Almost there! Just a little winding on to finish and then, the scene will be set! Weaving will commence! So, here goes…
When I first began making fabric for handbags, I would load up the loom with as much yarn as I could handle – usually netting out about 13 woven yards. These days, I’ve realized that there is something to be said for variety! So now, the projects are smaller, which keeps me sharper and more interested! Know how that goes?
Above is a photo of the back beam, showing how the yarn rolls on. The goal is for everything to wind on evenly. Thus, yard sticks to the rescue!!! The sticks are inflexible enough to keep all 36″ of the width at the same place, so I can avoid the mountains and valleys that will develop as I wind on so many yards! (My own personal mantra – “Yard sticks, not just for measuring 3 feet!”… I am sure the hardware stores will be calling me anytime now to book me for commercials… Or maybe not…)
So the dance goes like this – come to the front of the loom, give each bunch of yarns a yank making sure they are straightened out, and then move around to the side of the loom to grab the crank, insert another yard stick at the back and forward the project a handful of inches. Rinse and repeat until all yarns are lovingly tucked into the loom!
When the yarn has moved up and over the front, it’s time to knot!
I like to use about 10-15 yarns in a bunch for knotting. With this sized yarn, it’s small enough to get a tight knot and big enough not to be at it all day long! But, with different yarn, that will change! Adjust as you like…
The rod everything is tied to, is lashed to the front beam… I have no witty follow-up for that one. Just thought I’d throw it out there…
We have arrived! The loom is “dressed”! Next, we will embark on the magic portion of the process! I’m going to grab my cape, wand and top hat, and I’ll see you back here very soon…