Tension but texture with variable-sized heddles

Have had so much fun experimenting with variable-sized heddles (segments put together in the frame and used as one heddle in my rigid heddle loom).

This has allowed me to use a lot of different sized yarns, but keep the finer yarns closely set, while still leaving enough room for the bulky yarns.

But here's the problem.  The bulky yarns use up more space on both the front and the back beam, which will inevitably lead to problems - the thickest yarns become tighter and tighter. One way to reduce this would be to add weights to the finer yarns and let them hang off the back of the loom; this works great on a conventional loom (my Dorothy table loom, for example), but my RH loom is portable, so weights get awkward really fast.

I use cardboard slats to keep my warp even as I wind it, so as I weave and advance the warp, these fall out (usually on my feet...)  I then put these on the back beam, under the threads that are finer, to bring them to the same tension as the bulkier warps.  As I weave, I find that I have to keep adding these slats, and sometimes even have to press against them towards the end of the piece, because there is quite a bit of difference between the tensions. But whatever works.

On this latest scarf, I've been using a wooden weaving sword, which has helped with tension, but also has helped me clear the shed because I forgot how sticky eyelash yarn is when you use it as warp. Only 4 ends of eyelash, but I have to clear Every. Single, Pick.  Remember:  use eyelash yarn for weft. Use eyelash yarn for weft.

I've also found it helpful to "beat" with a comb, rather than with the heddle.  There is such variety in warp sizes, that when I beat with the heddle, sometimes the pick gets pulled out as I push the heddle back to it's resting position.  The comb has allowed me to keep the lines of weft even.  Sometimes, when I tighten the warp, especially towards the end of the scarf, the last few picks I have just woven get out of shape. I can carefully  re-align them with the comb.

Oh, and I found that all the little heddle segments didn't like standing up straight, so I added a wider segment at each side for stability.  This may not be a problem with the Majacraft loom, but if you've done a DIY number, you may want to try this.

Yes, this is more work, but the results are worth it.

Working with a peg loom

My husband recently made me a gorgeous peg loom with two different sizes of pegs, and I thought I'd share what I've learned about the basics of weaving on a peg loom.

Overall design
1. Decide if you want a bulky piece (large holes) or a less bulky piece (small holes).
2. Place pegs in the holes approximately as wide as you’d like the piece you are weaving to be. The first time, just use some of the pegs, to get an idea how peg weaving works.

Warp  

3. The warp is the yarn that runs vertically in your weaving. It needs to be strong because the weft (what weaves horizontally) will be pushed down the warp many times during the weaving, and large weavings can become heavy. Carpet warp is narrow, but very strong and durable. Some people use crochet cotton. When you’re done weaving, the warp will normally only show at the ends, as a fringe.

4. Decide how long you want your weaving to be when it’s finished. The rule of thumb is to make the warp 3-4 times as long as that. This gives you enough to work with as the warp threads are doubled (threaded through the pegs and hanging down on both sides), and when you finish the weaving, possibly with a fringe. It can be frustrating when you don’t have enough warp to work with. Experience will teach you how much works best for you, but start with 3-4 times the length you want for now. For your first sampler, you may want to make your warp threads only a yard or two long, so you are learning the process of weaving, not the process of measuring and handling long warps. See “For more information” below for information about creating long warps.

5. Take out one of the pegs at one end of the loom (you’ll work across the row). Push the threading tool loop through hole in the peg, stick one end of the warp through the loop and pull the loop back through the peg. Even out the warp tails so the tails are both about the same length, then put the peg back in the hole. (At this point you can put down the threading tool.) With the threaded peg, the end with the warp should be closest to the bottom. Now repeat all across the row of pegs.

6. Tie the warp threads together into a loose knot that’s 8 to 10 inches below the pegs. Make this a knot that you will be able to untie easily later. The knot helps keep the warps from becoming tangled, and can also be helpful if you drop the loom and pegs fall out. It also helps keep the weaving from loosening up too much as you are weaving.

Weft
7. The weft is the yarn that runs horizontally, and which you will be weaving through the pegs. Unlike the warp, the weft can be almost any yarn. You also can use lots of different yarns in one piece, playing around with color and texture.

Weaving
8. You can work on a table, or on your lap. I like sitting in an easy chair and rest the loom on the arms of the chair. If you plan a very large weaving that will become heavy, you may want to clamp the ends of the loom onto a table.

9. Tie one end of the weft to a peg at one end and leave a tail (you can use a yarn needle to weave this in when you are done). Then start weaving across the pegs, in front of a peg, in back of the next peg, in front of the next peg, in back of the next peg. When you reach the end of the row, be sure to go around that peg and start back in the opposite direction. Press the yarn down to the bottom of the peg; if the weaving feels too loose, gently pull the end to tighten it up.

10. Some people don’t like to use knots, and just overlap yarns when they start using a different color yarn. I like to use knots but make sure I keep them at the back where they won’t show.

11. When you have several inches of weaving on the pegs, you are going to need to move this down onto the warp below so there is room for you to weave some more.

12. Lift out the right-most peg if you’re right-handed (the left-most peg if you’re left-handed) and press the weaving that’s on the peg down the warp several inches so it’s completely off the peg. Replace the peg back into its hole. Repeat across the row. At first, it will look like there is a big gap between the weaving that’s below the pegs and what’s on the pegs, but as you repeat this process, the weaving comes together.

13. As the weaving gets close to the knot that you tied in the warp threads, untie the knot and tie another one farther down the warp.

14. You can change yarns and colors, creating all sorts of effects. See “For More Information” for a tapestry book that will give you good ideas to try.

Finishing
15. When the weaving piece is about as long as you want it, and you have moved all the weaving off the pegs and onto the warp, pull out the pegs again, and press all the weaving further down the warp until you have 6 or more inches of warp at the top of the weaving; if you’re going to want a fringe, have the warp that’s left be the length of the fringe plus an inch for knotting. It’s helpful to work on a table so you have a flat surface to work on. Tighten the weaving by pressing it towards the center of the piece while holding onto the warp threads at both ends of the weaving piece.

16. The easiest way to finish your weaving is to tie the warp threads from two different pegs together in an overhand knot and leave the remainder as fringe. If you don’t tie warp threads from different pegs together in some way, the weaving will come out. If you don’t want a fringe, knot the warp threads, then use a yarn needle to weave the warp threads back into the weaving.

17. Even up the fringes with scissors. Using a yarn needle, work with the yarn ends where you started and ended a color; weave these into the piece in at least two different directions to help lock them in.

18. You may want to wet-finish your weaving. How you do this depends on the yarn content. For example, most wools can “full” (the fibers spread out) and even “felt” (becomes a solid sheet which can’t be unwoven). Some fibers can shrink. If the care instructions for a yarn say “hand wash in cold water, dry flat” then that’s how you should wash it.

19. There are whole books written about finishing – both about different kinds of fringes/finishing, and wet-finishing woven pieces.

For more information:
Measuring a long warp: When you have a lot of warp threads and they are long, it helps to measure between warping pegs. These can be warping pegs that you buy, but people have also used clamps set the length of the warp apart, or chair legs of upturned chairs, or pieces of wood stuck in two separate kitchen drawers. For more ideas for “winding the warp,” read a book about weaving such as Learning to Weave by Deborah Chandler. This is available in libraries (and interlibrary loan if your library doesn’t have it), as well as from the many used book sources on the internet.

Become a member of Ravelry.com http://www.ravelry.com and become a member of the Pegs & Sticks forum there http://www.ravelry.com/groups/pegs--sticks (you have to be a Ravelry member for this link to work). Ravelry is free and the community has many resources – including a lot of people who can answer your questions, and make suggestions. In fact, Ravelry has many resources for weavers, knitters, spinners, and other fiber-related crafts. Definitely worth a look.

The internet has websites, blogs, and videos; just Google “winding the warp,” “tapestry weaving,” “weaving finishing,” and so on to find further information.

For more ideas of weaving techniques with your peg loom, see a book about tapestry weaving techniques, like Tapestry Weaving by Kirsten Glasbrook

For more ideas about fringes and other finishes, see a book like Finishing Touches for the Handweaver by Virginia West.

Experimenting with variable-sized heddles

    After seeing a discussion on Ravelry about the Majacraft dynamic heddle rigid heddle loom that has variable-sized segments of heddles, I had to try it for myself.  Not having $500 plus for the Majacraft, gorgeous as it is, I tried something else.  Here's a link to the discussion; you have to be a member of Ravelry to see it, but it's free to join.

    I purchased RH segments from Village Spin and Weave.  Folks use these segments for backstrap and other narrow weaving, and since they only cost $6.25 to $8.25 each, the outlay is small.  These are solid, sturdy plastic, made by Schacht (based on the name "Schacht" embedded in the plastic), a bit thicker than the plastic in my Ashford Knitters Loom heddles, and a bit less tall than the AKL heddles, but they're all the same height.

    My DH made me a wooden frame for the segments so that I can use them all together in whatever order I choose. The frame he made looks the same as the wooden frames for the heddles I already have.  I put the heddle segments I want to use in the frame, and hold the whole thing together with rubber bands.  Here's a picture from warping: 

    While direct warping, I was more careful than usual, as I didn't want the heddle to fall apart and leave me with a big snarl.

    From warping the scarf I'm using to play with the segments, I can already see some issues ahead.

First, the different thicknesses of the yarn will mean tension problems, so I will need to add something on the back beam for the skinnier yarn to keep the tension consistent.

Second, I think I need to get some more rubber bands, to make sure this holds together as I move the heddle up and down while I weave.

Third, the holes (vs. the slots) in the segments are not as tall as those in my AKL.  Don't know if this will make a difference or not.

Fourth, finishing will be interesting, with all these different yarns.  I used stash yarns for the warp, and will be using more stash yarns for the weft, so it's a real mix - cotton carpet warp, bulky variegated yarn (wool/acrylic), wool worsted weight, acrylic sport weight.

Fifth, there can be gaps between the segments.  Don't know if this will cause tracking, but since it's between different-sized yarns already, I don't think any tracking will be noticeable.

    Can't wait to see what develops.  Stay tuned.