My Students
September 3, 10, 16-17, 2017 Danka - “Introduction to Weaving”
I have known Danka Michaels for several years now. She is an expert at knitting and crocheting. When I mentioned to her that I have been a weaver since I was 14 years old she said that she always wanted to learn how to weave and that her grandmother was a weaver.
She came to my home and I showed her my looms and explained to her what she would learn in my "Introduction to Weaving" class. She was so excited about this class that she spoke to her friend Tamela and they both signed up for this class.
Below are pictures and descriptions of Danka learning step-by step how to wind her warp on my warping board, make a chain of her warp, wind the warp onto the back of the loom, thread the loom and weave.
She thread her loom with four different threading patterns and by the time her sampler is completed she will have 60 different woven patterns. I gave her a loose-leaf notebook with all of the patterns in it. I taught her how to make a butterfly which is a small amount of yarn that is wrapped around your fingers in a figure eight shape. This yarn is glued next to the four colors of her warp and next to each of the weft colors. This way if she likes a particular weave that she has woven she can go back to the color of the warp and weft and be able to weave that pattern again.
Winding the first warp on the warping board.
Adding more colors of warp.
Warping is fun.
Beautiful choice of colors.
Almost finished with the first step of warping.
Side view of warp on the warping board.
It's important to count your warp so you will have enough for your pattern.
A very happy student.
Warp is all wound on the warping board.
The cross which is on top is tied with 5 pieces of hot pink yarn. The bottom part of the warp is tied with one piece of green yarn each.
Lease sticks are put into the chain and then the warp and the lease sticks are layed on the back of the loom.
Here Danka is tying the lease sticks to the front and back sides of the loom.
The lease sticks are then attached to the front and back of the loom.
Straightening the warp out on the front of the loom is important since it will be wound onto the back warp beam.
There are two and a half yards of warp to straighten out.
Danka is almost finished winding the warp on the loom.
Straightening the warp out before threading it is important.
Looks great.
Picking the correct warp when threading the heddles.
After threading each section of the pattern Danka makes an overhand knot around the warp.
She looks at her pattern before threading the loom.
She carefully looks at her warp before picking the next yarn to place into the heddle.
Progress is made.
She pulls the lever down on the loom to make sure she is threading the correct shaft which contains the heddle she will need to thread.
The lease sticks hold the cross and from there Danka is able to select her warp in proper order when threading the heddles to form the pattern.
Only two warps left to go.
The heddles are all threaded.
Great job.
Threading the reed is next.
Picking the next 2 warp threads and putting them through the next dent in the 8 dent reed gives you 16 dents to an inch for a 12 inch wide sampler.
The reed is all threaded.
Wonderful job. Next step is tying the warp onto the cloth beam in front of the loom.
Tying the warp onto the front cloth beam.
Tie first with a double half hitch and then a bow.
Almost done tying.
A happy weaver.
Rear view of loom.
The warp is all tied on.
Danka is all set to weave on the loom.
Winding the bobbin to be put into the shuttle for weaving.
Weaving has started.
First two weaves are completed.
Putting the bobbin into the shuttle for weaving the next color.
Making a butterfly to be put into Danka's notebook as a sample of the color and yarn she is using.
Gluing the butterfly into her notebook.
Writing down the color she used on a different page in her notebook.
A third color has been woven.
Putting the next bobbin into the shuttle.
All set to weave again.
Loosening up the tension on the warp beam so the warp can be moved to the cloth beam on the front of the loom.
Tightening the warp onto the front beam before weaving again.
Progress is made.
Danka has used the reed to push her weaving into place.
Reading the instructions is important for a wonderful sampler.
Looking great.
Close-up of the sampler.
Danka is hard at work.
More weft colors are added.
Beating the weft in place for an even weave.
Close-up.
Winding another bobbin for another color.
Putting in waste yarn before cutting the sampler off the loom.
Danka is so happy her wonderful sampler is finished.
Time to unwind the sampler and cut it off the loom.
The sampler is ready to be shown.
Danka holding her wonderful sampler
Danka holding her sampler - Side two.