Does anyone have a Loom?

**ChattanCat** · 27th November 07, 03:41 PM

Originally Posted by Barb T.

The finer the reed you can get, the less trouble you'll have with threads sticking to one another. Sleying 4 threads/dent lets four threads clump together. I'd get a fine reed and sley 2 threads/dent.

Barb

I do have a 20. Maybe sley 2 threads/dent, 40 threads/in, 32 inches wide is only... 1280 threads. Wonder what the weight would be?

**Barb T** · 28th November 07, 11:03 AM

I think a 20 would be a great one to start with.

B

**string** · 5th December 07, 07:48 PM

I have a loom of my own, it is a 4 heddle shaght baby wolf, and has been used exactly once by me. I got it used... 7ish years ago. However I have access to two 18th & 19th century barn looms which are both demanding new warps.

This is not counting the 2 inkle looms and the tape loom in my closet, or the fact that most of the weaving I've done in the last year has been finger weaving which at it's most complicated requires a stick held between your toes or by the good looking kilted man hanging about.

That being said, I'd love to get more weaving done even though I'm a pretty poor weaver at this point. Need more practice, need more time, need more supplies...

**Thunderbolt** · 5th December 07, 09:30 PM

If you don't mind a question or two..

I've though a lot about weaving myself, but I'm concerned about the quality. No one has been able to show me the differences in home-woven and mill-woven. Can anyone give some insight?

I have a sample of cloth off an old peddle loom from Scotland and it would make a solid kilt, pretty heavy and a bit rough, but it would work fine.

Also, if I was looking to make kilt-quality cloth, is it very hard? How about finding good worsted yarn? What would I expect to pay for a good loom that could make that cloth?

Sorry for all the questions. PM me if you don't want to respond here...

Thanks!

T.

**string** · 5th December 07, 09:39 PM

If it's my weaving the difference is VERY obvious, but although I've been weaving for a long time, I've done very few pieces and haven't gotten any good at it at all

**Bugbear** · 5th December 07, 10:24 PM

It can be difficult to keep the selvage edge, hope I spelled that right, streight. Also it would take a bit of practice to get the feel for making your wep evenly tight. It could get horribly out of square. Having a very well built loom would help a lot. I have never worked with twill weaving, and never ever worked with a good loom, just home made rug type stuff, so hope you get someone else with a better answer.

Originally Posted by Thunderbolt

If you don't mind a question or two..

I've though a lot about weaving myself, but I'm concerned about the quality. No one has been able to show me the differences in home-woven and mill-woven. Can anyone give some insight?

I have a sample of cloth off an old peddle loom from Scotland and it would make a solid kilt, pretty heavy and a bit rough, but it would work fine.

Also, if I was looking to make kilt-quality cloth, is it very hard? How about finding good worsted yarn? What would I expect to pay for a good loom that could make that cloth?

Sorry for all the questions. PM me if you don't want to respond here...

Thanks!

T.

**Barb T** · 6th December 07, 06:24 AM

Originally Posted by Ted Crocker

It can be difficult to keep the selvage edge, hope I spelled that right, streight. Also it would take a bit of practice to get the feel for making your wep evenly tight. It could get horribly out of square. Having a very well built loom would help a lot. I have never worked with twill weaving, and never ever worked with a good loom, just home made rug type stuff, so hope you get someone else with a better answer.

I wrote up my take on this awhile back in the following thread:

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/h...highlight=loom

and here

http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/w...hlight=weaving

It is almost impossible to hand weave the hard tartan that you can buy commercially for kilting. Tartan can be woven on a hand loom, but it will not likely have the "hand" of commercially woven tartan.

Barb

**Dirk Skene** · 6th December 07, 07:14 AM

My wife has 2. An 8 shaft & a 16 shaft.

**ChattanCat** · 6th December 07, 04:18 PM

Originally Posted by Barb T.

The finer the reed you can get, the less trouble you'll have with threads sticking to one another. Sleying 4 threads/dent lets four threads clump together. I'd get a fine reed and sley 2 threads/dent.

Barb

Anybody have a reed with 24" dents/inch?

The closest I have seen for yarn is from Camilla Valley Farm:
http://www.camillavalleyfarm.com/kni...eavingyarn.htm

**ThreadBbdr** · 1st April 08, 06:13 PM

OK, that's it. The loom is coming up out of the basement.

I have a 36 inch LaClerc 4 harness, 6 treadle jack loom and I have woven tartan on it before. I did two Great Kilts for Renfest friends, but that was close to 25 years ago now.

One of your selvages will be nicer than the other one - make that side your hem side. - pay attention to your twill line - it should be 45 degrees in the FINISHED (and fulled) fabric - so swatching a BIG swatch is necessary - a full yard square isn't too much. Divide it in half. Full and finish one half yard like you will the complete length. Keep the other one by your loom for a reference.

That Weathered McKenzie sash that I've got in the back of my head..... TOO MANY PROJECTS!!!!

There have been THREE projects (JC's kilt, my dress and sash) added to my to do list just this WEEK!