Hello, 

I'm back to weaving (almost) after a 10-year hiatus.     I used to own a Glimakra Std, now I have a 100 cm Ideal.     I am curious about the other methods of tie-up -- I know of three:

Vav Stuga method

Madelyn Van Der Hoogt Method

Tying up your loom from the back (no author listed, but she references [This idea is not new. It can be found in: Straub, Marianne. Hand weaving and Cloth Design. New York: Viking Press, 1977. p.33. Collingwood, Peter. A Simplified Tie-Up for Double Countermarch Looms, Quarterly Journal of the Guilds of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers. No. 49, March 1964.]

I believe I used the Van Der Hoogt method on my standard.    

Does anyone use any of these other methods?    I would like to hear pros/cons before I tie up my loom!

THanks, 

Rebecky in North Dakota

Comments

kerstinfroberg

Probably my first problem is the language one... not being a native (Eng) speaker sometimes poses a problem. However... "tie-up methods"? Is not the tie-up determined by what one wants to weave? Assuming a countermarche loom - isn't the (age-old) "method" to tie sinking shafts to upper lamms, rising shafts to lower lamms?

Or are you talking of so called "skeleton" tieups?

What am I missing?

Kerstin in Sweden, a CM weaver of 30+ years *and* confused

Erica J

Rebecky,

I tjink you are asking about watping methods, how to get the warp threads on the loom. The tie-up is, as kerstin says, how you tie your treadles to the shafts. 

There are 3 methods that I know of:

Back to front which I beleive is standard in Sweden and many other countries

Front to back which is what Madelyn teaches

Direct warping most commonly used for rigid heddle looms.

There are many different ways weavers wind their warps. I use a variety of tips I've pick up from Peggy Osterkemp, Daryl Lancaster, and Laura Fry.

Queezle

I, too, took a long hiatus from weaving.  And - I found weavolution to be a great friend, with always someone here to give me some help.  For me it was a bit rough at the beginning, I re-made all those classic beginners mistakes, plus found my vision had degraded and so had to grapple with better light and - gasp - reading glasses.  But weaving has now taken its rightful place as an obsession, and so all is right with the world.  I look forward to watching your journey.

And as far as warping a loom is concerned, I started as a front-to-back warper, but upon my return, was determined to become a back-to-front warper.  It seems to be a strong majority opinion that it will give you a better warp, and I do agree.  It made my transition back a bit more challenging, but a few years in, I am glad I did it that way.

Keep posting, we will all enjoy watching your journey and cheering you on.

 

Erica J

There have been several warping races at Convergence over the years. Madelyn van der Hoot vs. Suzie of the Eugene Textile Center. Madelyn obviously represents the front to back crown and Suzie the back to front. Suzie has won the last 2 races, this year it was by a land slide!

That being said I think weavers should learn and practice both methods and decide for themselves what works best for them personally. :) Daryl Lancaster offers a great class on front to back warping here on Weavolution. Keep an eye out for a class from me on back to front, as soon as I get time to record it! :)

Rebecky

I am not speaking of the treadling tie-up or the warping method.     Sorry, I wasn't clear before.    The references I listed have methods of tying up the lamms (both long and short) and the treadles in a manner that is different from the tradition method of putting cords through the correct lamm and then the treadle.     As you all know, when you have to change the treadling tie-up you may have to change the cords from the long to short and then back to the treadle or vice versa.    Although many cords may be able to remain, many may not.     If you are using Texsolv, you remove the two-legged peg and move the cord, then reinsert the peg underneath the treadle.   

Here's a short version of each of the references that I listed. 

Vav Stuga uses colored beads.    Black for one set of lamms and white for the other (can't remember which one is which).   The cords drop through the treadles and are held in place by knitting needles.    The idea is the beads help identify which lamm to insert the cord and the knitting needles replace all the treadle pegs so it saves time.   

Madelyn Van Der Hoogt's method uses long cords for all the lamms and the cords are left permanently in the treadles.    When you change the treadling tie-up you have enough cord for a short or a long lamm.   There are also other points in her method about height of treadles, etc., which I won't go into.   

The last method I believe I found on Weavolution.    It requires peg board and some minor changes to the back of the loom.   When it is set up, you move the cord to the proper hole on the peg board, all from the back of the loom.    

There is another method I just found out about, but haven't had time to research yet.   I will post more when I have more information.   

My question was if anyone has used these methods and if they really do save time and frustration.   Since I haven't tied up my loom yet, I thought it would be a good time to change if I decide to do so.   

I just came home from Joanne Hall's and learned the Swedish back-to-front method of warping.   I have warped back-to-front before, but never with all of the details that put a perfectly tensioned, ordered warp on my table loom.    I will soon warp my Ideal using the same method.   My prior experiences warping usually left me with a tangled mess do to my own lack of patience and frustration.   I found all of the steps in this method are meaningful and helped me achieve my goal.   I am excited about weaving again!!

If there is a way to post attachments, I could put the detailed instructions on this site, or you can use a search engine.   

Rebecky in NoDak

Rebecky

Sorry, I said that wrong.   I AM speaking of the treadling tie-up, but not a particular tie-up for what you are weaving.   Kerstin is right that depends on what you want to weave.    I am wondering about HOW you put the Texsolv in the lamms and the treadles.   See above.   

Rebecky

Rebecky

Sorry, I said that wrong.   I AM speaking of the treadling tie-up, but not a particular tie-up for what you are weaving.   Kerstin is right that depends on what you want to weave.    I am wondering about HOW you put the Texsolv in the lamms and the treadles.   See above.   

Rebecky

Erica J

Thank yo so much for clarifying! I do apologize that the reference to Madelyn and "front to back" lead to my confusion!

I have only ever used the tie up method in JoAnne Hall's book, which I believe is the traditional tie up method. My countermarche looms are Glimakra looms. The treadles come off and on the loom easily, so you can do the do the cords to the treadles at a table and then connect them to the lamms. I think you might be able to do the lamms at the table as well, but I haven't tried that yet. :)

The methods you describe all sound quite interesting. I think I will have to try them the next times I change my tie up and see which I like best! I've seen the bead method in Becky Ashden's Drawloom video and it looks very intriguing, I just haven't done it yet. :)

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