This is my first warp since the BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC. It really feels good to be at the loom after such a long time. I’m thinking, “Isn’t the cross a wonderful thing?” I see it all over in my travels today. Its proper name is LEASE. I was going to use it in my books but was convinced “cross” was better. However, my press is called “Lease Sticks Press”.
Getting comfortable is what Jim Ahrens taught as the way to thread without mistakes. This is the set-up for you, the lease sticks, and the warp. I thought showing the illustration first would let you understand the actual photos better. Note that the lease sticks are hanging VERTICALLY. The illustration is from my book, Weaving for Beginners, which is available on my website.
Here is a side view of my loom with the cross hanging from my yellow broom handle.
Here is a close up showing that the top lease stick is tied to the broom handle, so the pair of sticks is hanging vertically.
Here I am at the front of the loom reaching to the back for the next warp from the cross with my threading hook. My other hand assists, steadying the heddle.
Here I am at the front of the loom. The photo was taken at the back of the loom.
I love the your illustrations. I bought the book, but the posts are so much more clear. I believe it is the magic of technology.
Thank you so much!(I guess!) I’d be happy to make more posts out of the things that you think need more explaining! I always worry I’ll run out of ideas. email me at peggy@peggyosterkamp.com anytime!
Peggy
PS All the illustrations are copied from the book!! Photos are new!!
PPS check the list of categories and search for topics you feel iunclear about. Often I’ve written more than one on the same subject.
PPPS. I look forward to hearing from you (I think!!) (YES)
Interesting. I’m very new…Oct 2023 and older 70 starting to learn to weave. Love all Thea amazinc ideas everyone has.
I’m 84, welcome toour world! I wrote my book just for you: Weaving for Beginners. It’s available on my website. http://www.peggyosterkamp.com
Peggy
How wonderful you’re doing it! I’m 72. I have woven off and on since I was 10. One can’t always have a floor loom where I’ve lived. So I very much feel myself a beginner. I finally got another floor loom during the pandemic. So glad to have you along!
Omg! this discovery is fantastic. Thank you
The same process is in my Weaving for Beginners book. Available on the website.
Peggy
At first I couldn’t find the yellow broom handle. When I did, the concept worked for me. Brilliant, I think!
The other thing is – how high is the stool you’re sitting on. That’s Brilliant!!
I need a week to shadow you warping several looms. Would that be possible even?
I’m going to try adding these pictures to my copy of your book.
It’s the same process as in the book!
Peggy
Beautiful warp Peggy, it looks like silk?
Yes, silk. I painted it. My first (and last?) painted warp! I was inspired by that warp we saw at the museum in Nagoya where the colors changed places about half way through. I am going to Japan in May with an Australian group of weavers and will be at the Toyota museum. I hope to go off to the other museum and see what that piece was really like. We’ll see if my warp changes straight across both sides or not. I’ve decided on a different sett and different threading so will be undoing 8 shafts of threading plus 4 shafts of selved threads. Never had to do that before. But I want what I want. Glad to be in a weaving mode and letting photography slide a bit. How are you?
Peggy
I wish I could see how you hung the broom handle.
You and others, too. I’m going to send another illustration from my book, Weaving for Beginners to your email. There is an area that has a cloth shown. That is if the background makes it hard to see to thread the heddles. Disregard that –just see how the broom handle is attached to the loom. Looms vary so you might need to figure out how to hang it on your loom.
Peggy
I feel a little dimwitted. When I read you had the lease sticks vertical I thought WOW! So the top thread would be at the top, and not to the side. But then the pictures all show the lease sticks horizontal aren’t they? I’m not seeing anything vertical?
Could you explain what I’m missing? I’m a huge fan of Jim Ahrens. I have had two of his side tie looms. I sold a 12 shaft and had so much angst I bought the next one I found and it won’t leave my cold, dead hands. I have a prototype PDL before they were AVL and a late 90’s FDL. I’m a fan!
This is very timely. I’ve finally been able to set up my Glimakra again (after 15 years!) and am getting ready to re-tie and thread it. I’ve forgotten everything I knew! I very much appreciate a refresher.
Dear Leigh,
I wrote my book, Weaving for Beginners just for you. Available on my website. I’m just getting back to my loom since BEFORE the pandemic. I know the feeling!
Peggy
Peggy, I have all three volumes of your New Guide to Weaving series. 🙂
I bought them years ago and need to re-read them, I think!
Probably the 4th book would be a good one,too–Weaving for Beginnesr–more accessible, more illustrations, more stuff in one place. 4th edition coming soon–will be $70 instead of $50 so might get it sooner rather then later. That I wrote after and using a lot of the small books’ info. But the small books are deeper and more like references.
Happy reading!
Peggy
PS there is a lot on my blog and a search button for looking up previous blog posts for what you want to know at the time.
Nice explanation and photos.
Thanks Miriam. How is your van doing?
Fondly,
Peggy
This is an interesting alternative. I do suspend my lease cross between the front beam and the harnesses to access the threads and to be able to see them in the right order for threading!!
Thanks for this good idea!
Peggy, Thank you. New ideas are always great.
Question: I see your texsolv heddles are not colored. Many of my friends take 4 different colors of markers and color the eye of the heddle; some have colored the top and some have dyed the entire heddle before putting it on the loom. I colored mine , just the eye, on my 8-shaft table loom, and not sure I like it. I have not used it much as this loom is more for workshops. It kinda feels like a distraction. Do you have an opinion on coloring heddles?
LOL, I saw one response that you are sometimes worried about running out of things to write about. …….When it comes to weaving, I don’t think you will ever run out. There are so many tips and tricks from everyone I talk to. The more you talk to others, you may get 10 different ways to do things. Just so happens that I have had such a hard time warping, that I have a slightly unconventional way, but it works for me. I do as you do. I was having so much trouble a friend suggested warping F2B. This worked to a degree, BUT ! because of my eyesight, or loss of, I could not see my threads on the beater to the heddle. So I changed once again. I still wind on from the front like I was doing F2B, but I don’t thread the heddles, then take my threads back to the front through the heddles, and then reed again. It’s an extra step, but I make fewer mistakes this way.
I will never learn everything there is in weaving and Gals like you will never stop running out of things to talk about. Thank you.
A quick answer. I hve never colored them. guess I don’t do reallycomplicated things!
Peggy
I love this idea. Maybe I read this too quickly but what if we don’t have a castle? I have a babywolf, no castle. Where would I hang the broom stick from?
You would hang the broom handle from the top of the last shaft.
Peggy