Dressing Up Maeve

So this is part 2 of my new loom adventure.   It's about dressing up Maeve with her first warp. This is 10/2 cotton, kinda clingy and in softer 'neutral' colours.   Approx 7.5 yards for 6 towels and a sample.   At 28 epi, that's 684 ends!   Nice project in principle but that 684 times I must tussle with new heddles that are somewhat tangled.  Well, I'm that patient.... or stubborn, take your pick!

The warp wound on very well using the Helping Hands assist. (from Lofty Fibers)   The only issue I had was the holes in the ends of my new lease sticks is larger than the ones on the older 110's lease sticks.  So the little 3D printed pegs fell out!    So I used some painters tape at either end and carried on.    No binding of threads, no breakage despite the threads being clingy.   

  

Each section of warp had an S hook and a 3 pound weight and I would go back and forth advancing every 2 feet or so.    Not overly fast but it went well and that's the main thing.  I try not to rush any phase of this process as the beaming of the warp is important.   You can't weave properly on a badly beamed warp.

Finally, I was done and this was my view from the front. The beater assembly is lifted up onto support brackets from GingerlocksHandwovens.  They have a variety of 3D printed aids for looms. 

Here you can see the lease sticks and their end brackets have been dropped down to the lower position, at a good height for threading. There is texsolv cord on either side so you can adjust it to exactly where you need them. I generally as a rule leave the main Helping Hands parts on the loom. The lead stick brackets go into the nifty little bag they came with.

Then this was my view for a few hours every afternoon as I grappled with fresh tight heddles. It was very hot outside so I was okay with the AC on and some nice music playing. 

My high tech method of keeping track of where I am in the pattern.  I'm threading what is between the 2 post it notes.   Simple and effective.   Cheap too.

The threaded sections started to add up....

.... and finally it was all done!  Time to set the parts back on the loom for sleying the reed.

Except the 14 dent reed I need is being used on the other loom! So time to get busy over there.....

Back soon.   😉