| Archive for the dropped spindle An online meeting place for spinners, weavers, dyers and felters. |
| ClaireUK |
Where do I begin?I have joined my local guild but they are very expert and I am getting a bit boggled with the terninology etc. Everyone wants to help, which is wonderful, but I think i need to do some homework myself.Can you recommend a book to start with eg. 'The Ladybird book of Weaving' or 'Weaving for Dummies'? Also, what is a good 'beginners' loom? THanks, Claire UK |
| natalie |
It depends what you want to make and how much you want to spend, but then doesn't everything? 
I have an Ashford rigid heddle, which I got as an ex demo from my spinning /weaving shop. It's the middle sized one. There's also a new "scarf" loom being marketed as a loom for knitters which has a fairly wide reed which will take the interesting hairy slubby yarns as warp. A rigid heddle will let you do simple crossweave, but if you want to do more complex stuff you need... well you need Kathy, or someone who knows more than me! n |
| Kathy |
Have you got any ideas about what kind of cloth you want to make, the type of fibre you want to use and size of pieces? Different books and looms serve different purposes depending on what you are interested in making.
Having had experience with a 4 shaft countermarche floor loom (fairly complicated to set up but fine once you get weaving) I am now saving up for a large riggid heddle as this will cover everything I am ever likely to want to make, takes up less room, much cheaper and is less complicated than the loom I had. Of course, if I had a limitless amount of cash I would spend a few thousand and get a computerised dobby and pay for 1 to 1 tuition!
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| ClaireUK |
I have just got back from my local guild meeting and.....I bought a second hand loom 
It is a rigid heddle table loom and can make fabric 40 cms wide. It was £10 !!!!! I also bought a second hand pair of curved carders for £10 too so quite a good day. I am one happy bunny 
Claire UK |
| Kathy |
Wow Claire, you lucky thing, what make was the loom!
The recommended book by everyone I spoke to last year is "Learning to weave" by Debbie Chandler. I've found it to be most informative and in simple terms too, well worth the money. I'd never heard of warps, beams and raddles till last year, n and I had good laugh over all the technical terms, now they just roll off the tongue!
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| ClaireUK |
This is my 'new' loom:
[img] 
and these are my 'new' carders: [/img] 
Claire UK PS Anyone know what sort it is? |
| natalie |
No idea, but it looks like a good piece of kit, and a bargain at £10.
40 cm is a good width, you'll be able to make a decent piece of clth on it, not just scarves. n |
| spinningsue |
Oh! Oh! Oh! I'm sooo jealous! Well done Claire, what a great buy.
I've just had confirmation that I've been temporarily promoted while my line manager is on maternity leave. Its lots of extra responsibility but with a correspondingly huge pay increase. With back pay! So come Friday when my lovely employer refills my piggy bank I'll be moseying on over to the Wingham website to buy myself a Kromski rigid heddle loom. I can't wait...
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| natalie |
Haven't seen a Kromski.
Well done you! Please post pics! n |
| ClaireUK |
oooh, I havent seen one either. I look forward to piccies.
Claire UK |
| cledry yarner |
Claire - your new loom looks like it may be hand made. A one off loom for a tenner? Lucky gilr 
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| Kathy |
I've seen them, lovely they are, when I eventually save up my pennies it will be a Kromski I go for. Lucky lucky you spinning sue!
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| spinningsue |
The link to the Kromski looms on the Wingham website is http://www.winghamwoolwork.co.uk/looms.htm. They're cheaper than the Ashford looms and the Ashford heddles can be used with them apparently. I like them for the price but also because, when you turn them upside down, you can insert some pegs and, hey presto!, a warping board!
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| Kathy |
They also fold up, even the largest size!
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| spinningsue |
And you just know I'll be getting the largest size...
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| ClaireUK |
Very nice, let me know how you get on
I am starting with a simple frame loom to get the idea before I try my ridgid heddle loom. Claire UK |