Weaving Class
Aug. 6th, 2011 07:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
vynehornToday was my private class on the rigid heddle loom with the owner of In Sheep's Clothing. I admit to being a bit skeptical about this loom. After using the big Swedish countermarche looms at the Vavstuga Days session, the rigid heddle looked slower and incapable of producing fine weaves. From what I've learned today, I'd still say the weaving on the rigid heddle is slower (though you can develop a good rhythm) but it's probably balanced by the ease of warping the loom. Granted, I'm using a small 16 inch loom, but the warping process wasn't nearly the ordeal I thought it might be. It was fairly easy, in fact.
i'm not sure yet what the rigid heddle loom can do. I know that working with one reed is the equivalent of two treddles, and basically means making plain weave fabrics. Evidently you can add a second reed and do more complicated weaves, but I can't picture it in my head yet. I also know that you can do special weaves if you're willing to go through the threads individually (rather than throwing the shuttle through). Maybe I'll explore that in the future. As for the fineness of the weave, while I'm not convinced that I could be producing linen fabric, and while I think that the rigid heddle probably works best with looser weaves, it looks like I could do many sorts of objects as long as I have the proper size reeds. When I told the instructor that I was interested in placemats, table runners, napkins, rugs, scarves, etc., she didn't blink.
So my class involved warping the loom and beginning weaving on my first project, which is a wool scarf. I made good progress during the class, and it only took me another 45 minutes of weaving at home to produce a 5-6 foot long scarf. I have the loom for a week, so now I'm thinking that I need to go out and buy more materials! I'm sure that I'll quickly become bored with scarves, but they are good learning pieces, and they'll make good Christmas gifts for family members who are forgiving of imperfect selvedges and tension. :)
i'm not sure yet what the rigid heddle loom can do. I know that working with one reed is the equivalent of two treddles, and basically means making plain weave fabrics. Evidently you can add a second reed and do more complicated weaves, but I can't picture it in my head yet. I also know that you can do special weaves if you're willing to go through the threads individually (rather than throwing the shuttle through). Maybe I'll explore that in the future. As for the fineness of the weave, while I'm not convinced that I could be producing linen fabric, and while I think that the rigid heddle probably works best with looser weaves, it looks like I could do many sorts of objects as long as I have the proper size reeds. When I told the instructor that I was interested in placemats, table runners, napkins, rugs, scarves, etc., she didn't blink.
So my class involved warping the loom and beginning weaving on my first project, which is a wool scarf. I made good progress during the class, and it only took me another 45 minutes of weaving at home to produce a 5-6 foot long scarf. I have the loom for a week, so now I'm thinking that I need to go out and buy more materials! I'm sure that I'll quickly become bored with scarves, but they are good learning pieces, and they'll make good Christmas gifts for family members who are forgiving of imperfect selvedges and tension. :)
no subject
Date: 2011-08-07 11:13 pm (UTC)