I blogged about the rebuild on my blog at bloominloom.wordpress.com, hope it makes some sense (as usual it is late, I just got home from work and I am tired but very excited!)

 

This re-build has been stop and go for some time.  I have finally got the drawcord warp set up and have a sample piece started to enable me to set up both sets of harnesses and the drawcord warp.    The weaving is untidy as I am tying in the pattern saving lashes and fine tuning to try to get as clean a shed as possible.  The sample is being woven in scrap tencel as the actual runner will be 16/1 linen for weft (which I don't want to waste), the warp is 16/2 cotton.  

 The lashes are stored above the second set of pattern harnesses.  The seine twine works well for the drawcord warp.

 

Comments

Sun, 09/27/2015 - 02:01

Steve P (not verified)

Hi Dawn,

First, thanks for sharing all your talents, knowledge and experience on this site. I've been reading LOTS of entries and yours are always interesting, full of good information and plentiful! Thanks!

I'm hungry for information on drawloom options as I determine what features I will have included in a new loom. I understand the working design of the typical pattern shaft and single unit parts of a drawloom. But for the life of me, I can't get my head wrapped around how the pattern saving lashes are actually tied up and work. I understand the concept - lashes connect to a group of single units and then (most often, from what I can tell) are suspended overhead to the front of the loom.

Can you (or anyone else reading) elaborate on how the lashes are physically connected to groups of single units? Many thanks!

Sun, 09/27/2015 - 03:13

Sara von Tresckow

I believe that in Becky Ashenden's drawloom video, the process is shown.

Sun, 09/27/2015 - 12:23

Steve P (not verified)

Thanks Sara. I was hoping Sara's video covered lashes. If our guild doesn't have a copy, I'll order one up tomorrow.

I'm definitely wanting a combination drawloom - both single unit and shaft. Having lashes seems like the next best option to help with speed and efficiency, especially when making multiples of a particular design, which is something I want to do.

I now need to learn about various systems to accommodate lashes. What limited information I can find has yet to fully illustrate how they are set-up and work. Becy's video will be very helpful. The only full featured drawloom system I've even seen a picture of is the Öxabäck - which makes the loom appear very intimidating, like some alien character out of Star Wars. Can lashes be used with a more simple, less structural system like the Myrehed combination? Is there another system that allows for all three methods - shaft, single unit and lashes?

I'm leaning towards purchasing an Öxabäck Cyrus as my 'dream machine', but with my current space limitations, I'm pretty certain I don't have the headroom for their Star Wars combination drawloom system with lashes. My other option, might be to also get their Lilla (from you), with the Myrehed, but then how do I accommodate having lashes, too? Maybe it's not as difficult as I think - I'm also a fine woodworker so modifying a loom is certainly within my means.

Many thanks for sharing your experience, knowledge and suggestions. We very much appreciate your many contributions!

Sun, 09/27/2015 - 12:52

ShawnC

Becky's video is very helpful. I had read a lot on drawlooms (including Sara's wonderful book), but it all sort of clicked when I got the video. Worth the investement many times over. I will build an extension and overhead device from a parts loom I purchased cheaply. For info on all systems put together, see SallyE's homebuilt system. Inspiring.

Sun, 09/27/2015 - 12:55

ShawnC

Her thread : http://weavolution.com/group/double-harness-weaving/my-drawloom-23589

Mon, 09/28/2015 - 03:08

Sara von Tresckow

Lashes cn be made for any single unit draw system. The exact implementation may vary, but the results are the same. The Star Wars option is impressive. I have seen only one, owned by a very experienced weaver who felt that there was a bit too much on the one loom. I have been advising potential drawloom weavers to think carefully about design ideas and what they'd like to achieve, and that the idea of two smaller drawlooms - one with pattern shafts and one with single units might be better than combining everything on one very large loom. As I've tried to explain in my book, every drawloom is a custom creation of the owner to make their very own specialty fabrics.

And do not forget that pattern lashes make only that one pattern. I'll never forget my first drawloom seminar at Complex Weavers some years ago - one weaver came in and began complaining that she had set up lashes for a bird in a branch scene - winter - and then had to set up the lashes all over again each time the season changed. Those lashes are only for repeats, not one off patterns.

Mon, 09/28/2015 - 21:45

Steve P (not verified)

HaHa!!!  Your story made me laugh out loud!  Thanks for putting a big smile on my face today! I had at least figured that much out myself! I have one particular design (my studio and B&B logo) that I want to weave on linens for guests and for potential sale, so changing lashes probably won't be a frequent need.... which makes the purchase of the Star Wars attachment questionable.  ;-) I'm thinking I will just order my new dream machine and add a basic Myrehed combo unit to it. If I really get into drawloom weaving, I could later invest in a Lilla to which I'd move this Myrehed and expand it's capabilities to save lashes. And if I really get crazy with it, I can always order/add the Star Wars supercharged-turbo attachment and fly to the moon!

I've been reading your book, "When One Harness Simply Isn't Enough" and it is the very best book I have ever found which details and explains the various configurations, all in one beautifully presented book. Your master of the techinical details is most apparent!  Thank you for the huge effort it must have been to write this great resource. I know I will reference it many times while exploring this new area of study.

I've also ordered up Becky Ashenden's two videos on dressing a loom and setting up a drawloom using the "Swedish method". Next week I will be joining a group of local guild members (Minnesota Weaver's Guild) to assist a member of our drawloom study group set up her new drawloom attachment. I don't yet know what she has as a loom or drawloom attachment, but I expect it to be a most enlightening learning experience. We all purchased your book from Patty at Color Crossings and will be referencing it along with the Lillemor Johansson book and Becky's dvds. It will be a fun day!

I won't beleaguer you or others with more questions until after our group efforts and I've had a chance to re-read your book a few times along with several viewings of the videos. But I may have some more questions and don't be surprised if I need to schedule a visit to the Wool Gatherer's shop for some hands-on expertise!  Many thanks!

Mon, 09/28/2015 - 21:47

Sara von Tresckow

Just FYI - I wrote my book to complement Becky Ashenden's video - tried to not present conflicting material. As a result - I sell both as a drawloom information package as does Vavstuga. Both together are more complete than just one of them.

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