Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Weaving Side Trip

I have been sucked into band weaving.  Not that I am entirely sure what I'd DO with the finished product, other than as hang loops for dishtowels, but I am sure I'll think of something.

Options were a band loom with two foot treadles (nice, but $$$), a tiny little table loom with two treadles (also nice, but $$), an inkle loom (just no), a kiddie rigid heddle loom (findable on eBay, or new, $), or a backstrap setup.

Also, to do pickup (patterns), there would want to be a different type of heddle, and a nice, but not required shuttle.

So I got myself a Harrisville Easy Weaver rigid heddle loom, via eBay.  The original owner had woven 5 picks and given it up (!)  Given that the warp was by now moth-eaten, I threw it away.  This loom will be useful for 10" rigid heddle weaving, card weaving, should I want to try that, and band weaving.  Plus, grandchilden can play with it.

Harrisville Easy Weaver Loom, slightly used

Not yet having received the Sunna heddle from Sweden, I wound a warp for a plain band out of expendable yarn, and practiced with that.  I should get the plain weaving better under control before I branch into patterns.

Working on the band

The stick shuttle that came with the loom works fine for plain weave.

Finished woven band, 44"x1.3/4"

So, less than 24 hours later, I had a 44" band.  It might want to be a belt.

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