I have always wondered why somebody couldn't come up with a continuous-feed bobbin for sewing machines, so you wouldn't have to keep stopping to re-fill bobbins.

NOW, I have another "gee I wish somebody would....." wish: an automatic warp-maker.  You know, you could just thread your warp yarns up, punch in the settings and walk away while some little electronic elf made your warp for you!   A buzzer would sound, once you've had you nice cup of tea, and you go and grab your perfectly-tensioned warp and get to dressing your loom(-;

This is the only part of dressing my loom I really hate, whether winding it on a board or reel, or sectional-beaming.  I actually enjoy threading and beaming, etc, but just making the damned warps is enough to drive me to drink.

ending whine du jour,

Nancy C.

Comments

Sun, 11/01/2009 - 12:32

Little Meadows (not verified)

Well, I like to drink ... Bob always pours me a nice glass of wine after I crawl out from tying up.  My warping board is in the kitchen so I can listen to the radio (NPR) and stop occasionally to do something necessary to the cheese or bread or whatever  happening there.  But I've yet to wind a warp all in one go so it doesn't seem very onerous.  But I do agree that a sewing bobbin running out 3-4" from the end of the seam just makes me think someone has a different sense of humour!

Liese, another winer

Sun, 11/01/2009 - 13:45

Sara von Tresckow

 FYI - on our European trip in March we visited several linen mills and they were all using sophisticated warping equipment - large creels winding the warp with perfect tension on a large drum - all WITH attendant watching ever move the machine made. There was probably a bell, but only to let the attendant know when to press the next button.

Actually, in a mill setting, there is still a need for human intervention at every step of the way - just somewhat less than with our handlooms.

Sun, 11/01/2009 - 16:32

ingamarie

But I LIKE warping :) It's like a good detective novel for me,  lots of things to figure out and a constant wonder how it's going to turn out. And I can get into a good zone with it too...

marie

Sun, 11/01/2009 - 16:44

laurafry

Like Sara, I had the opportunity to watch how warping is done in an industrial setting.  There were two people attending the machine as the warp was wound, and one person spent an hour getting the new warp ready to be tied on to the old warp.  No matter what you do, intense human interaction is required to get a good warp onto the loom.

The only solution is to train a warping elf and let them have at it.  :)

Cheers,

Laura

Sun, 11/01/2009 - 16:52

Michael White

Nancy you could buy a new/used commercial sewing machine. Both threads are on large cones. Like on a lock-stitch machine. I have been in hundreds of sewing plants, yarn mills & weaving mills over the years. The worlds largest sock manufactor was in Union Point, GA four miles from by home untill it closed, like the rest of them, I few years ago. Like Sara said there was always an attendant watching over the machines. Over the years the number of people and the number of attendants got smaller and smaller as the operations became more automated. Cheryl thinks dobby/computerized weaving is not "true" hand weaving.

Michael

Sun, 11/01/2009 - 17:25

debmcclintock

 Nancy....that would be called an apprentice!

Sun, 11/01/2009 - 18:43

kerstinfroberg

There is an old scottish working song "I'm a four loom weaver" - there are two stories about a "4-loom weaver". One came to me by Peter Collingwood: in the old guild days, one weaver was not allowed more than 4 looms (and 4 apprentices, one would assume), 'cos then he would be producing "too much" and the prices would go down. The othewr story is that, in mored modern mills, one fully-trained weaver was supposed to be able to supervise 4 looms.

Sun, 11/01/2009 - 18:45

Ellen (not verified)

Like Marie I like warping, too. As with all the steps that go into weaving, from the very first planning of drafts and ordering yarns to the finishing, washing, hemming, twisting fringes etc, to me it is part of the joy af having done it all by hand. It all seems to me peaceful and contemplative. But with every phase, it is important not to be in a hurry to get any of it over and done with.

A glass of wine in between is always welcome, though :-)

Cheers!

Sun, 11/01/2009 - 21:46

weaversouth (not verified)

good idea!!!!!!!  Fortunately, life in the 7th avenue "fast lane" made me a speedy warper! ("The customer needs to see this at 9 tomorrow morning!")  Threading, I rather enjoy, so the apprentice might not be allowed to do that! (-;

Mon, 11/02/2009 - 00:42

TinaHilton (not verified)

Initially I didn't care for warping.  Now I like every step except tying on.  I never feel like I've tied on with even tension and I worry about it.  But I've been working on it and am improving, so I think I'll be liking that part soon too.

I even like tying a new warp onto the old one.  The first time I did that I thought I would go crazy out of sheer boredom, but now I just play a podcast or audio book on my MP3 player and I'm done before I know it.


Mon, 11/02/2009 - 01:17

Michael White

Tina, the trick to getting  "even" tension is to tie on to the bar then adjust the tension, then go back and readjust the tension. Sometimes you have to do this more then once. Once you are happy with the tension go back and put on the lock knot. Also, depending on your bar, you could be bending the bar with too much tension in the middle.

Tina, I sold a rug loom to Little Meadows (above) with a warping deck, the lady that owned the loom for many years never dressed the loom from the time the man that build it first dress it. She would just keep tying on cones of yarn on to it

Michael 

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