The Straight and Narrow, or the Narrrow Band Wagon
I have a general fascination with all facets of weaving. My approach is the same as always, methodical and academic. I treat weaving books like manuals and projects like studies.
On the rigid heddle I completed my first clasp weft, quite by accident (candy cane mug rugs). You can only tell at the selvages, but the double weft was a clasp technique.
The 4 shaft is occupied will twill. I am obsessed by twill, straight draw threading and treadling, where color changes in the weft and warp take center stage in enhancing the pattern.
And now, as usual, projects come to me as I create other projects. Narrow warp bands seem to find me everywhere. The patterns are beautiful, intricate, and more complicated than I am producing on the other looms. Pick up is not my favorite thing on the RH, but the smaller size of the bands makes it a quick study in pick up.
Initial research lead me to believe I would need and inkle loom, backstrap or a tablet cards. Another anything is not in my budget right now. DIY ones weren't satisfying. I am a heddle girl, and I set out to see if I could get the job done with what I already had. The Weaver's Idea book briefly mentions narrow bands on the rigid heddle loom, as being possible, but not the best way. I understand why, but I found Durham Weavers 5 ways to weave narrow bands more encouraging. Last was an article on how the modern rigid heddle loom more closely resembles the historical method of producing bands with a tape loom, satisfying me obsession with historical accuracy.
Take 1
The smallest heddle I have is the 8 dpi, 8" SampleIt heddle. It's light, but I thought I wanted something with a closer tpi. Gluing several metal shaft loom heddles between popsicle sticks was crude, but effective.
Except I don't have a lot of places to tie up, due to the aforementioned canine interference. I needed fixed but portable.
Take 2
Band strapped onto the SampleIt loom = Sucess!!. Except I really did not have the distance on the SampleIt to move the heddle as far away from the work as I would have liked (yes the Weaver's Idea book mentioned). However I was satisfied with the sample, and started a "real" project.
Take 3
My sample patterns were taken from Durham Weaver's website samples. It's a great starting place, with simple, and complete explanations. I chose the 5 pattern thread for the first. I used what I had, 8/4 carpet warp. And as I started weaving it began to make sense.
On the rigid heddle I completed my first clasp weft, quite by accident (candy cane mug rugs). You can only tell at the selvages, but the double weft was a clasp technique.
The 4 shaft is occupied will twill. I am obsessed by twill, straight draw threading and treadling, where color changes in the weft and warp take center stage in enhancing the pattern.
And now, as usual, projects come to me as I create other projects. Narrow warp bands seem to find me everywhere. The patterns are beautiful, intricate, and more complicated than I am producing on the other looms. Pick up is not my favorite thing on the RH, but the smaller size of the bands makes it a quick study in pick up.
Initial research lead me to believe I would need and inkle loom, backstrap or a tablet cards. Another anything is not in my budget right now. DIY ones weren't satisfying. I am a heddle girl, and I set out to see if I could get the job done with what I already had. The Weaver's Idea book briefly mentions narrow bands on the rigid heddle loom, as being possible, but not the best way. I understand why, but I found Durham Weavers 5 ways to weave narrow bands more encouraging. Last was an article on how the modern rigid heddle loom more closely resembles the historical method of producing bands with a tape loom, satisfying me obsession with historical accuracy.
Take 1
The smallest heddle I have is the 8 dpi, 8" SampleIt heddle. It's light, but I thought I wanted something with a closer tpi. Gluing several metal shaft loom heddles between popsicle sticks was crude, but effective.
Except I don't have a lot of places to tie up, due to the aforementioned canine interference. I needed fixed but portable.
Take 2
Band strapped onto the SampleIt loom = Sucess!!. Except I really did not have the distance on the SampleIt to move the heddle as far away from the work as I would have liked (yes the Weaver's Idea book mentioned). However I was satisfied with the sample, and started a "real" project.Take 3
My sample patterns were taken from Durham Weaver's website samples. It's a great starting place, with simple, and complete explanations. I chose the 5 pattern thread for the first. I used what I had, 8/4 carpet warp. And as I started weaving it began to make sense.
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