string heddles are not my friends

Okay, its been quiet. Or, I've been quiet. Except when I've been sitting on the floor with piles of cut string littering the area around me, muttering and cursing under my breath. Its been so bad that no one in the house has even spoken to me until spoken to since last night.

I was trying to weave.

Now, granted, I don't know what I'm doing. At all. And I have serious issues with spacial reality at times - that, combined with an absolute lack of ability to visualize something I've never seen done before almost did me in.

But I'm really really stubborn (you all knew that already, didn'tya?). Now, someone I respect absolutely and without question told me several days ago that the book(s) I was trying to learn from weren't the best for that. But I thought I was smart and I could do it.

I guess I kinda did. Eighteen hours later. After wrapping warps on improvised implements over a dozen times (I'm being conservative in my estimate) and attempting to tie string heddles probably twice that many times.

String heddles look like this:

Or maybe that's just a multi-loop string heddle, I have no idea.

Then there's another heddle/loopy thing (I think its called a shed loop, although at this point it doesn't matter what its called because now I understand what it does). It's also known as "heddle #2".

This is a picture of the orange multi-heddles thingy on the lower left and the single, loopy heddle/shed loop thingy on the top right. You can see in the middle where the warp yarns cross, the colors change. That has to do with it being a complementary warp design. Which I think I understand, now that I've done it, but there's no way I'm going to try to explain it. I figured it all out about two hours ago.

And then there's all of this thread manipulation with fingers and such, beating up/in of weft threads with a very satisfying thing called a batten (mine is more or less a stick that I found in the pottery tool section of an art supply store), and when I actually got going I quit tearing my hair out and felt a little proud of myself.

I have some popsicle sticks at the bottom, and you can see the orange heddle strings (ugh) resting above in a clump on my leg. It was all very satisfying until my daughter pointed out to me that 18 hours was an awfully long time for about 3" worth of weaving. I assured her (not without some doubt) that it would be easy the next time around. Because I've finally figured out a decent (if silly) way to get all the heddle loops the same size (credit card), and things are starting to make sense. Not only that, it really didn't take me that long to weave the 3", it was figuring out how to set it all up that almost did me in.

I need some work on the tension at the edge. And probably the middle too. If anyone wants to know, its a "complementary warp uneven twill" band.

And now can someone tell me what the best kind of string for making string heddles is? Because there has to be something better than what I'm using.

Oh, forgot to mention - if this is really easy and you learned how to do it when you were six years old, please don't tell me. I need encouragement.

Comments

[Juno]

Shh, shh. It will get easier.

Also, dude, man - that's weaving you made there. I mean, whoa.

[JoVE]

Well it looks beautiful to me. No help otherwise, I'm afraid, though following along with interest.

[Sara]

wowza. And excellent motivation for me to STOP thinking of picking up weaving. Just yet.

Most excellent though - pat yourself very firmly on the back!

[naomi]

Preeeetty. And nice job on finding more reasonably priced sticks.

[lanea]

Yayyy! The comments wouldn't work for me earlier, so I just emailed you. But I figure some of these other folks might want some more info too, so I'll repeat myself.

You know what? It was hard when I started too. Not easy. Not a 4 year old task. Math and strength and planning and dexterity and all kinds of ability involved.
And also? I've been weaving small for years, and my string just outsmarted me last weekend. It's tricksy stuff sometimes.
And Juno is absolutely right--it will get easier.
And heddles--try mercerized cotton.
And a knife shuttle is the answer. I know a guy behind a counter . . .
And you're weaving a pattern that is much more difficult than most of us start with.

[fleur]

Ha,ha,ha! Did you see my complete failure in weaving on my blog (25th of June: THAT will make you really laugh)??? Welcome to the pleasant world of weaving! Hopefully we will progress!!! :-D

[Julia]

Good for you! It looks great, and you deserve props for hanging in there and figuring it out. It will be fun to watch you become as brilliant at weaving as you are at everything else!

[Sara]

I did weave when little, but I worked on simple box looms that my mom warped for me. I can't imagine warping a loom as a little kid! I'll see if my mom has any suggestions about the string.

[vanessa]

i lurve the pattern.

[Laurie]

Huh??

[Cheryl]

Good grief. I have no idea what any of those words mean. Is this post in English?

Well done deciphering the cryptic language of weaving.

[Rachel H]

m'kay, I have absolutely no idea what you said. But I do like that bit of weaving you've done.

[Marcia]

Boy, and I thought the Rigid Heddle was hard to figure out! Good for you, though, getting that far. (I'm going to rethink my plan to buy an inkle loom in Maine next month, however.)

[Kim]

You did GOOD!

[denny Mcmillan]

Heddles for back strap or inkle weaving should be ; 1) light wieght 2) light colour 3)slippery
The "shed" is an out building we put bad weavers in, umm no I mean it's the room between the upper warp and the lower warp when your putting your weft through.A shed loop is string to pull upper weft from the lower weft.I have never done back strap weaving before.I went from inkle loom to floor loom.I was a preteen at the time,sucked at math, but I learned to weave thru lessons at summer shool.You will love it. You may have to change your blog's name to "Not enough Wool" Eats the stash, weaving does, justs eats it like a hungry teenager.
have fun dennyxox

P.S. a big hello out there to Rachel H.

[Sigga Sif]

Wow Cassie, it's looking great. Don't excuse yourself, you did a freaking great job!

[DebbieB]

Wow. I bought books on Navajo rug weaving looms (how to construct, how to use) years ago when obsessed with the southwest and native american handwork. It was strictly for dreaming purposes, however, since I've never attempted to follow through with it.

WTG for following through, Cassie.

[Laura J]

Inkle looms make this stuff easier, you know. And the crazy card weavers did without heddles altogether.

Hang tough, woman!

[Adele]

This may sound like a crazy suggestion for heddle strings, but dental floss came instantly to mind. It is such a multi-talented tool. And WOW, that is amazing to start weaving with such a complex pattern.

[Chriss]

WTG Cassie! Although now I'm a little scared to try weaving. I am visually oriented person though so maybe I'll be okay.

Picked up my loom on Monday only to discover that it's not an inkle loom after all. It's a tapestry loom...oh dear.

[mamacate]

That is beautiful. And I think the edges are one of those things that come with time.

You're getting me all excited about weaving right when my loom is sitting in a storage compartment 10 miles away. Drat.

[julia fc]

At the Textile Museum on Saturdays, they have warps set up in the lobby for kids, and they use heddles made out of popscicle sticks. Cool, huh?

[regina]

I have absolutely no idea what you just said, but that sure is pretty.

[Beth S.]

Do you ever listen to WeaveCast? Maybe there's something helpful in there. I think one of the earlier episodes was "weaving 101 for knitters", or something like that. Otherwise, I have to agree, this is a bit like trying to read a post in another language. I can look at the pretty picture and say "ooooh", but that's about the size of it.

[Cordelia]

I think 18 hours is just enough time to weave one's *first* three inches.