Trial Run

A month or so ago, I posted about the Leksand Band loom that I had gotten in trade for an Irish Castle Wheel.  I set about oiling the cherry wood with walnut oil, and I only got 4 coats of the oil applied and then I had to work on the rug so exclusively that the oil was well absorbed into the wood, and I thought that maybe before I add any more coats of oil, I could throw on a long narrow warp that I already had partially woven on a different loom, just to see how my new loom held up to the pressure of weaving.

Windhaven Harpsichord

 I took the warp off of my small floor inkle loom, I chose that one because I had wrapped the warp around the pegs a couple of extra time and it was awkward to advance.  To be honest this warp had originally been on a box loom to start off with.

extra warp wraps

 I had moved it to the floor inkle to see if I could weave sideways on it. (in preparation of getting this Leksand loom)  So this warp has been around!




I saved the cross on the warp and then I chained it to
keep it manageable.  I placed a loop of 8/4 on the cloth
spool and attached the finished part of the band with a larks head,  then I began to wind the band onto the spool under a good bit of tension.  Everything went smoothly, and I placed the cross on the Inkle heddle of the Leksand loom and made new heddles to get the correct length of the heddled strands.

All dressed up!

It was a piece of cake really, I made sure that the tension on the warp was even on all of the strands, I made a knot on the end of the warp and using the long loop I had placed on the warp spool I attached the warp with a larks head.  I wound on the rest of the warp under tension to the warp spool.  I adjusted the tension to get it just right and then I went looking for my special band knife from Vavstuga.  I love that band knife and I had been using in on the Windhaven Harpsichord but it wasn't there. (You can see it in the picture above, hanging from a peg!)I have been looking for the last 3 days, whenever I get a chance and nothing, it has gone awol!

This morning I remembered that Karin's husband had made me a substantial wooden inkle band shuttle.  So when I went upstairs, I found it easily and I hoping it would work, I sat down at the loom and I began to weave.  I switched out chairs once to find the right height, and I found that I am going to need to find someone that can help me tighten the loom up, there is just a little bit too much play in its structure.

Tiny band

With all of that though, we have a band!  I probably put in and hour and half of easy weaving.  I hold the band knife with my right hand and use it to open the shed and beat the previous shed and then I pass the weft with my left hand.

I am loving this!  Once this band is done I have another one to do that will join the ongoing band project at the center.  Then I should probably finish "finishing" the loom before I go on to the fancy bands I really want to do!

Until next time, Happy Weaving, Tina