I am doing my first project with 8/2 cotton and got so annoyed because I constantly thought I messed something up during warping as I had a messy shed and lose threats hanging. But now I know that it's normal! Weaving confidence restored :-) Really great tips! Definitely going to try them this weekend. Thank you so much Kelly!
This was very helpful! Showed me what I could have done to save my loose warp. I'd warped on a finer linen, one that I've never used before, only to find that it sagged in places no matter what I tried. I'd already tied it off and wound it up, so redoing it was out of the question. NOW I understand that a certain amount of sag can be expected AND how to cope with it! Would have saved me hours of angst trying to figure out a solution and the guilt after of wasting all that lovely yarn. The next time that happens, I'll have an idea of what to do - run back and watch this again to refresh my memory. Thank you, Kelly!!
Ha! I have discovered all of these on my own and do them. If your RH has a bad upshed and you do not get a wide shed for your boat shuttle, take you 1.1 to 1.5-inch pickup stick and insert it into the narrow shed in the front of the heddle. Turn the pickup stick on edge and throw your boat shuttle.
Thank you! I started weaving with 8/2 cotton for towels. It was good to hear that the finer threads won’t hold tension as well as thicker. I thought I was warping incorrectly because I was comparing my thin thread to videos using thick thread. This video reveals the secrets of weaving that no one tells you about!
I’ve been staring at a rayon-warped wrap now for about a month. Up shed? Perfect. Down shed? Loose as a - well, a very loose thing. *cough* I’m grateful for your tips, because this means I can actually finish the project!! Thank you Kelly
Great tips for beginning weavers , - will save them frustration and time to eventually come up with the helpful tips mentioned here. Strangely enough, I did end up figuring up the same ways to deal with uneven tension, HOWEVER, that did take me a couple of stressful projects and ultimately more weaving time spent on them. So, I can personally vouch for these tips by Kelly Casanova to be indeed very effective. And I am looking forward to checking up the announced here Clasped Warp method and the project featured. Thanks!
Brilliant! This was the major problem I had doing my towels the first time. The tension! I knew about S hooks, but had no clue where to put them. Thank you so much! All 3 tips are a huge help. 👌
Tip 3 6:55 could you place the paper separator at the cloth end, winding it into the spool, as opposed to having to refit the paper every time you advance the warp?
Kelly you, so right about it and I can see the reason behind the 3 tips very clear and I haven't start weaving yet. Kelly, maybe you should write a "WEAVING FOR DUBMY" book 😂 thank you.
Super! Thanks so much. I thought I must be a failure as my tension got so loose towards the end. It is nice to know that it is not uncommon and that there are solutions!
Glad I found this video. Just started using finer threads on my Rigid heddle loom. Already built up a small collection of yarns. 20/2Nm silk, 8/2 tencel and a 10/2 worsted merino tencel. Did have issues with the 8/2 tencel, but not too bad. Managed a 3m double thread warp and single weft. The bottom shed was a bit slack alice but not a major problem. The 20/2 Nm silk is another matter. Its a shorter doubled warp at 2m. Trying to keep tention is a total pain. Its not just 1 thread it's practically half the bottom shed in patches. Think I'm going to have to find trigger hook keyrings as haven't got a stand yet. Thank you for taking your time to do these videos. They are very helpful to this lockdown weaver. X
I am so happy I found this, I'm exactly at this place in my 8/2 weave right now. And I realized I needed a loom stand on top of it for my s hook weight. Thank you soo much.
If you don't use a stand and have problems keeping an S-hook in place, I have found a bulldog clip on the offending threads does the trick. This can be clipped on just behind the back beam so it's not dangling down like the S-hooks do. But you do need to remember to move it each time you roll the fabric forward. They are available on all sorts of sizes and weights.
You're amazing. Your tip about using the pickup stick to improve tension worked like a charm, even with 8/2 cotton on a 7.5 dent heddle, which I've now learned is way too small. I had already warped my loom, so I was really hating the thought of having to start over on a 12.5. This is only my third project and my first with 8/2 cotton, and I'm so excited that it's now going to work
Thank you so much for these tips! I have been weaving for one week (🙃) and am on my third project, and this is the exact problem with tension that I’m having! I’m glad to hear that tension can be an issue with rigid heddle looms because I can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong. I’ll certainly try your suggestions!
Super helpful. I just did a shawl - fine linen brooms bouquet with 15 EPI and the tension caused quite a few gray hairs!! I couldn't get it right, but kept shoving cardboard pieces into the back (I don't have a stand yet) and miraculously the shawl came off the loom looking just beautiful. Certainly is an exercise in patience, though. Always appreciate that even pros like you can have the same issues and how you deal with them. Cheers for being so down to earth 💜
Your 3 Tips were great. I was having the same problems and was using a boat shuttle. I will use your advise to see if it helps with the tension. Thanks
On my loom, the instructions tell me to tie on with my heddle in the up position, otherwise the tension will be off. I do this, and have not had any problems with the tension being too loose (unless I snag a warp like you did). S hooks are great for the stray loose warp.
@@ScrapsArt Up. This is in Betty Davenport's book and I followed her instructions. Maybe different looms state what you said. My loom instructions also state in the up position.
@@ScrapsArt Sorry, I misread your question. I did once tie on the warp while the heddle was in the warping blocks, not in the up shed, and I had terrible tension on the bottom shed.
Thanks for the great tips! I have a project on my RHL right now with lace weight & had all the issues you mentioned already, and have had to pull out and re-tension once. I will try these tips next time!
I have really learn so much from your videos. Thank you. I teach beginning rigid heddle weaving in my LYS and recommend you to my students. I do have one question. If you are using the cardboard to tighten a loose downshed do you leave it in when in the up shed.
Really useful I have some big bobbins of thin acrilic mix and was in the verge of making felt "as is" because can figure how to even the tension and the trheads break relatively easy... and my eyes don´t cooperate to knit or crochet with it... such lovely colors to waste :) Thank you ;D
@@KellyCasanova Thank you Kelly for teaching very well. I've been doing spindle lace for 18 years and I want to move on. I ordered an Ashford HR in 60 cm and a kromski in 40 cm. If I understood correctly I limited it to wool on a RH. To work in fine wire you need a table loom shaft ... Exactly? Thank you
This video really helped me! I am a novice weaver, and decided to try bamboo for your boot camp. I know, maybe not quite experienced enough for such a fiddly yarn! Another thing I noticed with it is I have to keep the working area shorter than I would like because the constant rubbing of the heddle against the fine bamboo starts to fuzz the threads a bit. Not sure that is a good thing!!!
Great video thanks - I’m a very new weaver and my first project was a lace weight scarf! Wish I’d watched this before. Where can you get s hooks? Thanks
Great information Kelly, I have just weaved my first item and am now starting some tea towels, I plan to do some of your classes as soon as I feel a little more confident.
Hi Kelly, thank you so much for this video. Great tips for new weavers. A few questions; 1. are these the only major issues you find with weaving on the rigid heddle loom when using fine thread/yarn 2. can you do 4 shaft weaving with fine yarn on the RHL 3. And is the rigid heddle loom effective in handling fine yarn (e.g silk) or would you rather choose a floor loom for things like silk
Great questions! 1. I would say yes, these are the only major issues (and they're not too major 😉) 2. Yes, you can. 3. I would choose my floor loom first. Firstly, because I'm fortunate enough to own one and secondly because they are custom built for the job. Multiple shafts set up and ready to go, and beautiful tension.
I should also add, the finest yarn I've used on my RHL is 10/2 cotton and it worked out fine for plain weave. For more than 3 shafts and fine yarn I would usually prefer the floor loom for the reaaons I mentioned above 😊
waiting for 2 12.5 dent heddles for my knitters loom so I can try the diamond stripe towels....I'm sure I'll be back to look at these tips again as this will be my first double heddle project with 8/2 cotton. Too bad I wasn't told the heddles were out of stock when I ordered them. Now I have (at least) a 2-3 week wait for them to be shipped. Unfortunately I don't live in Australia!🙀
Good suggestions, would like to know where you can get cardboard sticks (weaving shops?) or is it just something you had sitting around? I would think a plastic shade edge would work well, too - just have to cut it to the right length.
This was really helpful. Thanks so much. I'm doing my first plain weave with 2 heddles on an Ashford 32", using 2/8 cotton. I started it hoping to get "finer cloth" (I usually just use a single 10 dent reed and double the thread). Warping was a challenge, so your tips on tension were very useful. But I hadn't realized how awkward plain weave would be with 2 heddles, because you can't move the 2 together, so just changing sheds becomes a multi-step process. Any tips for that?
Usually if I want to double my sett for plain weave, I just double the yarn but not the heddles, I find that easier. Some weavers will tie their two heddles together and use them as one, I find that a bit bulky but you may want to try it.
@@KellyCasanova Thanks for that. I did eventually elastic them together and I agree, it feels clunky, but it IS faster. I'm glad I did the experiment, I certainly got a finer cloth using the two heddles, but I don't think my towels will be any more absorbent, so I would say its not worth the effort for just dish towels.
Thanks Kelly, some helpful tips. I don't have a stand for my loom ; the back rests on the table edge and the front on my lap, so I don't have anywhere to dangle an S hook. Any suggestions? thanks.
I don't know if this is helpful, but when I am using a stick shuttle and am concerned about snagging I turn the shuttle entirely or partly "on its side" so the rounded leading edges meet the warp, rather than the sharp points. They will push the warp threads aside rather than snag on them.
This is what I needed. First time weaving with cotton and I was about to tear my hair out. I kept thinking the lack of tension in half the threads was my fault. Turns out it’s a common thing and my jerry rigged way to fix it with cardboard pieces wasn’t too far off.
I could have used this video a while back when I became overly confident and decided to try making kitchen cloths with a much finer warp and weft. First the tension was very difficult to manage and I still do not know if the tension issue is what made it impossible for me to have a clean edge on the right side ( why only the right side???). I cut it off. I struggled so much with the tension AND even beating the weft ( it took great effort for it to go against the previous weft) that my wrists were done and no more weaving for me. I have not thought to see if you offer a video class about finer textile weaving projects, if you can recommend one I will watch it but first I need to get more successful projects under my belt before I tackle fine yarns, I get too ambitious when I have a successful project. Thank you for the s- hook tip! BTW, I saw some movement at your left on the floor and stared at that spot for the longest time wondering if it was you pooch or my eyes seeing a carpet moving, I think it was your dog😄 Thank you so much Kelly❤️🙏
Appreciate the helpful video! You mention you've doubled your warp threads. I tried this with some 8/2 cotton my RH but then when using the same 8/2 for warp, it looked very unbalanced. Are you also using 8/2 for weft? Tips for helping keep that balanced? Or would you suggest a different weft yarn?
Thank you once more for this very helpful video. S hooks are useful if you have a stand. I do not and still struggle with how to re-tension individual threads, as the hook cannot hang down properly. The back end of the loom rests on a table... Any ideas?
You can still weight the thread by tying something small and weighty (a small metal tap washer or ring, for example?) and not have it hang down so far as to touch the table. Does that make sense? 😊
Hi Kelly, I really love all your videos!! Thank you so much. I am attempting to make this scarf, the only color I can’t find is the Maurice Brassard gold metallic - do you have any alternate suggestions? Thanks again for your awesome videos.
If there is any chance I would be so apprenticed of you did a video of warping the 2/8 with the one heddle or the 2 or if it was a class I would be very interested thanks again for the feed back
@@a234633 This is the class that I was filming when I did this video - kelly-casanova-weaving-lessons.teachable.com/p/clasped-warp-quechquemitl/?preview=logged_out
I have been gifted a lot of very fine yarn in wonderful colors... I don´t want to throw it away, but I think they where originally for a mechanical knitting machine, so I finde that the warp became really loose. A pity, I really like the results, the fabric is very soft and pliable (using 2 strands for warp and 4 for weft). I just keep trying and getting frustrated, this idea of slim pieces to help maintain tension never cross my mind, thank you very much. Someone suggests that I should ply it with a spindle, but I don´t know how :P Any suggestion would be welcome! Stay safe and well, virtual hugs from Uruguay!
@@KellyCasanova I could not achieve good tension, it would snap. So, by using two threads I got some tension... Even make almost 5 inches of fabric... Then go out, my cat found a new place to sleep in the fabric... I regain some tension later but I got too frustrated with the snagging, sloooow process. So I cut and use it as is as washcloth. But I would give it another try. I got a new heddle, I have to adapt it for my loom (is too wide for my loom)
@@KellyCasanova I found last week a fine cotton that could be used with this yarn and not shadow it. AND now I have an adequate heddle to use :) I would try and see. Thank you for your kind attention :) Stay safe, teacher, LOVE YOUR CLASSES! xoxo
Hi Kelly, I have a question about the sticks to tighten up the warp. Are you saying we can have a stick at the back in the neutral position as well as another stick placed at the back in the down position, in other words, two sticks at the back at the same time?
Yes, you can - whatever helps with the tension, as long as it doesn't get in the way of your weaving or damage the threads, you can experiment with placement 😊
I don't understand the value of wedging the cardboard under the warp with the heddle in neutral. If it is under ALL the threads, how is this better than using the loom's built in tension control?
Do you leave both cardboard sticks wedged into place (neutral, down) throughout the weaving process, or do you need to remove and replace them each time you are in the neutral or down position?
Kelly do you only use rigid heddle looms? I bought a 1949 LeClerc 4 shaft floor loom and I was wondering if you had used the bamboo thread and how well it held up.
For sure! It depends on the cat though, my cat comes into my studio and sleeps on the couch for hours without touching anything else. You have to watch out if you have kittens around though! 😆
I am doing my first project with 8/2 cotton and got so annoyed because I constantly thought I messed something up during warping as I had a messy shed and lose threats hanging. But now I know that it's normal! Weaving confidence restored :-) Really great tips! Definitely going to try them this weekend. Thank you so much Kelly!
It's definitely a learning curve 😊
Yes! I thought I was making mistakes with my warping!
O my, so many videos. Thank you! I am a beginner. I am so confused about yarns and reed compatibility. I conclude weavers are smart people!
That warp weight trick is perfect!
This was very helpful! Showed me what I could have done to save my loose warp. I'd warped on a finer linen, one that I've never used before, only to find that it sagged in places no matter what I tried. I'd already tied it off and wound it up, so redoing it was out of the question. NOW I understand that a certain amount of sag can be expected AND how to cope with it! Would have saved me hours of angst trying to figure out a solution and the guilt after of wasting all that lovely yarn. The next time that happens, I'll have an idea of what to do - run back and watch this again to refresh my memory. Thank you, Kelly!!
Ha! I have discovered all of these on my own and do them. If your RH has a bad upshed and you do not get a wide shed for your boat shuttle, take you 1.1 to 1.5-inch pickup stick and insert it into the narrow shed in the front of the heddle. Turn the pickup stick on edge and throw your boat shuttle.
Awesome tip Barbara! 😀
Thank you! I started weaving with 8/2 cotton for towels. It was good to hear that the finer threads won’t hold tension as well as thicker. I thought I was warping incorrectly because I was comparing my thin thread to videos using thick thread. This video reveals the secrets of weaving that no one tells you about!
I'm glad it was helpful to you Denise!
Wonderful! You have just answered all my questions I had about working with my 8/2.
Great to hear! 😊
I’ve been staring at a rayon-warped wrap now for about a month. Up shed? Perfect. Down shed? Loose as a - well, a very loose thing. *cough*
I’m grateful for your tips, because this means I can actually finish the project!!
Thank you Kelly
Great to hear, I hope it works out well!
Great tips for a beginner. If I can spot those problems and fix or adjust prior to ruining a weave that a win.
Great tips for beginning weavers , - will save them frustration and time to eventually come up with the helpful tips mentioned here. Strangely enough, I did end up figuring up the same ways to deal with uneven tension, HOWEVER, that did take me a couple of stressful projects and ultimately more weaving time spent on them. So, I can personally vouch for these tips by Kelly Casanova to be indeed very effective. And I am looking forward to checking up the announced here Clasped Warp method and the project featured. Thanks!
Brilliant! This was the major problem I had doing my towels the first time. The tension! I knew about S hooks, but had no clue where to put them. Thank you so much! All 3 tips are a huge help. 👌
Thanks Terri 😊
Thanks very much. I haven't started finer threads, but now have some tips to help!
You're welcome!
Tips that I needed right now. Thank you so very much. Will be following you from no on.
Great, thank you!
So helpful. About to warp my loom with cotton for the first time. Your video came up as number one this morning. Perfect! Thank you so very much.
You're welcome, perfect timing!
Great tips Kelly! Thank you!!!
You're welcome!
Brilliant! I have been having this exact problem with tension. Can’t wait to try this out!
Hope you find the tips helpful 😀
Tip 3 6:55 could you place the paper separator at the cloth end, winding it into the spool, as opposed to having to refit the paper every time you advance the warp?
Sorry, not sure I'm understanding your question? 🤔
Perfect tips for my current situation! Thank you
You're welcome!
Very helpful because I always seem to have difficulty with sheds!
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you again! This made me less afraid!
Love the colors.
I do too, definitely one of my favourite colour combinations, and the sheen of the yarn makes it all the more beautiful ☺️
This is extremely helpful, and I already discovered the wonders of S hooks. They work great!
I love my S hooks!
Great tips that I'll be sure to review again before trying 8/2. Thanks Kelly, yet another great video.
Thank you! 😊
I have learned so much from your common sense techniques. Thanks so much for sharing. I greatly appreciate it.
You're very welcome, I'm glad to help!
Kelly you, so right about it and I can see the reason behind the 3 tips very clear and I haven't start weaving yet. Kelly, maybe you should write a "WEAVING FOR DUBMY" book 😂 thank you.
Glad to help 😉
Super! Thanks so much. I thought I must be a failure as my tension got so loose towards the end. It is nice to know that it is not uncommon and that there are solutions!
Thank you ❤️🙏..... Always nice with great useful/helpful tips..... Beautiful weaving 💕
Thank you Tina 😊
Glad I found this video. Just started using finer threads on my Rigid heddle loom. Already built up a small collection of yarns. 20/2Nm silk, 8/2 tencel and a 10/2 worsted merino tencel.
Did have issues with the 8/2 tencel, but not too bad. Managed a 3m double thread warp and single weft. The bottom shed was a bit slack alice but not a major problem.
The 20/2 Nm silk is another matter. Its a shorter doubled warp at 2m. Trying to keep tention is a total pain. Its not just 1 thread it's practically half the bottom shed in patches. Think I'm going to have to find trigger hook keyrings as haven't got a stand yet.
Thank you for taking your time to do these videos. They are very helpful to this lockdown weaver. X
You're most welcome Nanette!
This was super helpful 🥰 I’m a new weaver and didn’t realize some of the issues I was having was because of loose tension.
Glad you found it helpful! 😊
Brilliant! Thanks so much for these pointers! Particularly the last one. Most helpful:)
You're most welcome Lisa!
Very helpful, Kelly. Thank you.
Great, thank you!
Tip 3 is great, going to do that, thanks.
Awesome 😊
Great video! Getting ready to do your diamond stripe towels weave along....so glad to watch this first! Thank you!!
You're welcome! Not long til the weave along now 😀
I am so happy I found this, I'm exactly at this place in my 8/2 weave right now. And I realized I needed a loom stand on top of it for my s hook weight. Thank you soo much.
You are so welcome! 🥰
If you don't use a stand and have problems keeping an S-hook in place, I have found a bulldog clip on the offending threads does the trick. This can be clipped on just behind the back beam so it's not dangling down like the S-hooks do. But you do need to remember to move it each time you roll the fabric forward. They are available on all sorts of sizes and weights.
Very helpful. Thanks for posting.
Glad it was helpful!
And that bee project sounds great.
New project not bee project.
You're amazing. Your tip about using the pickup stick to improve tension worked like a charm, even with 8/2 cotton on a 7.5 dent heddle, which I've now learned is way too small. I had already warped my loom, so I was really hating the thought of having to start over on a 12.5. This is only my third project and my first with 8/2 cotton, and I'm so excited that it's now going to work
It's all a learning process and every project teaches you something new. I'm so glad that it worked for you and is making a difference - Yay! 😄
Well now I’ve broken 3 warps. Guess I’ll be watching that video next!
Thank you so much for these tips! I have been weaving for one week (🙃) and am on my third project, and this is the exact problem with tension that I’m having! I’m glad to hear that tension can be an issue with rigid heddle looms because I can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong. I’ll certainly try your suggestions!
I hope it helps!
Super helpful. I just did a shawl - fine linen brooms bouquet with 15 EPI and the tension caused quite a few gray hairs!! I couldn't get it right, but kept shoving cardboard pieces into the back (I don't have a stand yet) and miraculously the shawl came off the loom looking just beautiful. Certainly is an exercise in patience, though. Always appreciate that even pros like you can have the same issues and how you deal with them. Cheers for being so down to earth 💜
oops, that's brooks bouquet 😎
Thank you! 😊
Very helpful thank you Kelly !
You're most welcome Angelika!
Thank you !
You're welcome!
Your 3 Tips were great. I was having the same problems and was using a boat shuttle. I will use your advise to see if it helps with the tension. Thanks
Thank you Kelly! Helpful tips.
Thank you Kelly! Especially the 3th tip is very handy for me.🌷
Great to hear! 😀
Very helpful thanks Kelly. This happened on my last project and I wasn't sure what to do about it🤗
Glad to help!
On my loom, the instructions tell me to tie on with my heddle in the up position, otherwise the tension will be off. I do this, and have not had any problems with the tension being too loose (unless I snag a warp like you did). S hooks are great for the stray loose warp.
In the up position or down? Because normally it is the down shed which is looser.
@@ScrapsArt Up. This is in Betty Davenport's book and I followed her instructions. Maybe different looms state what you said. My loom instructions also state in the up position.
@@ScrapsArt Sorry, I misread your question. I did once tie on the warp while the heddle was in the warping blocks, not in the up shed, and I had terrible tension on the bottom shed.
So good to know I wasn't doing something silly to cause that loose tension on my first attempt with 8/2 cotton! :-)
It's a learning curve, for sure! 😊
Love all of your videos and recommended you to members at my spinning group who’ve just started weaving. Thank you 😊
Thank you so much!
Thanks for the great tips! I have a project on my RHL right now with lace weight & had all the issues you mentioned already, and have had to pull out and re-tension once. I will try these tips next time!
I have really learn so much from your videos. Thank you. I teach beginning rigid heddle weaving in my LYS and recommend you to my students. I do have one question. If you are using the cardboard to tighten a loose downshed do you leave it in when in the up shed.
Yes, no need to take it out. Thank you for recommending me to your students, I really appreciate that!
these tips have been fantastic, thankyou
You're welcome!
These were great tips Kelly! I have something on my RH right now that it came in handy. Thank you!
Awesome! 😀
Kelly, Did you post any video about clasped warp? I love how it looks 😉
This is the clasped warp class - kelly-casanova-weaving-lessons.teachable.com/p/clasped-warp-quechquemitl/?preview=logged_out
Really useful I have some big bobbins of thin acrilic mix and was in the verge of making felt "as is" because can figure how to even the tension and the trheads break relatively easy... and my eyes don´t cooperate to knit or crochet with it... such lovely colors to waste :) Thank you ;D
Thank you, the best teacher👍
Merci! ❤
@@KellyCasanova Thank you Kelly for teaching very well. I've been doing spindle lace for 18 years and I want to move on. I ordered an Ashford HR in 60 cm and a kromski in 40 cm. If I understood correctly I limited it to wool on a RH. To work in fine wire you need a table loom shaft ... Exactly? Thank you
@@estellelace3402 No, you can weave with finer yarns on a rigid heddle loom too 😊
This video really helped me! I am a novice weaver, and decided to try bamboo for your boot camp. I know, maybe not quite experienced enough for such a fiddly yarn! Another thing I noticed with it is I have to keep the working area shorter than I would like because the constant rubbing of the heddle against the fine bamboo starts to fuzz the threads a bit. Not sure that is a good thing!!!
Yes, bamboo does get fuzzy with friction 😕
Very helpful. Thank you!
Thanks for watching!
Great video thanks - I’m a very new weaver and my first project was a lace weight scarf! Wish I’d watched this before. Where can you get s hooks? Thanks
I get them from the hardware store 😊
Very helpful!
Great information Kelly, I have just weaved my first item and am now starting some tea towels, I plan to do some of your classes as soon as I feel a little more confident.
Good for you Lorraine, hope your towels turn out well!
Hi Kelly, thank you so much for this video. Great tips for new weavers. A few questions;
1. are these the only major issues you find with weaving on the rigid heddle loom when using fine thread/yarn
2. can you do 4 shaft weaving with fine yarn on the RHL
3. And is the rigid heddle loom effective in handling fine yarn (e.g silk) or would you rather choose a floor loom for things like silk
Great questions!
1. I would say yes, these are the only major issues (and they're not too major 😉)
2. Yes, you can.
3. I would choose my floor loom first. Firstly, because I'm fortunate enough to own one and secondly because they are custom built for the job. Multiple shafts set up and ready to go, and beautiful tension.
I should also add, the finest yarn I've used on my RHL is 10/2 cotton and it worked out fine for plain weave. For more than 3 shafts and fine yarn I would usually prefer the floor loom for the reaaons I mentioned above 😊
@@KellyCasanova thank you so much for getting back to me and for your responses. definetly eye opening.
Glad to help 😊
This is very useful, thank you Kelly !! 🥰 could you tell me please what size is the reed that you are using in this project?
It's a 12.5 dent reed 😊
Thank you very much !! 🧡
waiting for 2 12.5 dent heddles for my knitters loom so I can try the diamond stripe towels....I'm sure I'll be back to look at these tips again as this will be my first double heddle project with 8/2 cotton. Too bad I wasn't told the heddles were out of stock when I ordered them. Now I have (at least) a 2-3 week wait for them to be shipped. Unfortunately I don't live in Australia!🙀
We have our own supply issues here, so you're not alone in that. Hope they get to you sooner rather than later ❤️
Good suggestions, would like to know where you can get cardboard sticks (weaving shops?) or is it just something you had sitting around? I would think a plastic shade edge would work well, too - just have to cut it to the right length.
The cardboard separators come standard with Ashford looms - you can also purchase them from Ashford suppliers 😊
Thank you Kelly .. you have answered all my questions ✌️
Awesome! 😃
Great tips!
Thanks! 😊
This was really helpful. Thanks so much. I'm doing my first plain weave with 2 heddles on an Ashford 32", using 2/8 cotton. I started it hoping to get "finer cloth" (I usually just use a single 10 dent reed and double the thread). Warping was a challenge, so your tips on tension were very useful. But I hadn't realized how awkward plain weave would be with 2 heddles, because you can't move the 2 together, so just changing sheds becomes a multi-step process. Any tips for that?
Usually if I want to double my sett for plain weave, I just double the yarn but not the heddles, I find that easier. Some weavers will tie their two heddles together and use them as one, I find that a bit bulky but you may want to try it.
@@KellyCasanova Thanks for that. I did eventually elastic them together and I agree, it feels clunky, but it IS faster. I'm glad I did the experiment, I certainly got a finer cloth using the two heddles, but I don't think my towels will be any more absorbent, so I would say its not worth the effort for just dish towels.
Great tips! Thanks so much.
You are so welcome!
Thank you! This helps so much!!
You're welcome! 😀
Lovely project 😁
Thanks! 😀
Thank you, thank you.
You are very welcome!
Thanks Kelly, some helpful tips. I don't have a stand for my loom ; the back rests on the table edge and the front on my lap, so I don't have anywhere to dangle an S hook. Any suggestions? thanks.
You can still use them, they just have to dangle up quite high, close to back warp beam 😊
@@KellyCasanova Thank you! Have just warped up and have managed to dangle successfully!
@@francesbiseker742 Yay for you!
I don't know if this is helpful, but when I am using a stick shuttle and am concerned about snagging I turn the shuttle entirely or partly "on its side" so the rounded leading edges meet the warp, rather than the sharp points. They will push the warp threads aside rather than snag on them.
Great tip Jeff!
This is what I needed. First time weaving with cotton and I was about to tear my hair out. I kept thinking the lack of tension in half the threads was my fault. Turns out it’s a common thing and my jerry rigged way to fix it with cardboard pieces wasn’t too far off.
I don't have s-hook but used a metal shower hook
Whatever does the job! 😀
Very helpful video
I could have used this video a while back when I became overly confident and decided to try making kitchen cloths with a much finer warp and weft. First the tension was very difficult to manage and I still do not know if the tension issue is what made it impossible for me to have a clean edge on the right side ( why only the right side???). I cut it off. I struggled so much with the tension AND even beating the weft ( it took great effort for it to go against the previous weft) that my wrists were done and no more weaving for me. I have not thought to see if you offer a video class about finer textile weaving projects, if you can recommend one I will watch it but first I need to get more successful projects under my belt before I tackle fine yarns, I get too ambitious when I have a successful project. Thank you for the s- hook tip! BTW, I saw some movement at your left on the floor and stared at that spot for the longest time wondering if it was you pooch or my eyes seeing a carpet moving, I think it was your dog😄 Thank you so much Kelly❤️🙏
It was definitely the dog, he's quite small! 😆
Please tell me how to get to your blog page.
www.kellycasanovaweavinglessons.com
Appreciate the helpful video! You mention you've doubled your warp threads. I tried this with some 8/2 cotton my RH but then when using the same 8/2 for warp, it looked very unbalanced. Are you also using 8/2 for weft? Tips for helping keep that balanced? Or would you suggest a different weft yarn?
I use the same for weft but don't double it. I love the soft, flowey fabric that the single weft produces 😊
I imagine you could double it if you wanted it balanced.
Thank you once more for this very helpful video.
S hooks are useful if you have a stand. I do not and still struggle with how to re-tension individual threads, as the hook cannot hang down properly. The back end of the loom rests on a table...
Any ideas?
You can still weight the thread by tying something small and weighty (a small metal tap washer or ring, for example?) and not have it hang down so far as to touch the table. Does that make sense? 😊
@@KellyCasanova I will give it a try. So far, everything you suggested and showed us has worked. Thank you.
Hi Kelly, I really love all your videos!! Thank you so much. I am attempting to make this scarf, the only color I can’t find is the Maurice Brassard gold metallic - do you have any alternate suggestions? Thanks again for your awesome videos.
I'm not sure if there are any substitutes. Other companies (like Venne) make metallic yarns but they're not the same, they're sparkly and scratchy.
How did you warp your loom for 2/8 I was told you have to use 2 heddles of 10 dent to achieve 20 ends per inch any help would be most appreciated
Yes, you can use 2 heddles or you can use 1 heddle and double your ends 😊
@@KellyCasanova thank you I will try the one and double I assume 10 dent would work to get 20 epi
@@a234633 Correct!
If there is any chance I would be so apprenticed of you did a video of warping the 2/8 with the one heddle or the 2 or if it was a class I would be very interested thanks again for the feed back
@@a234633 This is the class that I was filming when I did this video - kelly-casanova-weaving-lessons.teachable.com/p/clasped-warp-quechquemitl/?preview=logged_out
I have been gifted a lot of very fine yarn in wonderful colors... I don´t want to throw it away, but I think they where originally for a mechanical knitting machine, so I finde that the warp became really loose. A pity, I really like the results, the fabric is very soft and pliable (using 2 strands for warp and 4 for weft). I just keep trying and getting frustrated, this idea of slim pieces to help maintain tension never cross my mind, thank you very much.
Someone suggests that I should ply it with a spindle, but I don´t know how :P
Any suggestion would be welcome! Stay safe and well, virtual hugs from Uruguay!
So, does the warp become loose after you have warped? Even if you have good tension to start with?
@@KellyCasanova I could not achieve good tension, it would snap. So, by using two threads I got some tension... Even make almost 5 inches of fabric... Then go out, my cat found a new place to sleep in the fabric... I regain some tension later but I got too frustrated with the snagging, sloooow process. So I cut and use it as is as washcloth. But I would give it another try. I got a new heddle, I have to adapt it for my loom (is too wide for my loom)
@@patytrico I don't generally use yarn in the warp that doesn't pass the snap test, I would keep that just for weft.
@@KellyCasanova I found last week a fine cotton that could be used with this yarn and not shadow it. AND now I have an adequate heddle to use :) I would try and see. Thank you for your kind attention :) Stay safe, teacher, LOVE YOUR CLASSES! xoxo
Hi Kelly, I have a question about the sticks to tighten up the warp. Are you saying we can have a stick at the back in the neutral position as well as another stick placed at the back in the down position, in other words, two sticks at the back at the same time?
Yes, you can - whatever helps with the tension, as long as it doesn't get in the way of your weaving or damage the threads, you can experiment with placement 😊
I don't understand the value of wedging the cardboard under the warp with the heddle in neutral. If it is under ALL the threads, how is this better than using the loom's built in tension control?
Because of the thickness of the cardboard, it provides a kind of "prop" to the warp when your tension is less than desired.
Do you leave both cardboard sticks wedged into place (neutral, down) throughout the weaving process, or do you need to remove and replace them each time you are in the neutral or down position?
You only need to readjust them when you advance the warp 😊
What size is your Heddle for the 8/2 ? 12.5? 15?
It depends what I'm weaving, I use either 12.5 or 10 dent with doubled yarn.
What dent is the heddle are you using?
12.5 with doubled threads 👍
Kelly do you only use rigid heddle looms? I bought a 1949 LeClerc 4 shaft floor loom and I was wondering if you had used the bamboo thread and how well it held up.
I have a floor loom too, the bamboo is fine, quite strong 😊
@@KellyCasanova does the bamboo thread stretch out of shape while on the loom? Have you made a large amount of projects with the bamboo thread?
It doesn't stretch. It behaves rather like 8/2 cotton on the loom, though not quite as rigid.
@@KellyCasanova thanks much.!!
Just ran across this video...are you weaving with 8/2 with double strands or single strands? Thank you.
Hi Allen, Yes, the warp threads are all doubled 8/2 for a clasped warp project 😊
Thank You❗️👏🏻👏🏻
You're welcome! 😊
😋
💖💖👍👍
I'd be careful with those s-hooks in a house with a cat.
For sure! It depends on the cat though, my cat comes into my studio and sleeps on the couch for hours without touching anything else. You have to watch out if you have kittens around though! 😆
Very helpful!
Very helpful, thank you!
You're welcome! 😀