm..... - Bekah

sarahnopp (not verified)

Multi-harness looms were developed around 1000 bce, as far as I remember. You aren't that far off :) And if you build one, bingo!

Bekahr

The actual period looms then were warp-weighted looms - multi-shafted, yes! My twin sister is the spinner in the family and she's been looking at a "sheep to shawl" project for a while, the outcome of which will be hand-sheared wool, spun up on her drop spindles (she's been doing this for a few years now and saving up!), warped onto a hand-made warp-weighted loom and woven into a shawl or other loom-shaped garb. I wished her the best of luck as I was happily weaving on my treadled 4-harness floor loom. *grin*

sarahnopp (not verified)

I know warp-weighted was the earlier, more wide spread variety for northern Europe, but I am sure I read in the Broudy book History of Looms (I think that is the title) that there are references to French horizontal looms from around 1000, maybe it was 1100 bce. Now I need to check out  that book again. Honestly, as often as I reference it, I should buy it as a digital book so I can access it anywhere.

Bekahr

I would LOVE to get that reference if you find it! It would be nice to be able to waggle my fingers on my nose at those who actually care that it isn't period! LOL!

sarahnopp (not verified)

I found one reference online, but I swear there were more. The book is The Book of Looms: A history of the handloom from ancient times to the present by Eric Broudy. The reference I found is on the first couple pages of Chapter 8, page 138. Unfortunately the bibliography isn't available on the preview that Google Books offers.

And I will go check my copy of Women's Work right now. -nope, nothing there.

But I did find this online: http://scholar.chem.nyu.edu/tekpages/loom.html and it has citations :) 

DianneStucki (not verified)

I thought so! Lady Laurensa Silverlock of the Mid, formerly of the East, here! You made your loom? How cool is that! I saw the assembly instructions for mine, and wibbled.

Bekahr

Greetings and Salutations, m'Lady!  Lady Rébéca la Chienne of Calontir, at your service.  *grin*

Yes, I made the loom.  I couldn't afford a 4-shaft loom yet, but really REALLY wanted one!  So I broke down and found some scrap lumber and spent about a month preparing and setting it up.  It worked.  $100 later, I had a loom.  And *then* (only a month later) I found an Allen CB loom on Ebay that had all the pieces...figures.  LOL!

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marlenedg (not verified)

Greetings from An Tir in the Far North west. I have been a member of the SCA for many years and have learned many new things because of it. Currently I have a 4 harness Macomber loom in my living room that I found in a thrift store for 100 dollars. I had to do a bunch of cleaning and buy a reed but now I have all the loom I can ever use and I am even thinking about loaning it out to other Scadians that might want to learn. I have been weaving rugs mostly since I got the loom in August and as soon as  I get this warp off I want to rewarp and make a sideless sir coat for me. Then i think I will be done weaving for awhile and an find someone else to enjoy this great old loom. We may just keep her in the family but my arms and shoders are getting too old to weave very long so I work a while and quit for a few days.

Event this weekend. May be life changing, we will see.

Have fun weaving all.

yis

HL Mehitabel Pottern(marlenedg)

 

 

Clueless weaver

Hello. I have a question. Why can’t the RH reeds be made taller so they can make 

a wider shed? 

Sara von Tresckow

The rigid heddles are designed to create a shed for weaving and at the same time not stress the warp threads too much. Only the threads in the holes are moved and if they moved farther, it would soon stretch the threads in the holes to the point where the warp would no longer have even tension.

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