11/03/2011

But how did...?!?

I first saw them on Weavolution, here and here, and was intrigued. I do know how to make V-shaped shawls - but they have two ends. These were closed!

I saw they were made on a Cricket loom, which is a rigid heddle loom ("loom", here, means it has both warp and cloth beams).

Hmmm.

I saw how one could make one by using a rigid heddle with body tension (thus being able to apply warp tension without a cloth beam), but I could not think of a way to make them on a "beam" loom.
(I should say: I have no idea how Lydia Kendrick makes hers!)

Until the lightbulb went on: I have a sandpaper beam! As the whole meaning of the sandpaper beam is to maintain tension between warp beam and freshly woven cloth... eureka! (I hoped)


So I decided to try: measured my head (65 cm should be enough), put on a 15 cm wide warp, and started weaving. As the bobbin run out after 62 cm, that would have to be enough... and I started the V part. (This is when the Moebius shape is put in - the yellow side is "outside" on the loom, so it should be on the "inside" when the V is started)


It looked like I had used a too light beat, and had it been more than 120 ends I might have scrapped it - . It is so much, er, "fiddlier" to find the corredt end and getting the weft tension right than one would think...


After cutting the warp, I wrestled the thing off the sandpaper beam (after taking it off, of course), and, here it is, fresh off the loom:



Honestly, it did not look promising... but after burling and mending (more than I care to tell you - when weaving on an AVL, always remember to step decisively on the left treadle!), fringe twisting, wet finishing and pressing it looked nice enough that I wore it to the guild meeting yesterday!


(Maybe I should have pressed it again - it has sat in a drawer overnight)

Now (the day after) I can say it was a fun and fast project - maybe I should make more?