Thursday, May 17, 2012

I need help!

Can anyone tell me where to find a breaking gear like this one??  When I bought my floor loom the braking system was with a metal cable system and the prev. owner took it off as it was a hassle and she just used a bungee cord on the crank handle as a break.  It sorta works and I could live with it but I looked at all the looms at the college yesterday (last day of class till Aug:( )  Took this picture and its what I am sure I can install easily on my loom.  Just don't know where to go looking.  Will spend some time on internet today. 
Only 2 of us from the class actually ended up with projects on our looms so we plan to break in and weave one day.  Well actually there are summer classes and I guess we can get a key and go in legal like.  Dang, thought it would be fun to break in.  LOL  2 gray hairs breaking and entering to weave, now that is funny.
This is the first rug that I made on my floor loom at home.  Used the warping board and actually got a little pattern going with the warp.  Learning more as I go and will make wider bands of contrasting color next time.  Think I will weave some pretty shades of blue sweater strips with this warping and see how that looks.  As you know I "accidental" put 12 yards of warp on. 

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

The Yokes on Me!

I wrote out a pattern that I wanted to use for warping my new floor loom this past weekend.  I got busy and wrapped my warp according to my pattern onto my warping board.  Well last pm I took it off the board and laid it out on the floor (after putting the leasing sticks in place) and it got longer and longer.  I had planned for 6 yards.  Now don't get ahead on me!  But you guessed it.  I had 12 yards!  I forgot to count my wraps going back up the board!  Maybe all beginners do this once.  So I got it all stretched out, mounted onto the rod for the beam, and onto the raddle and stopped.  I called a life line, my friend from weaving class and asked her to come over this morning before we go to class and she helped me wrap the beam. (after she stopped laughing)  So now I am set to make a rug or 2 on this warping.  Will take a picture of that when I get something started.


The picture above is what I am doing at the college.  Just got a good start on it today after I did the hemming stitch which came out pretty good. The warp is red and brown.  The weft is pretty accurate with what you see in the pic.  I plan to do a wide swath of the gold then several feet of the turquoise (have lots more of it than the gold)  then repeat the end (in reverse of course)  I am having to watch and beat this very softly.  I am a good rug maker and beat the fire out of my rugs.  LOL  This will be a wall hanging when I am done with it. 

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Beautiful weaving

One of the ladies in my weaving class.  She finally finished this beautiful table runner.  Please click on it to see the detail of her weaving.  It took her one and one half semesters to get this set up and finished.  She is real proud of herself.  I just barely got started on my table runner.  Got the loom all set up and have the header done.  Only 2 more weeks of class so no way I will finish this one.  So I will come back next fall and take another semester.