Tuesday, I threaded the heddles. It was only 240 threads, so not a huge job. But having adjusted all the shafts to work properly, they are a tad lower than before, so a bit of reaching is required, which is quite uncomfortable for me. If I had a bench or stool which could fit over the bar which secures the treadles, I think it would be better - but I don't, so I gave myself 2 days to thread. It only took one, in several sessions with lots of tea breaks.
Wednesday, this morning, I was waiting for a parcel which was to be shipped to my door. Courier cost $1.30 more than postal service, plus it was faster and I didn't have to use any gas to get to town, to pick it up. However, the scheduled time of delivery was for "before the end of the day". Not very definitive, that's for sure. So in the morning, I did some paperwork, sleyed the reed, tied the warp onto the front apron rod, while waiting. I ate lunch, drank tea, played a video game - still no courier.
I decided then that I would tie up the treadles. In order to get close enough to the heddles for threading, I need to untie the treadles and since they aren't permanently attached, slide them back and out of the way. This means I need to re-tie them before I can weave. I'm going to re-think this process in the future because it is a bit of a pain in the patootie, not because it is difficult, only awkward because I am just over 5' tall. If I were 5'4, I think it would be a totally different story ;)
Anyway, for me to get to the left side of the treadles, I need to go at it from the back. Of course, the loom is dressed now, and because I use a roll of heavier watercolour paper for warp packing, there is this wide roll of paper hanging off the back beam. I slid under the loom, on my back and balanced the paper on my chest while I fussed with the treadles. It was that exact moment that the courier showed up at the door. Go figure eh? He couldn't have arrived 30 seconds earlier, while I was heat sealing the ends of the texsolve heddle ties. If I hadn't have looked up at a pivotal moment, I would have missed him, because it was one of those days when the door bell didn't work. Regardless of my scrambling, I was happy to get my parcel and the driver was happy to be dropping off the parcel as the sleet was just starting, as he didn't want it to get wet. I now have all the treadles tied, the warp tensioned and once I find my last colour of yarn for the weft, I'll be ready to rock and roll.
But right now, I think I need another cup of tea :)
I think there must be a law that couriers always come at the most inopportune moment:) I either just washed my hair (towel turban, very sexy:), come back from walking the dogs, but have to run to catch him or I'll wait for three days at home - just to find that he came on the 4th, where I couldn't wait any longer and had to go to town:( murphy's law they call it here:) when you don't need the order urgently - it will arrive in record time! and vice versa of course... anyway, whenever I read about how people warp their loom - it makes me think that I must be mad to look forward to try that out:) I think Murphy will be with me there as well: whatever can go wrong will go wrong! happy weaving
ReplyDeleteBettina
LOL. Actually it was all very fortunate even though inconvenient!
ReplyDeleteI wish there were an easy way to manage treadles. I've been using the same Huck tie-up for six months on my eight-shaft loom because it's such a gymnastic feat to change it!
ReplyDelete