Buy a loom or build it?

What I like in weaving is that the idea is very simple but ways to achieve it are countless. Even for something as simple as band weaving.

A great subject for handyman.

First you can weave with almost nothing as in backstage weaving. Incredible how much intelligence could fit in a few sticks. At no cost.

Rigid heddle is a bit less rustic.

With two heddles and a pulley you get an African loom, really fast.

Inkle loom need some more materials.

Even if it is just a piece of wood with a few pegs, it is far more complex than backstrap. Some technical difficulties appear such as the tension that bends wood (needed to add additional pieces of wood). And different shapes could be tested.

And so many ways I didn’t explored yet (or explored but with not enough success to take a picture).

You can of course buy a loom. A good looking tool, well designed, nice to use, easy to start with.

But not the pleasure to face the challenge to create your own tools.

pickup with rigid heddle

Hi

I wanted to try rigid heddle. I ordered it on https://shop.stoorstalka.com/en/products/weaving/, and received it quickly with a nice handwritten note.

First try

I then designed a pattern for key ring raktres.net/l/bR (you can also try with the new version of the editor)

Then wove it using the picture from the editor

The pattern quite accurate.

Edit on october 22 2021:

The main difference comes from the size of the yarns that was not rendered. With the new update, you now get

A new version of the pattern editor for test

Hi

Annie sent me a copy of her book https://www.etsy.com/shop/ASpinnerWeaver. I’m very happy that the pattern editor could have helped her to write such a great book.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ASpinnerWeaver

 

I then decided to update and simplify the seizenn editor. You can found a test version on http://www.raktres.net/seizenn/v2/editor.html, I need some feedbacks before I could replace the present version.

inkle wave pattern editor - raktres.net

Some improvements :

  • new look
  • drag and drop for colors
  • a “value” button, to view a pattern in black and white (page 8 of Annie’s book)
  • a button to load a pattern from a short code
  • and few other things

Fell free to send comments if you find bugs or if something doesn’t work the way you would like to.

Hope you will like it.

Jeff

 

 

Pickup interface

Hi

I’d like to share with you a question about the interface of the editor.

In plain mode, interface is easy. You click on an hexagon to change its color.

For pickup it’s a bit more complicated. In fact when you do a pickup, a thread that should be underneath goes above the band.

So, to do a pickup, you need to click on a thread that is not visible. Not easy. Read More »