Heddle Up! Road Trip!

Adding/removing heddles is easiest with the harness on a table.

Adding, removing and moving heddles is perhaps my least favorite part of setting up a loom. Recently I got a call from one of my customers who was having trouble with her harnesses not raising evenly - and after much detective work it turns out that she had too many heddles on one side of the harnesses.

Long story made very short here ......heddles should be evenly divided (right/left) and you should not have so many extras that they impair a straight path of your warp from front to back. One of the "golden rules" that I tell beginning weavers - is that your warp wants to go from the back of the loom to the front in as straight a course as possible. Too many heddles (or too many on one side) will impede this straight line front to back.

Ok - now you know that adding and subtracting heddles is part of your routine loom program. This past week I had to add heddles to two new harnesses that I added to my 40" loom.

The first step is to remove the harness from the loom by simply unhooking the S hooks and chains. Lay the harness flat on large table. Then unclip the heddle bar from the center and sides of the harness and slide the heddle bar to one side 

Match up the heddle bar on the harness and the transfer bar with the new heddles. Now you can easily slide the heddles on to the heddle bar. Be sure to clip everything back up when you're done.

To remove heddles - follow the same set up steps by placing the harness on a table. And instead of sliding new heddles on to the harness - slid them off - on to a heddle transfer bar.

In June I wrote another blog post about heddles and heddle bars Please explore that entry for more heddle information.


Use a heddle transfer bar to help slide the heddles on to the harness heddle bar.

On another note - and a pretty darn exciting one -- I will be an artist in residence at the Hambidge Center in Rabun Gap, GA. I will be there for two weeks, plus the long scenic drive from Maine to Georgia. During my time there I will be focusing on embroidering on my hand-woven linens as well as drawing and exploring the environs.

Also please check out my new Face Book public page - just for my art!

10 yds of line to weave before I go!

The Hambidge Center

Bigger Questions

Words of wisdom from a 9 year old.

March is certainly roaring in like a lion today...snow swirling around, 40 MPH winds, grey skies and a penetrating dampness has seeped into my bones. Let's hope that March stays true to character, mellows out and leaves like a lamb!

Three Mandalas woven at Harvard MA Elementary

Last month I was artist in residence in two New England schools. In one of them I worked with 2nd, 3rd and 4th graders to create three amazing Community Mandalas. In addition to the weaving, they made clothes pin people that represent different aspects of MA history (Shakers, early settlers, immigrants, explorers). These will be added at a later time to the completed Mandalas.They also wrote inspirational words on ribbons that will hang down from the Mandala like fringe. The three completed Mandalas will be presented to the Harvard, MA community on March 22nd at the school's "Festival of Cultures."

I offer these images and thoughts to you my fellow weavers because whenever I work with students, young or old, I learn more about myself and my relationship to the larger world. Weaving has always been my medicine, the practice that heals, affirms, balances and grounds my spirit, my heart and my body. The more I work with others, I understand that I am not unusual. Weaving is healing.

Here is a beautiful Navajo inspired poem that supports my feelings:

The loom, my child

is life itself.

The weaving-way holds beauty.

The loom, my child

is breath itself.

The weaving-way holds power.

Through weaving one can come to know

the meaning of life and breath.

Through weaving one can come to be

 strong and self sufficient.

Return to your loom.

Resume your work.

Spin your web of wool.

And as you weave

and as you work,

Life's truths will come to you.

 Navajo poem from Halo of the Sun, by Noel Bennett

Crated and ready to go.

I close with an image from the Macomber shop of a loom all crated up and ready to be shipped to its new home. To me this photo is full of potential and anticipation.

May each day hold for you a crate full of potential, the possibility of discovery and joy.

"Return to your loom.  Resume your work.

And as you weave may Life's truths come to you."

 Please note that I will be away from March 8 - 15th on a silent meditation retreat .  I will respond to email and phone messages upon my return. 

Namaste and happy, healing weaving ~ Sarah 

It's about time

Happy weaving hands

It's been far too long since my last post.....5 months to be exact. Not that I haven't thought about posting every week and I have multiple topics to share....but it has been a particularly busy fall for me. I've been working in schools from Connecticut to Maine.

Wise words from a young heart

So here it is November, and it is about time that I stopped procrastinating! I'll include some images from my work in schools not just because this is what keeps me from blogging, but this is what keeps me young and inspired.

This is also a season for gratitude.  As a sales person for Macomber Looms I pride myself in honest, speedy and personal attention to my customers. I do my best to answer your questions and trouble shoot your loom or weaving problems. I also enjoy distance teaching a few of you. So here is my hearty thanks for all your support and business over the past year.

Many of my past blog posts have been about maintenance tips or revealing how parts of the Macomber Loom work.  This post I'd like to share with you how to properly advance and wind your warp so as to avoid the "Bad Dog Syndrome".

"Seasons of Joy" Weston, MA Completed October 2012

This little discussed syndrome came to my attention this past year when a few weavers called in to replace a worn out dog on their warp beams. One of these replacements was for a relatively new loom (2 years old). I also saw this syndrome on looms up at Haystack when I was there to repair looms this spring.

Worn out and tired dog.

The symptoms of "Bad Dog Syndrome" are simple: a dog that is so worn down that it will not engage with the ratchet brake. This will make the ratchet brake slip and not hold your warp under high tension.Here's a photo of  "Bad Dog".

Here's how the most common way to get "Bad Dog Syndrome"

• Winding a warp with the ratchet brake engaged.

Here's the best way to prevent "Bad Dog Syndrome"

Foot on front brake release pedal while winding warp.

•  When winding on a new warp, stand at the side of the loom. 
•  Place your right hand on the crank handle which is on the ratchet brake on the warp beam. Hold the warp beam in place with a bit of pressure.
• Place your left foot on the front brake by slipping it between the beater and the castle.
• Disengage the brake at the font, while maintaining pressure on the crank to keep the warp from slipping backwards.
• Now wind the warp to the back beam.
• When you are ready to comb out your warp, re-engage the brake. 

Basically what you need to do is wind on the warp without letting the dog go click..click with the ratchet brake. Winding the warp with the dog engaged with the ratchet is what wears down the dog and creates "Bad Dog Syndrome".

 "Good dog" is disengaged while winding warp.

Although many of you might assume that having the dog engaged while winding the warp is a good safety measure, the health of your equipment says otherwise!

New woven art piece November 2012

I have plenty more topics to share, but time has run out...it's time to weave! Here is an image what I am working on now.

In closing here's a little thought from Wilferd Peterson:
 "When we become more fully aware that our success is due in large measure to the loyalty, helpfulness and encouragement we have received from others, our desire grows to pass on similar gifts. Gratitude spurs us on to prove ourselves worthy of what others have done for us. The spirit of gratitude is an energizer."

With gratitude and appreciation to each of you ~
Sarah

Since you asked....

     Every so often I get a request for a description of a particular part that has not yet been in a post.

Casters in lowered position, or moving position.

This week a weaver wrote asking about the casters for a B Model loom. She is in the process of redecorating and needs to move her loom around; mind you this loom is a 48" 16H B4 loom, not an easy thing to just slide around your house! So after a few emails back and forth with my verbal description, I decided that a photo of the casters would speak many words of description.

Eddi shows how to flip the casters up and out of the way.

     I headed over to the Macomber shop where Eddie is trying to get ready for Convergence. He kindly found a pair of the casters and we faked a set up to illustrate how they sit on the bottom foot of the castle.

Casters in the upper position, or stable position.

    The casters are bolted to the bottom foot of the castle of your B Model Macomber. When you want to move the loom, you flip the casters down and slide the loom around.
    I hope that this little photo series helps illustrate how there simple casters can help you move a behemoth loom with ease. A pair costs $99, cheaper than hiring "Joe the mover" to come over and assist you!

Artist studio at Searsport Shores

    It is summer here in Maine, a time we wait and pine for all year. Short, sweet, fast and fun. I am just back home from a one week Artist in Residence at the Searsport Shores Campground. This amazing campground, right on the ocean's edge, has a studio for a resident artist, a different one for each week of the summer. And in the fall they host the Fiber College. 
    While I was there I worked with all ages of visitors doing a wide variety of projects. You can learn more by visiting my website blog.

Weavers of all ages playing with yarns and patterns.

     Thanks for asking about the casters Trudy! Hope this explains how they work. Happy summer and happy weaving to each of you!
Sarah