DJ, crank it up!

Did someone holler “Let’s wind on!”? What a good idea! Here we go!

Ready to spread out the back!

I love my Schacht loom! (I know you’ve heard this from me before, but the sentiment bears repeating!) One of the magical moments when I REALLY love it, is as I’m contracting and expanding the back of the loom! This makes “dressing the loom” (setting it up) so much more comfortable! So to begin, I’ll open up the back and lock it in place, making sure the crank is on.

Close-up of the crank

I have a removable crank for my loom, which is a great thing until you misplace it. So most days, I leave it on. Truly, the crank is one of the most important pieces to the plan! Without the crank, there will be no winding, forwarding or making progress. So, all hail the mighty crank!

Adding the back beam

Next, I’ll add the back beam (technically, it is called the rear oval beam… file that one away for a rainy day!).

Bird’s eye view of the back

I’ll pull the rod over the beam, take each group of yarns waiting for me at the heddles and tie them to the rod. I usually start in the middle. But, I imagine the world would not shift on it’s axis if I started at an end instead!

Tying on the back

Pulling the yarn through to tie on

Knotting is sort of big deal when you weave – only because you have to do it at nearly every step of the process! So, here is a classic case of when a simple square knot is great! The knot you learned as a kid? That’s the one! Insert here!

Lots of knots!

And all the while, the yarns are hanging out in the front waiting for the action to start!

Here’s what’s happening in the front!

The stage is set and I’ll finish doing my little “Winding Dance” next time! And then, my friends, we weave! Talk to you soon!