# Introducing Myself (new weaver)



## Susannah in SoCal (Mar 6, 2013)

Hi everybody. Nice to meet you. I didn't know this group existed within KP until yesterday when I accidentally signed myself out and saw an option to select the subheadings I want to receive when I signed back in.

I'm a fairly new weaver. I've been weaving scarves and other small projects on a 15-inch Cricket loom for a little less than a year. Last week I ordered a 20-inch Schacht Flip rigid heddle loom, which should arrive any day now. I splurged and bought additional heddles so I will have all four dents and can work with fingering through bulky weight yarns.

I'm 65 and have been knitting and crocheting for about 40 years, primarily making sweaters to fit my plus-size measurements. In that time, I've amassed a ridiculous yarn stash, which my weaving is helping me work through. Weaving seems to chew through a lot of yarn pretty quickly, and I love the rhythmic action of raising or lowering my heddle, sliding my shuttle through, and tapping the yarn into place. I kind of "zone out" with my weaving.

I don't know anyone who weaves, so I'm looking forward to getting to know you and talking about what equipment you use, what yarns you particularly enjoy, and what projects you're working on.


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## marciawm (Jun 2, 2015)

Welcome to KP. I too have the 20 inch Schacht loom and love it. You certainly will be able to make a dent in your stash once you start playing with it. There are some great videos online with different techniques and wonder people here on KP that can help and advise. Enjoy


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## Cdambro (Dec 30, 2013)

Welcome and so happy you found our category. I don't weave but I recently found the joy of spinning and will be dyeing soon. I love seeing all the beautiful weaving that everyone does and maybe someday will add weaving to my hobbies. This category is fun and you will learn so much....I know I have. Have fun!


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## crafterwantabe (Feb 26, 2013)

Welcome and enjoy!!!


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## Longtimer (May 23, 2013)

Welcome.


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## wordancer (May 4, 2011)

Welcome aboard!


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## Spooly (Oct 22, 2011)

Glad you found this section. You will find lots of inspiration and fun. My favorite loom is my 20 inch Schacht Flip with variable dent. So much fun.


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## mama879 (Jan 27, 2011)

Hi and welcome.. Glad you found us. You are in for it now. You will be just as addicted as we are. Have fun and ask questions that is how we learn.


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## Reba1 (Feb 5, 2012)

So happy to have you join our little (but growing) group here on KP! I am a machine knitter and spinner, dabbled a tiny bit in weaving, but only have a very old, tiny table top rigid heddle.


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## run4fittness (May 22, 2011)

Hello and welcome.


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## DanielS (Mar 2, 2016)

Welcome from Missouri.


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## Babalou (Jun 3, 2012)

Welcome, Susannah. This is growing into a nice group. You were smart to get all the heddle sizes. I have three sizes of reeds or my large floor loom. There is a table that tells you how to sley the reed to convert the ends per inch. It really helps to avoid having too many reeds, which gets expensive for a large loom. I have to get one 46" wide. You don't have that issue with a rigid heddle loom. For example, to achieve 24 ends per inch, I sley 2 threads in each slot in a 12 EPI reed. And you are so right about weaving using a lot of yarn. From many projects, I keep the ends you throw away to use for tying or tapestry.


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## sngbrd (May 10, 2012)

Hi, Susannah. I'very only been weaving for about 6 months and also use the 15" Cricket. I'd love to see some pics of the items you've made. I've made some scarves and dish towels but would like to learn some of the techniques I've been reading about to get more advanced than just plain weaving. Reading the other posts so far, I'm learning just how much I don't know! This is a great forum. When I figure out how, I might post a couple of things I've woven.


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## sngbrd (May 10, 2012)

Babalou said:


> Welcome, Susannah. This is growing into a nice group. You were smart to get all the heddle sizes. I have three sizes of reeds or my large floor loom. There is a table that tells you how to sley the reed to convert the ends per inch. It really helps to avoid having too many reeds, which gets expensive for a large loom. I have to get one 46" wide. You don't have that issue with a rigid heddle loom. For example, to achieve 24 ends per inch, I sley 2 threads in each slot in a 12 EPI reed. And you are so right about weaving using a lot of yarn. From many projects, I keep the ends you throw away to use for tying or tapestry.


That sounds interesting. Do you have to use two separate skeins to thread (sley?) each slot? And they don't get all tangled up or worn down by friction from a tight fit? I'm assuming the threads would be fine enough to avoid that problem. So if I have only an 8 and a 10 dent, I could actually have a 16 and 20 as well using this technique? Cool  Of course, since my loom is only 15" that would still be the limit of my width. I've been weaving for about 6 months, so I'm still in the early learning stage.


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## Babalou (Jun 3, 2012)

sngbrd said:


> That sounds interesting. Do you have to use two separate skeins to thread (sley?) each slot? And they don't get all tangled up or worn down by friction from a tight fit? I'm assuming the threads would be fine enough to avoid that problem. So if I have only an 8 and a 10 dent, I could actually have a 16 and 20 as well using this technique? Cool  Of course, since my loom is only 15" that would still be the limit of my width. I've been weaving for about 6 months, so I'm still in the early learning stage.


The warp threads are fairly thin, like 10/2 or 8/2. In my big floor loom, the reed is separate from the heddles. They sit in harnesses and the individual threads then go into the heddles. You have to be careful to make sure they aren't twisted or it can wreak havoc. And how do you think I learned that lesson? ???? I'm not sure it would work on a RH loom. Maybe someone who uses one can respond.

I added a few pictures of my loom to show you what I mean. Sorry the pic of the loom is a little dark. I painted the heddles, you will see the colors, to make threading easier.

One planning lesson I have learned is to always have your next project planned or ready to warp. Keeps you true to finishing the current project.


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## sngbrd (May 10, 2012)

Wow, Babalou! So much bigger and more complicated looking than my little Cricket. I'd love to see you in action! Looks like it would be more physically demanding to weave on (floor peddles for your feet, too?), but I'm sure you make beautiful things on your floor loom. I've got a good way to go before I graduate to a floor loom!


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## Babalou (Jun 3, 2012)

sngbrd said:


> Wow, Babalou! So much bigger and more complicated looking than my little Cricket. I'd love to see you in action! Looks like it would be more physically demanding to weave on (floor peddles for your feet, too?), but I'm sure you make beautiful things on your floor loom. I've got a good way to go before I graduate to a floor loom!


Thanks, Sngbrd. It is quite a bit more complicated and yes, you use the floor treadles to raise and lower the harnesses. I learned on a four harness loom. Probably steered me in the direction of the larger loom.


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## mama879 (Jan 27, 2011)

Babalou said:


> The warp threads are fairly thin, like 10/2 or 8/2. In my big floor loom, the reed is separate from the heddles. They sit in harnesses and the individual threads then go into the heddles. You have to be careful to make sure they aren't twisted or it can wreak havoc. And how do you think I learned that lesson? ???? I'm not sure it would work on a RH loom. Maybe someone who uses one can respond.
> 
> I added a few pictures of my loom to show you what I mean. Sorry the pic of the loom is a little dark. I painted the heddles, you will see the colors, to make threading easier.
> 
> One planning lesson I have learned is to always have your next project planned or ready to warp. Keeps you true to finishing the current project.


Your loom is wonderful. I could never put anything in my home. It is just 950 feet of living space and there are three big people and to many animals living here. But is a very pretty loom. Enjoy it.


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## mama879 (Jan 27, 2011)

sngbrd said:


> Hi, Susannah. I'very only been weaving for about 6 months and also use the 15" Cricket. I'd love to see some pics of the items you've made. I've made some scarves and dish towels but would like to learn some of the techniques I've been reading about to get more advanced than just plain weaving. Reading the other posts so far, I'm learning just how much I don't know! This is a great forum. When I figure out how, I might post a couple of things I've woven.


Have you checked out this link.
http://www.knittingparadise.com/t-413772-1.html


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## sngbrd (May 10, 2012)

Oh, right! I bookmarked it and then lost my Internet for a while, so I forgot about it. I'm looking at it now. Wow! What a treasure trove. Thanks!


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## DanielS (Mar 2, 2016)

mama879 said:


> Have you checked out this link.
> http://www.knittingparadise.com/t-413772-1.html


How did I miss this one? Thank you for repeating it. Closer to getting that 24" Kromski.


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## Babalou (Jun 3, 2012)

mama879 said:


> Your loom is wonderful. I could never put anything in my home. It is just 950 feet of living space and there are three big people and to many animals living here. But is a very pretty loom. Enjoy it.


Thank you. It certainly would be too big. It has its own room.


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