Are you teaching weaving on rh looms? If so, I am very curious about how it's going. Are you getting good response to offering classes? What age group is most interested? Are they buying looms? There is a cardboard rh loom being offered for free by SWA, Weavolution belongs to this group. Go to the SWA website and it's under Resources/Instructional materials or just go here: http://spinweave.org/resources/instruct.html Claudia, Rigid Heddlers mom

Comments

Fri, 06/19/2009 - 19:34

lambspin (not verified)

 I have been using rigid heddle looms for classes, particularly the Cricket. I teach odd, esoteric weaving techniques, (knotted pile, soumak and pick-up inkle) and the looms work very well for me.

I have some experienced weavers taking my classes, and they are often not interested in using the rigid heddle, until they see the single peg warping method. 

New weavers don't have any pre-conceived notions about warping, so they simply accept it and move on. 

Everyone gets up and weaving faster.  Everyone (so far) has liked the looms.  Some have purchased afterwards (I'm not a vendor, they have to buy from someone else).

Thu, 09/17/2009 - 18:49

Loominaria (not verified)

 I got an error page from the cardboard loom link.

At what age would you start a child with changing sheds and passing weft on the RH loom?

At what age do you think a child would be able to warp and weave from start to finishing?

Kurt

Fri, 09/18/2009 - 06:17

Loominaria (not verified)

 Brilliant idea!  Thanks for directions, Franco.

Fri, 09/18/2009 - 06:20

Loominaria (not verified)

 That's wonderful!  Thank you.

Fri, 09/18/2009 - 14:08

debmcclintock

 I started on the rh loom and learned from the magazine series, Prairie Wool Companion.  They would compare items to 4 shaft looms.  Being a beginner weaver I had no idea what a 4 shaft loom was or how to use the comparison.  So I went to a weaving store to take a beginning class in shaft weaving.  When asked why I was there I said "to learn how to use my RH better".  Everyone laughed.....I wove for about 4 more years on a RH before I have moved on to shaft looms.   I still do alot of pick up and really do like the RH for the easy of pick up and ability to manipulate all the threads easier than the heavy infrastructure of a shaft loom!  

 

 

Sat, 09/19/2009 - 17:10

Loominaria (not verified)

 I'm reading things like Learning to Weave and Mastering Weave Structures, and so far I have no loom with more than string heddles, a rigid heddle, or 2 harnesses, plus sticks, weaving needles, and poke shuttles.  This is partly to understand rigid heddle weaving better, and partly to figure out what the heck weavers are writing about on this forum. <g>  I'm exploring the SAORI ways also and am drawn to the styles of weaving that look 'made by hands'.  I'm curious enough about more harnesses that I'll probably acquire such a loom someday, but I doubt I'll ever lose my first love for the rigid heddle.

Kurt

Sat, 09/19/2009 - 22:29

ingamarie

I was definitely not in school yet when I got my first little Brio loom-- so 5 or 6 maybe. I don't honestly remember but I know I was less than 7 which is when school  started.  But I"d start 'em young, every kid is different.

marie

Thu, 09/24/2009 - 22:43

davewhiz (not verified)

I'm with you Kurt.  The Rigid Heddle is so light-weight and portable.  With a little ingenuity you can do almost anything on it.  The only drawback is the width of the pieces you can create.  You can always weave multiple panels and join them by looping them end-to-end on the weft with a single thread, but that tends to pull apart sometimes.  I might try experimenting with a cross stitch for a different effect that will hold together tighter. 

If anyone in the group has discovered a clever way of joining multiple lengths together in a creative way please share your expertise.

Fri, 09/25/2009 - 02:37

francorios (not verified)

Hi Dave,

I've seen some pictures of nice blankets and clothing where they used crosstitching to connect the segments. Sometimes a contrasting thread is used as part of the design, to highlight the stitching rather than hide the stitching.

Did you check out this weavo message

http://www.weavolution.com/node/4523

They were discussing the sewing of smaller pieces for blankets.

There is a link to a swedish website with some interesting ideas for piecing together.

Have a good day!

Fri, 09/25/2009 - 13:28

davewhiz (not verified)

That's very helpful.  Thank You.  Now I need to research what a mattress stitch and a baseball stitch is!

Fri, 09/25/2009 - 17:46

djfiberarts (not verified)

I work with kids for a living. I'd have to say you wouldn't want to start them any younger than 8 or 9. Any younger and their frustration and attention levels are shorter. If they're your own kids, you may be able to go a bit younger.

DJ

Sun, 09/27/2009 - 00:16

Loominaria (not verified)

 Baseball stitch is the one I like best because it's flat and doesn't leave a ridge on either side. You place the edges side by side and take the needle from behind on one side, come through to the front, go between the edges, and come from behind to the front on the other side.  Back and forth, small stitches, always coming from behind (or always front to back, if that's more comfortable, as long as you're consistently one of the other).

Mattress stitch works well for joining stockinet knitted pieces, but I've never used it for weaving.  It's quite invisible on one side of the knitting, but bulky on the other side, and I'd think it would be visible and bulky with woven pieces.  If I were going to use it on to join woven pieces, I would first run and edging of crochet slip stitch along the weaving, and I'm not very good at describing these things, so I'll just stop here.

There is a Scarf Borders and Finishes forum that mentions some books that include joining techniques, if you'd like to stop by: www.weavolution.com/forum/1313

Kurt

Fri, 06/19/2009 - 19:34

lambspin (not verified)

 I have been using rigid heddle looms for classes, particularly the Cricket. I teach odd, esoteric weaving techniques, (knotted pile, soumak and pick-up inkle) and the looms work very well for me.

I have some experienced weavers taking my classes, and they are often not interested in using the rigid heddle, until they see the single peg warping method. 

New weavers don't have any pre-conceived notions about warping, so they simply accept it and move on. 

Everyone gets up and weaving faster.  Everyone (so far) has liked the looms.  Some have purchased afterwards (I'm not a vendor, they have to buy from someone else).

Thu, 09/17/2009 - 18:49

Loominaria (not verified)

 I got an error page from the cardboard loom link.

At what age would you start a child with changing sheds and passing weft on the RH loom?

At what age do you think a child would be able to warp and weave from start to finishing?

Kurt

Fri, 09/18/2009 - 06:17

Loominaria (not verified)

 Brilliant idea!  Thanks for directions, Franco.

Fri, 09/18/2009 - 06:20

Loominaria (not verified)

 That's wonderful!  Thank you.

Fri, 09/18/2009 - 14:08

debmcclintock

 I started on the rh loom and learned from the magazine series, Prairie Wool Companion.  They would compare items to 4 shaft looms.  Being a beginner weaver I had no idea what a 4 shaft loom was or how to use the comparison.  So I went to a weaving store to take a beginning class in shaft weaving.  When asked why I was there I said "to learn how to use my RH better".  Everyone laughed.....I wove for about 4 more years on a RH before I have moved on to shaft looms.   I still do alot of pick up and really do like the RH for the easy of pick up and ability to manipulate all the threads easier than the heavy infrastructure of a shaft loom!  

 

 

Sat, 09/19/2009 - 17:10

Loominaria (not verified)

 I'm reading things like Learning to Weave and Mastering Weave Structures, and so far I have no loom with more than string heddles, a rigid heddle, or 2 harnesses, plus sticks, weaving needles, and poke shuttles.  This is partly to understand rigid heddle weaving better, and partly to figure out what the heck weavers are writing about on this forum. <g>  I'm exploring the SAORI ways also and am drawn to the styles of weaving that look 'made by hands'.  I'm curious enough about more harnesses that I'll probably acquire such a loom someday, but I doubt I'll ever lose my first love for the rigid heddle.

Kurt

Sat, 09/19/2009 - 22:29

ingamarie

I was definitely not in school yet when I got my first little Brio loom-- so 5 or 6 maybe. I don't honestly remember but I know I was less than 7 which is when school  started.  But I"d start 'em young, every kid is different.

marie

Thu, 09/24/2009 - 22:43

davewhiz (not verified)

I'm with you Kurt.  The Rigid Heddle is so light-weight and portable.  With a little ingenuity you can do almost anything on it.  The only drawback is the width of the pieces you can create.  You can always weave multiple panels and join them by looping them end-to-end on the weft with a single thread, but that tends to pull apart sometimes.  I might try experimenting with a cross stitch for a different effect that will hold together tighter. 

If anyone in the group has discovered a clever way of joining multiple lengths together in a creative way please share your expertise.

Fri, 09/25/2009 - 02:37

francorios (not verified)

Hi Dave,

I've seen some pictures of nice blankets and clothing where they used crosstitching to connect the segments. Sometimes a contrasting thread is used as part of the design, to highlight the stitching rather than hide the stitching.

Did you check out this weavo message

http://www.weavolution.com/node/4523

They were discussing the sewing of smaller pieces for blankets.

There is a link to a swedish website with some interesting ideas for piecing together.

Have a good day!

Fri, 09/25/2009 - 13:28

davewhiz (not verified)

That's very helpful.  Thank You.  Now I need to research what a mattress stitch and a baseball stitch is!

Fri, 09/25/2009 - 17:46

djfiberarts (not verified)

I work with kids for a living. I'd have to say you wouldn't want to start them any younger than 8 or 9. Any younger and their frustration and attention levels are shorter. If they're your own kids, you may be able to go a bit younger.

DJ

Sun, 09/27/2009 - 00:16

Loominaria (not verified)

 Baseball stitch is the one I like best because it's flat and doesn't leave a ridge on either side. You place the edges side by side and take the needle from behind on one side, come through to the front, go between the edges, and come from behind to the front on the other side.  Back and forth, small stitches, always coming from behind (or always front to back, if that's more comfortable, as long as you're consistently one of the other).

Mattress stitch works well for joining stockinet knitted pieces, but I've never used it for weaving.  It's quite invisible on one side of the knitting, but bulky on the other side, and I'd think it would be visible and bulky with woven pieces.  If I were going to use it on to join woven pieces, I would first run and edging of crochet slip stitch along the weaving, and I'm not very good at describing these things, so I'll just stop here.

There is a Scarf Borders and Finishes forum that mentions some books that include joining techniques, if you'd like to stop by: www.weavolution.com/forum/1313

Kurt