About Mobymom
the banjo player for Deepwater Bluegrass, and the editor of BuckeyeBluegrass.com as well as the main graphic designer of the Westvon Publishing empire. She is a renaissance woman of many talents and has two lovely daughters and a rehab mobile home homestead to raise.
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Hello Rose!
I’ve been reviewing your weaving video on YouTube (about 2 dozen times!) and I have a question for you if you would be so kind. I purchased a Union 36 loom this past October and have begun weaving my very first rug. I am terrified when I advance the woven work in order to continue weaving. Do you release the “take-up” wheel where the completed rugs wind before you release the bar that secures the warp? I’ve tried both and wonder if this is necessary? It seems when I just release the “bar” that controls the inflow of warp my loom just JUMPS forward. Is there a smoother way of accomplishing advancing the warp? Also, I have noticed that my tension along the sides of my rug do not tighten up as quickly as the center portion. Ugggh! Any advice would be a blessing! Thanks so much and I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Melody
Hi! Thanks, first for writing and for the nice comments. I’m trying to understand what you mean about your loom jumping forward… it does make a bit of a loud noise and a lurch forward when you release the back ah thingy… haha… the reel in the back and then click it forward on the apron and take up reel in the front. What I do with mine a good deal is to lay my long boat shuttle on the woven part in front of me before I advance. When I pull the lever, the weight of the shuttle sort of helps it to go down a bit evenly, before I advance it with the take up lever. I hope that helps? If I had Rosie warped up I would video tape it for you! I do want to make some more detailed videos on the looms soon… just dealing with the first of the year things and abad cold! ugh! Write if that doesn’t help much… Oh yes, tension… ugh! One of those really tricky things on a big rug loom. If you notice that your loom has a tendency to be tighter in one area or another, you can try and tie that area a little looser when you set it up at first. Say, if the middle is really tight, you can make sure you start a wee bit looser than the sides when you are tying it to the apron and take up reel. Does that make sense? If will help a bit in the beginning so that you can get a nice tension on the loom. Also, make sure that you’re not widing it on the back harder or something… like maybe it’s the area you first start with and you are stronger and pulling tighter or something off your cones? Hard to say. I know my loom, she can be a little bit of a diva at times. I have noticed that if I don’t tighten up bolts and such every other group of rugs, she gets out of whack and loose and that really messes with the whole tension set up. I hope this helps some!!!
Best of luck!
Sherri
sherri@chekal.com