Episode 2

[Ginette]

It was so great to watch all the videos in Episode 2 this morning!  Great visuals & filming.  Loved all the different warps this episode has with different looms.  Thanks again Jane for starting this way of learning and being our teacher for so many of us!  I never get tired of learning from you 🙂 Once again, I picked up some new tricks and that 27 yard warp, what can I say about that….OMG wow, just impressive!!

[Norma OCuilinn]

Yup, just finished watching it as well.  I love the texsolv cording to hold the warp rod in place.  That gets cut and put on next time I’m warping the loom!

27 yards makes my toes squinch and my eyes cross…. But, as they say, never say never… I think the longest I have planned is about 10.  Long enough for now, thanks.

Good job, Jane.  Big hug

[Gail]

Just watched all of episode 2.  I picked up several tips not in the video Jane made for Louet on warping the loom – tension on the warp, slick way of tying a slip knot, how to manipulate the tie onto the front apron rod, and tightening the cloth beam before making the final knots.  I can’t wait to try them on my next warp!

[Diana]

Just finished episode 2. I can’t wait to be finished the blanket warp that is on my counterbalance loom so that I can try using the raddle Janes way.  And no switching of the cross, my husband/helper will be thrilled.

i am really enjoying these videos, thanks Jane

[Diane]

I love episode 2 I am learning a lot

[Nancy]

Question, about the leash sticks still being behind the heddles while doing the warp tie on to front beam…doesn’t that affect getting even tension?

[Sasha Adams]

I was wondering about that too, Nancy. I’m almost sure that Jane took the leash sticks out before tying on, but maybe I’m wrong and she takes them out after tying on? I’m almost positive that you don’t weave with them in, but I could be wrong about that as well.

[Jennifer Tennant]

Thanks Jane lots of good tips to improve the threading experience. If I can get them to work on my loom my back will be thanking you. I also like the idea of using the texsol cord to tie the rod in place- has solved one of my minor irritations on my loom. Now headed to the loom to try out the rest of the ideas.

Jennifer

[Diane]

I episode 2 you mentioned notes to accompany the lesson. Is this correct and where are they available

Diane

[Jane]

Hi There,

I am watching on my ipad and don’t have a computer with me in India….but over on the left hand side there is that menu bar and it shows an eye…which implies viewing and right below it there is another pdf icon….click on that and you should be able to download the pdf.  And…..just in case that doesn’t work maybe Ginette can help…..cause she can always figures these things out when I can’t LOL.

Jane

[Jane]

Hi Kids,

Sometimes we take them out, sometime we forget….it doesn’t make a difference at all.

Cheers,

Jane

[Raven]

Big Wow!

I just wound on my warp using the book method and boy was that fast!  Not a tangle, not a swear word, no fiddling with choke ties, not a single frustration.  Just put books on warp and go.

However, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.  When I got to the end, I noticed that the edge warps were about 1/4 inch shorter than the centre warp threads.  Is this going to cause me problems later?  It’s a 5-yard warp in groups of four, in 2/8 cotton (for waffle towels), wound on a warping mill using the techniques in episode one.  Any thoughts on what caused this difference, if it will effect my weaving, and what I can do next time to improve?

[Sandra]

Hi Raven!

I think you have done extremely well in winding on your warp!  The difference in length disappears when you tie on and your warp should weave up beautifully.  Post a photo of it as you start to weave.

Sandra

[Raven]

Thanks Sandra,

I’m making record time on my heddle threading using the method in the video.  I can see what she means about needing to do exercise with the index finger, but it’s getting there.  A few more warps and I think I’ll have it down pat!

These videos are a huge help, but the biggest challenge is yet to come: can I get the warp tied on with an even tension?  This is the thing I find most difficult and time consuming of all.  Yet the video made it look so easy.  Fingers crossed.

[Lori]

Regarding the pdf file(s) – I see the eye icon, but I don’t see anything about pdf files available anywhere.  When I click on the eye, I get a list of the videos.  I’m using Chrome.

Are you all seeing the PDF files?

Thanks,

Lori

[Ginette]

Hi Lori, if you go into episode 2 videos,  the PDF will appear right under the eye.  You’ll need to be on the first lesson page of episode 2 for it to pop up on the left.

[Lori]

Thanks so much, Ginette!!  I see it after doing what you said.  🙂

Lori

[Sony Baron]

Hi, no eye or PDF on my Mac. I will try to find the missing eye for a start and then see. Sony

[Sony Baron]

Found the EYE! Have the PDF! Yay!, Sony

[Herb]

Thank you, Jane. I do like my LeClerc Nilus, but one day I’d like to own a Louet Spring. My Nilus has metal heddles and I’m always concerned that, with some fibres, the rigid heddles can cause an end to break. Is this a problem with the soft, synthetic heddles on the Louet, and will they work well if I put them on my Nilus loom?

[Sandra]

After reading here, I can now open the PDF. But I can’t download it, which makes it less useful as reference material. Is this something that I’m just not seeing or is it not designed to be downloaded and printed out? Thanks.

[Kathleen McDonald]

Hi Sandra – I am able to open and download the PDF.  Click to open the PDF, then once the PDF opens on your screen, look up into the top righthand side/corner of the screen – you will see small icons (first one is view mode, then print icon, then the fat arrow pointing down, that is the download button). If you click on the download button, it should download/save to your desktop – from there you can open/print/save.  If you were going to print it, just hit the print icon.

[Sandra]

I’ve closed the window and tried again, but I don’t get an option to download. I’ve tried everything I can think of, but somehow it just isn’t working for me. 🙁

[Ginette]

Sandra,

On your PC, it will  automatically download when you click on it and open with your Adobe reader.  Once the file is open, you should be able to save it.   With the adobe reader, you can save it from the top left where it says ‘file’.   Can you try again and if that doesn’t work, we’ll try and figure something out for you.

Ginette

 

 

[Sandra]

Not a PC, a Mac using Safari. Adobe Reader doesn’t open unless it is already downloaded. Typically, a PDF will open in a new window (which this did) and there will be an option to download the file to my computer. Not this time. I did find a work-around though – under the File menu, there is an option to export as PDF. That allowed me to save it to my desktop. I hope this info will help anyone else having difficulty.

[Kathleen McDonald]

Hi Sandra – regarding files not downloading when using a Mac.  I also have a Mac – I had same issue when I was trying to download for an academic course.  If you are using Safari – try the instructions in this link as it is likely that you need to indicate ‘download files automatically’: https://www.pntbrother.com/safari-turning-off-automatic-downloaded-files-opening-option-mac-os-x/

[Sandra]

Thanks for the assistance, Kathleen!

[Janet]

I love episode 2 as much as episode 1!

 

Thoroughly enjoying this and finding it immensely helpful, especially as a newbie weaver 🙂

[Claudia]

I have always warped f2b and I want to try b2f.  When you go to thread the heddles, don’t the treadles get in the way of getting close to the heddles?

Claudia

[Sandra]

Hi Claudia,  I always remove my breast beam and place a chair inside the loom (as Jane demonstrates).  It makes threading the heddles easy-peasy 😉

[Sony Baron]

Hi Claudia,

Tie on and put heavy weight on the treadles, so the shafts lift up. Once the shafts are raised, the heddles are at eye level and life is good! You can use bricks, metal, whatever you have on hand that is heavy enough to do the job. My breast beam isn’t movable, while the back one is. That is one of the reasons I have typically worked F2B. But I find this way makes it very comfortable to work B2F.

Hope it helps :), Sony from Victoria.

 

• This reply was modified 6 years, 9 months ago by Sony Baron.

[Raven]

I was so proud of myself trying on the warp to the front stick.  Doing it all in one go, just like the video showed me… only… I was in such a hurry, I missed a step and my tension was terrible.  UG!  Cut off my starter weft and try again, this time, I’ll use my hand to do the walking thingy.  Getting an even warp tension is the hardest part for me.  I think I’ll have to walk away from the loom and come back to it tomorrow.  But I’m determined to make this method work, even if I have to watch that video 500 times and try it 10,000 times.  I’m going to learn this.

but still, at this point I’m so frustrated I could just cry.  But I’m going to learn this.  I’m going to learn this. I’m going to learn this. (if I say it often enough, and practice enough, maybe it will come true?)

• This reply was modified 6 years, 9 months ago by Raven.

[Raven]

I did it!  Even tension, easy weaving!  Second try is a charm.

That’s just my sample weft to get things started and triple check my threading.  I might have made the sections too big, using 4 dents per half.  I’ll give it a go and then try smaller chunks for my next one.

I’m so excited… except, I’m still waiting for my weft to arrive.  We had delays due to excessive snow.  But it should arrive today (tomorrow at the latest).

[Sandra]

👏 Raven!

[Norma OCuilinn]

Whooohooo! Looks good, Raven. Pretty colors.  Looks sorta random.  I like that. 🙂

[Rita]

this thread seems to have lost the starting comment. what I see is “I found the eye” as the first comment and I am not understanding what question she asked before this.

 

by reading along, it seems there should be a PDF file but I don’t see it. I see the eye in Episode 2, lesson one, but when I click on it, I get the episode.  I am using Mozilla, if that helps

 

 

[Ginette]

Hi Rita, I’ve started a new forum thread for the PDF and where to find it.  Let me know if you have any problems

Cheers, Ginette

[Sandra]

Rita, it seems that this forum is organized so that the most recent comments begin at the top of page 1. To see the first post, you have to scroll to the bottom of the last page, which is 3, as it now stands. I’m finding it a bit confusing to follow along – just scrolling until I hit something I’ve read before. Hope this helps.

[Maureen Janda]

I’m a beginner, just a 12′” Ashford Knitter’s loom for now. I warped my loom with Tencel for , what else, a scarf ( it is only 12″, after all). I’ve tried a few methods to tie on and tension, including lacing on, but yours worked wonderfully for me. My tension seemed great. But after a couple of inches of weaving, the first section of threads on the left of the loom were loose and sagging. I’m wondering if tencel stretches? I unwound the warp and checked the knots. The knot on the first section  may have loosened, but I’m not sure that happened. I tried to fix the tension so I could continue but ended up cutting off the bit of weaving I’d done. It gave me a chance to wash and dry and iron that bit to see how it was working, which was good.

Now I’m trying to restart, but I don’t like the way the tencel just loosens even when I double knot on top of the surgeon’s knot. I’m tempted to put a drop of fabric glue on each knot, but then I couldn’t change anything if it did need tightening. Any ideas from those who have used tencel warps? Maybe I’m just making the tension too tight in the first place?

Thanks, Maureen

• This reply was modified 6 years, 9 months ago by Maureen Janda.

[Sandra]

Are you planning to use your tie-on for the fringe of your scarf, Maureen?  If so, I would not want to use glue as this eliminates that option.  How even is your tension on your warp beam?  If your warp isn’t firmly wound around, it will be impossible to get a continuously firm tension as you weave.

[Maureen Janda]

Of course, you’re right about the  glue being a problem if I wanted fringe on the scarf. Duh, hadn’t thought it through.

I thought the tension on the warp beam was even, but I’ll be more careful when I re-tie everything. I don’t yet have a good feel for how even it is when I pat my palm across the warp, especially at the edges.  I’m also going to tie on a dowel to the front warping stick. Maybe tying onto a round dowel instead of the flat warping stick on the loom will work better? I haven’t had this problem with other less slick yarns, just the tencel.

I’ve been learning weaving from books and videos and haven’t, therefore, had guidance on how tight the feel of a warp should be, so I wonder if I put less tension on the warp it wouldn’t untie itself from excessive tension on it? Or maybe I should add enough inches onto the loom waste allotment to be able to wind the warp completely around the cloth beam before even starting to weave, therefore letting the cloth beam take some of the tension and reducing the pull on the knots? That might waste quite a lot of yarn, though.

Sorry for so many questions.  Wish I could  join a hands-on workshop.

 

[Sandra]

Hi again, Maureen.   Have you secured your Knitter’s Loom to a table when you wound the warp on the back beam?  I have a rigid heddle loom and I know it can sometimes be difficult with a small/light loom to get even tension on your back beam.  It’s hard to pull the warp firmly towards you without bringing the loom with it.  If you have your loom firmly secured it would be easier.  If your tension on your back beam is uneven, you won’t have any fun weaving 🙁  I have woven with tencel, silk and other “slippery” fibres.  Tying on the way Jane’s demonstrates in the video is the way I do it – surgeon’s knot, make sure the tension is even across the warp and secure it with a reef knot.

I’m hoping that someone that has used a Knitter’s Loom can suggest something else that might help you.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 9 months ago by Sandra.

[Maureen Janda]

Thanks again for all the suggestions. I’ll give them a try.

[Elizabeth]

I’m happy to say that I just put on a short linen warp following Jane’s method, and I have great tension and weaving is going well! My first experience with linen was a horrible failure – I had to cut the warp off, because I had such terrible tension issues, so I was really not sure what to expect. Here are the tips I’ve used.

Wound the warp on my warping reel following Jane’s method, with the cross where she suggests, including her counting tip, which is awesome. Created a super tight chain, but I still used choke ties, cause I was a’scared.

Put the warp on with a raddle on my castle, lashed onto the apron rod and used a trapeze. Switched from using warping sticks to paper.

Threading heddles – need to work on this! It felt really awkward with the 40/2 linen, so I stuck with my method.

Tied onto the front apron rod with Jane’s method – worked really well!

I have learned so much! As a new weaver, living in an area with NO access to other weavers, it really means so much to have access to such an amazing teacher! Thank you, Jane.

 

[Diana]

Hi all

 

if learning about this handy tool, the Irwin Quick-Grip, is the only thing I got out of this whole course then the money I invested in Online guild would be worth it! Today I used them to stand my warping board up on a table at the seniors home where my mother in law lives…so I could wind a warp and visit while they crafted on cards.  It was more than secure and just the right height.

I have attached a picture showing the warping board attached to a chair, makes it so nice. I can be totally portable, and it is nice and secure, maybe not as tight as screwing to the wall, but I don’t think they would let me screw my board to the wall at the seniors home lol.

I am so enjoying the videos and putting my new skills into practice.

[Raven]

I got so much out of the first video that I thought that was it.  There was no way any video could improve my weaving more.

Well, was I wrong!

This second episode has made a tremendous difference to my weaving.

I am really looking forward to the next ones.  In the meantime, here’s the warp I put on my loom today.

It took no time at all to get it on the back beam.  Although, my books were too heavy, but one less book fixed that.

I’m doing everything left handed so that I don’t get stuck in the bad habits of my right hand.  My left is now much faster than my dominant hand.

Sorry, I’m just gushing emotional about how great this guild is.  Going to go weave now.

[Martha]

Wonderful tips once again!!!  It never occurred to me how threads move when larger groups are tied onto the front!  I was doing 6 and 6 and that was better than an inch (10 and 10 or 12 and 12!).  Next warp I will go down to 4 and 4 to get that nice close set on the front beam.  Thank you Jane!

 

[Jeanne]

Another wonderful episode!  I was inspired by the video this time to try my first back to front warp – I have a David loom and I can’t believe how much easier it is to thread from the front with the beam and beater taken off.  My only question is – and perhaps this is specific to this type of loom – but how do you do this if you don’t have a second person to help you beam the warp?  I watched some videos online but in those videos the loom had a foot brake release so the person was able to hold the warp under tension with one hand and wind with the other.  On the David there is no foot brake release so you need both hands – so how do I do this alone?  Although my husband is generally around and always willing to help it seems problematic to have to rely on a second person.

[Jane]

The tension on your back beam is controlled by a nut that you can tighten or loosen….Look at the friction brake and you will see a round nut on the long threaded screw.  If you loosen the tension the back beam will move without you having to lift up on the handle.  There is also a toggle that fits into the ratchet on the back beam.  When you want to wind on by yourself you loosen the nut on the threaded screw and engage the toggle into the ratchet.  This allows you to have tension on the front where you warp is with your pile of books or whatever you are using to put tension on the warp…then just wind away.  When you want to weave you increase the tension on the friction brake and you flip the toggle back so it is not engaged.  Hope this makes sense.

 

[Jeanne]

Thanks!  I’ll give this a try the next time I wind on a warp!

[Nancy]

Thank you for posting this, I am just putting my Louet David 2 together and wouldn’t have known this, my other loom has the foot brake.  Your wonderful videos inspired me to buy a Louet.

[Valerie]

Wow, never did back to front warping! I love it and was able to dress my loom with cotton boucle With NO problems! Thank you so much! I have a Renewed desire to weave again 😊

[Jane]

Wonderful…..so happy that everyone is HAPPY!  I’m happy Too :^)

[Kathy]

I am amazed that putting on a warp can be so problem free!  It’s not just the quality of the teaching-which is first rate!  Jane, you are so clear in all your explanations.  It’s also exceptionally well recorded.  Thank you!

[Nancy]

My threads got caught in the raddle of my new Louet David (even though i tied them down) and snapped several warp threads while winding on.  It’s a mess because I had already wound on some of the warp before seeing what happened.  I’m done winding on and will refigure my draft with the threads I have left.

If I could have found the ends of the threads at the time they snapped should I have just tied them together and fixed them when I came across them weaving?

I’ve tried googling this but I only see repairs done of warp threads that snapped while weaving not while winding on the warp.

Many thanks, Nancy

[Author]

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