I have been wanting to experiment with balanced weaves for some time now.

A few members have made balanced weave pieces.

 

Franco made a towel.

 

Esmecat used an RH on her backstrap loom and made a loom bag.

 

Jenadina made a scarf.

 

I have only made a couple of narrow pieces........  

This finnweave band-balanced double weave and.............

this twill piece which wasn't as balanced as it should have been.

 

So this is the page to post your balanced weave projects or any questions you may have about this. Together we will figure it out!

Laverne

 

 

Comments

Sat, 12/12/2009 - 23:07

Caroline (not verified)

Rather than having a permanent dummy warp,once you take your piece off the loom, you could tie the rest of the remaining warp so the reed still holds it in place. You would attach a new warp to this, then just pull the reed onto the new warp when its time to use it again. But the weight is a worry, particularly with fine warps. You would have to make your own using something strong and light like bamboo strips, and I'm not sure I would have the patience for making something like that.

I know coarser reeds can be made using craft sticks, but I suspect that using a good batten is going to be quicker, lighter and easier.

Sat, 12/12/2009 - 23:17

bolivian warmi

I just want to say ,now that we are onto reeds and twills and dummy warps etc,....that my main idea in putting the rigid heddle on the backstrap loom was to show knitters and spinners and other non weavers that there is a way to create plain woven towels, runners, scarves etc with a minimum outlay of cash and pain-just buy a rigid heddle and set up a backstrap loom.

All this other discussion is great and I may even try to get some bamboo strips and get creative! but I am basicallyt rying to demonstrate the versatility of the backstrap loom to newbies.

Sun, 12/13/2009 - 00:10

Caroline (not verified)

Even the heddle out of one of those children's looms would work. Some of those little toy looms out of China are surprisingly well made, and they have a plastic heddle, usually around 8 or 10 dpi, and about 6 inches wide, which is a nice working size. They are also very reasonably priced; they sell for under $15.00 over here and there is no way you can buy a rigid heddle from any of the loom manufacturers for that!

I was also able to get some heddle pieces from villagespinweave.com here:

www.villagespinweave.com/IBS/SimpleCat/Product/asp/hierarchy/060A/product-id/373082.html

And they are ideal for strap weaving; they are very, very light.

In fact none of the rigid heddle reeds are very expensive, and they stock quite a few different brands.

Sun, 12/13/2009 - 00:15

debmcclintock

No worries Laverne, I totally understand, I admire the fact that you decided to go outside of tradition on the backstrap in the culture you are learning from and tried the rigid heddle reed on your backstrap!

All beginners should just learn how their equipment works to lift and lower strings no matter which way you start!  Once you have your confidence up you can explore other equipment options.....Deb 

Sun, 12/13/2009 - 00:47

bolivian warmi

Hey Franco, I have been scratching around the house.............

Since you like all things DIY, what do you think about these matchstick blinds for a homemade reed? It would need some adaptation. I have this stretched between artist canvas stretcher frames and it is on the wall to hide the damp spot where the paint away falls off! But it is a handy thing to hang my sling braid collection on.

Sun, 12/13/2009 - 06:21

francorios (not verified)

Very good idea. I've looked at matchstick blinds as possible candidate for rigid heddle, I wanted to drill holes in the sticks, but it looked too thin. Never really thought about using it for a reed. It may not be sturdy enough for beating.  I may have to try it anyway. It wouldn't cost much to buy some placemats made from thin bamboo strips that might fill the bill.

Let me know when you post a picture of your sling braid collection.

Have a good day!

Sun, 12/13/2009 - 13:15

Aunt Janet (not verified)

Those are lovely, Laverne.

 i just set one of my daughters up on a rigid heddle loom.  It is not a very good loom, and we can't get very good tension on it.  I would show her how to use it with a backstrap, but she is quite pregnant.  Anyway, this is my daughter who has a problem with new things.  I'm giving her baby steps.  I'll see if she can go backstrap with it on her next project.  She always pushes through the "new thing" and feels really good after the learning is over.  I'm encouraging her to weave, because I wish i had started weaving at a younger age.  

The grandbabies don't stand a chance.  They will be weavers.  Four y/o Sammy was here yesterday when i was weaving on my Glimakra band loom.  He got to step on the treadles as I wove.  It was slow going, but it is one of his steps to learning.  Next he stood in front of the loom for a while, changing sheds and beating in the sheds with a sword.  He doesn't get the thread part yet.  Give him  a few more months.  Now his little cousin, Celia, will be weaving before she makes four.  She is very dexterous and determined.  She is close to spinning yarn with her tiny fingers.  We check on my angora rabbits together she plucks a little bit of fiber and finger spins to the best of her ability.  It doesn't usually amount to anything, but once in a while she gets a tiny bit of fiber twisted into a short piece of yarn.  "I did it!" is the usual reaction.  Isn't that just how we feel when we finish a new technique!  I know they will be weavers because I am very good at making it fun for them.  They keep coming  back for more.  I also fully expect grandkids to come here when they are teens and can't stand to be around their parents.  They will be weaving out their teen problems.  Planning ahead.

Aunt Janet

Sun, 12/13/2009 - 13:31

bolivian warmi

You know, Aunt Janet, you are a really great story teller. I really enjoy reading your posts. Thanks!

Laverne

Sun, 12/13/2009 - 13:39

Aunt Janet (not verified)

Thank you, Laverne.  I have an interesting life, and lots of stories to tell. 

Sun, 12/13/2009 - 13:44

Aunt Janet (not verified)

 I forgot to mention that while weaving on the Glimakra counterbalance loom, I put in some pick-up work that I learned here!  Thanks Laverne!  Sammy was charmed by the diamond patterns.

Sun, 12/13/2009 - 17:20

rose Goldielocks (not verified)

You ought to get some of these in stock in your workroom... one for each grandkid thats going to be weaving.

The 8 dpi is just the right size to use on worsted weight knitting yarn.. or the "cheap acrylic" yarn. The reed has enough dents for a "real" project, yet not so wide as to be "frightening" .  Then the grandkids can weave their own project along side of you.

The plastic is high quality, good feel. I have steped on, dropped, and lugged around the little rigid heddles, and have not broken one yet. --- but yet cheap enough that you don't feel bad leaving a project warped up in for a long time.

http://www.villagespinweave.com/IBS/SimpleCat/Product/asp/hierarchy/060A/product-id/373082.html

 

Sharon

Sun, 12/13/2009 - 17:50

DianneStucki (not verified)

 Sharon, thanks for that link! That one is bookmarked for sure!

Sun, 12/13/2009 - 18:00

Aunt Janet (not verified)

Thanks, Sharon, I believe I will.

Aunt Janet 

Mon, 12/14/2009 - 23:52

raggyb (not verified)

Now that we are talking about alternative makeshift rigid heddles, I have been wondering whether it would be possible to fashion something out of needlepoint canvas?  That seems to come in all sorts of hole sizes, (pre-determined!) and would be lightweight.

Barbara

Tue, 12/15/2009 - 00:05

francorios (not verified)

That's a possibility, but having slots next to holes is a requirement.

I think I would have to cut the web apart. Then attach somehow in a set spacing and be sure no points stick out into the slots to catch on warp.

But it might be the difference between go and no-go in a project.

Have a good day!

Tue, 12/15/2009 - 00:11

raggyb (not verified)

Oh that's right, forgot about the slots.  That leads to my next thought, of using a pulled-thread technique to open up the slots in a canvas or something. But that's basically getting into un-weaving and it might be simpler to just weave a heddle as desired!

Tue, 12/15/2009 - 00:14

rose Goldielocks (not verified)

I have tried a rigid  heddle out of needlepoint canvis... it worked..... BUT.... .... it was very fussy to make.

1) you have to make sure that the slots have NO tiny projections or slivers of plastic sticking out or your thread catches., (much fussier than just cutting the edge to finish a project)

2) it was quite 'floppy' and hard to manipulate untill I framed  it with a small piece of wood.

3)I was  unabble to use it as a reed  occcationally to check your width of your weaving.

4) I was just unhappy with the trial overall.

I have had much better luck using 'skinny sticks' or thin popcycle sticks.  For those of you outside of USA, skinny sticks are a kind of 'craft stick' simmilar to a 'popcyle' stick but about 1/2 the width of a 'normal' popcycle stick. If you drill 2 holes with the centers about 1/2" apart, and cut the stick with a exacto knife, it makes a nice slot that you can thread a larger (worsted wieght) thread though.

 

Sharon

Tue, 12/15/2009 - 07:34

Caroline (not verified)

Have you thought of making a cardboard rigid heddle to use with your backtrap loom?

Travis Meinhof has all the info you need here:

actionweaver.com/instruct.html

The last link will take you to a pdf file with instructions and templates for a RH and a shuttle.

Tue, 12/15/2009 - 10:40

weave2 (not verified)

Maybe a reed like the ones used here, made from reed, from Egypt would work.  I don't know how much they cost, but I could ask if you like. 

How wild would that be? I backstrap loom in Bolivia, yarn from US and a reed from Egypt!  A truly international project. :)

Tue, 12/15/2009 - 12:31

bolivian warmi

Oh! Very interested in having an Egyptian reed made from the real stuff! Any chance of getting a picture of one? And yes, it would be nice to know how much they cost.

Thanks Alaa!

(Deb McClintock-are you reading this?-look what you have started now!)

Tue, 12/15/2009 - 14:50

debmcclintock

 I'm sorry!  Just back from 2 busy days!  Maybe we should start a new thread?

Tue, 12/15/2009 - 15:17

bolivian warmi

No, that's okay! You know I am just kidding around :-). Still on topic as far as I am concerned.

Tue, 12/15/2009 - 18:47

weave2 (not verified)

Hi Laverne,

You can find a picture here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/32267306@N03/3993528116/in/set-72157622789004159/

I plan to go the a weaving center next week and will see how much they cost.  If I can't get the price there, I'll check another place.

I asked how much a loom with a 1 meter width would cost and was told it would be about $800, which is way too expensive.  But, I think the reed will be a reasonable price, or should be, since it comes from Egypt and the exchange rate is 1J ordanian dinar equals 7 Egyptian ginieh.  

Cheers!

Alaa

 

 

 

 

Tue, 12/15/2009 - 22:01

bolivian warmi

Thanks Alaa,

That looks really beautiful but really hefty! I had one that I bought here in Bolivia when I lived in Chile. It got left down there when I moved here and I can't persuade my ex to send it to me. It was reed but in a very simple light weight frame-just wonderful. I suspect I will be better off looking for another next time I go to the highlands. It would be interesting in any case to know how much the Egyptian ones cost. Are you thinking of buying one?

Wed, 12/16/2009 - 04:52

weave2 (not verified)

Yes, I may buy one, if the price is right.  Maybe it can be the beginning of a self built loom.:)

Alaa

Sat, 01/02/2010 - 16:02

bolivian warmi

I continue to play with my new rigid heddle toys on the backstrap loom and have made another mini pinwheel cloth. So I have made two now- a black and white one without rigid heddle and this red one with. Using the rigid heddle wins hands down!

I made one small square cloth which I started on a needle and then hemmed the other end. And then on the same warp I made a short runner-15'' long with fringed finish. These are in 12wpi merc cotton-washed beautifully! I used the 7.5 dpi heddle.

Sat, 01/02/2010 - 21:38

debmcclintock

 Beautiful craftsmanship!  thank you for sharing....Kerstin just blogged about some older reeds on her blog page, have you seen it?  Heres the link, look at Jan 2 entry  oddweavings.blogspot.com/  These are the type of reeds I was thinking that you could use on your backstrap.....Deb Mc

Sat, 01/02/2010 - 22:14

bolivian warmi

Thank you Deb! I am gnashing my teeth in anguish here as this is just what the old one that I picked up here in Bolivia many years ago looked like-the second picture on her blog post resembles it most. It was a lovely light weight one like that. It got left behind in Chile when I moved here. At least now I will have a picture to show my ex in Chile who pretends not to know what I am talking about when I describe it to him and ask him to send it to me!!! (I suspect it has been given away to some antique collecting friend of his).

So are these available in the US from the Thai importers? This would be just perfect for my loom. This is my new 2010 resolution!! Find a reed like that one.

I bought the reed together with this old shuttle. They were just lying on a pile of junk in a store in La Paz.

Laverne

Tue, 01/19/2010 - 14:02

bolivian warmi

I just got this off the loom after taking part in the WAL using Laura fry's WeaveZine article on rosepath patterns.

Here it is after washing and  below, as I was doing the last flower pattern on the loom. I used the rigid heddle to space the warps and I was also able to use it as a beater eventhough there were two string heddles in front of it. There another two string heddles behind it.

As Caroline was commenting to me recently, there is very little yarn waste on the backstrap loom.:-)

Laverne

 

Tue, 01/19/2010 - 14:51

debmcclintock

 Laverne, it is beautiful, here's an idea for you that I have seen in Southeast Asia.  Consider hanging the string heddles below the warp instead of on top of the warp.  You could hang a string and pull the unit down with your foot.  You'd know if it would work or not and other practical considerations!  regards  Deb

Tue, 01/19/2010 - 15:07

bolivian warmi

I LIKE that idea! Shall try it out.

Here's a story..........we have a new member from Macedonia who showed me a picture of his floor loom and I saw that it had a real reed reed. He directed me to some sites showing how to make reeds including the blog of a gentleman from Denmark who works with weavers in India. He was bloggng about how the handmade reed makers were being put out of busines by the manufactured metal ones. I wrote to him and now he is going to get several epi reeds made for me in India when he goes there in March. He works with ag roup of weavers there and i gather that he helps sell their stuff in Europe. I am ver y excited about this!!  Isn't the net amazing!

Tue, 01/19/2010 - 15:45

debmcclintock

 great!  you can provide weight specs and sett specs geared to the backstrap!  before he gets there give him some width measurements and setts  that  would be general for backstrap stuff and see if they will make some prototypes for you to test.  yahoooooooooooo  Deb

Tue, 04/20/2010 - 15:04

newenglandsimp… (not verified)

Hi all-  Laverne- in post #78 above that shows your finished piece with the rosepath pattern - may I ask what type of yarn you used? 

 

Thanks!

 

Laurie

Tue, 04/20/2010 - 15:59

francorios (not verified)

Hi Laverne,

In post #80 you mentioned sites showing how to make reeds. I actually have a couple of packs of wide bamboo skewers waiting to be made into a small reed. Could you share those links when you get some time?

Have a good day!

Franco Rios

Tue, 04/20/2010 - 17:27

bolivian warmi

Hi Laurie. That is a doubled 8/2 crochet cotton used in a 10dpi heddle. Laura suggests using doubled 8/2 in this size heddle in her article. I don't know if the crochet cotton I used and weavig yarn measure out the same but it worked very well for me. The motifs were made with embroidery floss.

This was a fun project on the backstrap loom and I am very pleased with the result. I bought a 12.5dpi rigid heddle  at CNCH so hat completes my set and I m looking forward to using that on my backstrap loom too.

Laverne

Tue, 04/20/2010 - 17:40

bolivian warmi

Hi Franco,

It was Goran who shared this with me....

And here is the link he gave me with a ton of great stuff in it including reedmaking. I couldn't get through it as it is a huge file and my computer had a melt down before I could get to the end of it.

www.cd3wd.com/cd3wd_40/vita/handloom/en/handloom.htm

I have just bout the book "Spiritul Fabrics" which has reed making in it too. I bought the book on this trip and haven't had a chance to have a good look through it yet but will dig it out of my luggage at some stage and tell you what it says. Yu could also try pming Goran as I believe he ha made his own reed.

BTW the chap who was going to have reeds made for me in India may be in India now and out of contact as he doesn't reply to my emails :-(  YOU will have to make one for me Franco!

Laverne

 

Tue, 04/20/2010 - 18:49

bolivian warmi

Hi Franco,

Telrahna (Helena) sent me this link on weavers in Guatemala-there are images and a video. Tell me what you think-to me this looks ike the Spanish lace technique that Syne taught in her class-pretty cool that you could make figures like that. Do you think it is pretty much the same thing?

www.endangeredthreads.org/sheereleganceinfo.htm

Laverne

Wed, 04/21/2010 - 04:03

francorios (not verified)

That is the same kind of thing, supplementary weft for spanish lace. Of course, I think their lace is pre-Spanish.

That is a very nice website. I enjoyed the video. At the end of the video is a picture of the loom hanging on a fence. I notice the string heddle stick is kind of a bow that is attached to a dowel. I see how the mechanical advantage could be effective.

Have you seen that kind of heddle before?

EDITED TO ADD: Never mind, it is just a curved stick and it's just hanging there, it is not attached to the dowel.

Maybe I need to buy a bigger screen.

Have a good day!

Wed, 04/21/2010 - 03:53

francorios (not verified)

Okay, I know that website, it's like 155 pages if you you were to paste it into a doc.

I didn't notice the reed making part before. I think I will have to give it a go. Thanks!

Have a good.day!

Wed, 04/21/2010 - 07:36

kerstinfroberg

I have been looking closely on old wooden reeds lately - there are a couple of pictures on my blog.

Here are a couple more:

detail of wrappingholes after missing dentsThe upper picture shows a detail of the wrapping - in this case there are two turns of the string for each dent.
The second pic shows the holes that can still be seen after some dents have fallen out.

The space between dents is determined by the grist of the string used for wrapping/tying.

Some of my finest reeds are old wooden ones - 12,9 dents/cm (approx 32 dents per inch!) is the finest one...

Wed, 04/21/2010 - 11:50

newenglandsimp… (not verified)

Hi Laverne- Thanks for the response on the 8/2 crochet cotton in your project.  When I was crocheting more than I do now, thread was labeled as size 8, size 5, size 10, size 20, etc.  I'm assuming size 8/2 is size 8 with 2 plys - I think most of my thread has 3 plys, (DMC Cebelia)  but I do have a lot of crochet cotton, so it's nice to see a project come out so pretty when weaving with it.

 

Laurie

Wed, 04/21/2010 - 18:17

bolivian warmi

Thank you Kerstin,

That is a wonderfully detailed picture! Deb Mc Clintock told me when you first blogged about your reeds and I raced over to take a look. i SO want one of these to use on my backstrap loom-nice lightweight and so beautifully crafted.

Wed, 04/21/2010 - 18:19

bolivian warmi

Thank you Kerstin,

That is a wonderfully detailed picture! Deb Mc Clintock told me when you first blogged about your reeds and I raced over to take a look. i SO want one of these to use on my backstrap loom-nice lightweight and so beautifully crafted.

I thought that I had found a contact who could get them made for me in India but I have lost track of him-a Danish chap who works with weavers in India and who was more than happy to organize this but perhaps he is out of internet contact at the moment.

Wed, 04/21/2010 - 21:00

kerstinfroberg

Perhaps we can make some kind of trade?
- the narrowest I own is a 73 cm wide, 3 dpcm one (29", 7,5 dpi), next is 74" wide, 10 dpcm (29", 25 dpi)... OTOH, you might take a saw ti it and make it a better width?

Wed, 04/21/2010 - 22:07

bolivian warmi

Are these some kind of antique? or is someone still making these? I am not sure about taking a saw to an antique! But ABSOLUTELY! I would love to make a trade-the 25dpi sounds like what I would want but that is pretty wide for me! If you are willing to trade both I would be happy to do that. THANK YOU!

I am in a bit of a muddle right now with the etutorial having just come out and am on the road so I will set this up with you when I get back to Bolivia. In the meantime try to think about what you would like in return. I am going to Guatemala on the way home. Pehaps there is somethig from there you would like?

Thu, 04/22/2010 - 04:34

francorios (not verified)

Thank you Kerstin,

I had not seen any reeds made in wood. And your reeds are made just like the picture on that huge website.

Now i see how that structure goes together. Especially with the reeds missing from the frame. I think I read literature that says the reeds often have two threads through each slot? But if you have 7,5 mm spacing for rugs, would that be a single thread?

Thank you again!

Have a good day!

Thu, 04/22/2010 - 07:36

kerstinfroberg

There is a good Swedish book on the manufacture if reeds, Vävskedsmakeri och hornslöjd, by Folke Svedenfors, Stockholm 1952 (no ISBN), which has many pictures. Text is all in Swedish, and it is hard to come by.

This website (also in Swedish - maybe online translation will work, maybe not - there are many special words...) has some few pictures and lots of text.

Most reeds have just a single turn between the tines - a very fine string for the dense reeds, a fatter one for the more open. Only the very open reeds have two turns. (Of the 51 reeds I have recently looked at, only 3 have double turns - but only 7 are open enough to be called "rug reeds" - less than 4 dpcm or 10 dpi.) The string was tarred before use.
"Industrial" (as opposed to the manufacturers working our of their homes) reed-making was started in the 1860ies in Sweden, but home-based production of both wooden and metal reeds was going on until the 1920ies.

Incidentally, the principle is still the same. I visited Lundins a couple of years ago - their machines are not very "self-working", and the spacing ot the tines is still determined by different string grists in (usually) one turn between them...

(Laverne, I have PM-ed you)

Thu, 04/22/2010 - 10:21

ALittlebird (not verified)

Laverne, Thanks for the website tip. I think I'd like to get the video when it is finished.  

Here is one I just watched yesterday on youtube of the same technique. Camera angle is not good but I love black and white.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgKs3J687TE

 

Fri, 01/28/2011 - 15:11

bolivian warmi

  

Time to revive this old old thread. I have returned to Finnweave and just wove a sample using a tutorial by David Xenakis in a 1982 issue of Prairie Wool Companion. I had forgotten how nice it is opening sheds on a balanced weave on the backstrap loom. This weave requires three sets of string heddles and a shed rod. That may sound intimidating if you are used to coaxing your sheds open on warp faced weaves but the string heddles raise the warps so easily and cleanly when you are doing a balanced weave.

I am not using a reed. So far it is manageable.

I am in training with this technique so I can weave some designs made by the Huichol people of Mexico.

Mon, 05/23/2011 - 16:26

lynsul (not verified)

I love it! You are so talented!! Thank you for all your tutorials.