Let’s wind the yarn onto the loom, shall we?
The view from the front!
When dressing the loom, the ultimate goal is to have every yarn smoothly wound on at the same tension. So, at no point during the weaving process would you have tight or loose spots in the warp (the warp refers for the yarns in the loom). Now, this is a really tall order! It is very rare that I can set up a project of this size and have every yarn exactly the same. Now that I think about it, it’s never happened! Most of the time, the little fluctuations that occur are not deal-breakers. So, you carry on and they work themselves out. But, it is always something to strive for! Sort of the Holy Grail of Loom Dressing, if you will!
Don’t you love puddles of yarn?
A’winding we will go!
I like to use yardsticks to keep the yarn winding on evenly. I’ve seen weavers use heavy paper, sticks or even pieces of mini blinds instead!
Close-up of the back beam!
The picture below is a nice overhead view of the (4) shafts of the loom, plus the beater bar – both of them are moveable parts! The shafts move up and down, lifting the yarns to create a pattern, while the beater bar moves forward and back keeping the yarns evenly packed in the fabric. These (2) key parts of the loom are the heart of it all!
Everyone’s happily moving through the loom!
The top of the shafts!
So, inch by inch, the yarns shift through the loom and wind onto the back. When you see the tips coming up off the floor, you know you are ready start tying them on to the front!
Ready to tie on!
I’m starting to finish it up! I’ll be weaving in no time! Happiness is… Talk to you soon!
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Art, Dressing the Loom, From the studio, Planning a Project, Weaving, Weaving Terms
