Tuesday 7 April 2009

Selvedge puzzle solved.

When I wrote the green scarf woven on a Noro Kureyon Sock yarn warp, I mentioned that I was puzzled that the selvedges that looked so neat on the loom were a bit wiggly after the scarf was off the loom and washed.


I think I have solved the puzzle. It came to me at an odd moment, as answers often do. I suddenly recalled that all the time I was weaving this scarf I was learning more about letting of warp tension, winding the warp on and then taking up tension again. The tension system on the Leclerc Voyageur is provided by a steel cable wrapped around the back beam and tethered with a texsolv cord that runs to a release lever near the front of the loom. I'm only just getting a feel for how to best use this system.

I recall that sometimes I wove a few picks of weft, then decided the tension was slack and took it up a bit more. By this means I have woven different tensions into the cloth. On the loom it looks even, off the loom it becomes obvious that it is not. This hasn't happened on my Toika floor loom, I find tension much easier to manage on the Toika, but it's early days yet with my little Leclerc Voyageur, maybe I'll do better now I am aware of this.
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10 comments:

  1. Geodyne8 April 2009 at 09:03

    It's gratifying to solve a puzzle like that, isn't it? Especially one with so easy a solution. I'm willing to bet that it won't be a problem once you're used to the loom.

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  2. Peg in South Carolina8 April 2009 at 14:07

    I never knew that would happen in weaving with different tensions! Perhaps this might be interesting to play with on purpose?

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  3. Trapunto8 April 2009 at 16:31

    I think I have had this happen, and never figured it out.

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  4. charlotte8 April 2009 at 18:02

    I never thought of this before, but I will give it more attention from now on, it might explain some of my curly selvedges as well...

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  5. Anonymous9 April 2009 at 06:07

    That tensioning method you have with the Voyageur sounds exactly like what I have with my Dorothy. I haven't finished off the first warp yet, so I haven't examined the selvedges. The slackness and taking it up a bit is also what I've done with the Dorothy, so I'm now beginning to worry. I did notice that I need to sand down the wood a bit where the back lever tends to bump into the loom.

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  6. Life Looms Large9 April 2009 at 21:49

    Interesting....The difference in brakes seems similar to what I'm experiencing between my Baby Wolf's friction brake and my Toika's ratchet and pawl brake (I think that's what it's called - it's big gears with teeth).

    I'm doing various selvedge experiments on the Baby Wolf, and oddly enough on the Toika, my first weaving project had nicer selvedges. I've heard of other people having that experience with countermarche looms....interesting.

    I'll be interested to see how mine end up after finishing....and it's interesting that you've seen a difference with different tension between just a few picks.

    Sue

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  7. Leigh12 April 2009 at 04:11

    Good insight. I hadn't thought about this, but it's one more little thing that effects the overall result. Thanks for sharing.

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  8. Laritza19 April 2009 at 18:55

    I wanted to ask you if you have the stand for the Voyageur. I have a 24" 12 shaft and I am tempted to get the stand for it so I can sit while working on it. Not sure, that is why I ask how do you do it.

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  9. Dorothy19 April 2009 at 20:16

    Hi Laritza, no I don't have the stand.

    I have my loom on a pine table (an old fashioned kitchen table) 3 feet square when opened out so that is room for the loom and a bit of space to put things down at the side of the loom, it works well. It is 28" high. I don't sit down, because I don't want to reach up to the shaft levers. In fact as little person just under 5' 2" I stand on an old phone book so I can reach nicely! As I sit down all day when I'm at work, I quite like to stand at the loom.

    I hope you find a comfortable way to work at your loom.

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  10. Laritza19 April 2009 at 23:35

    Thank you for the table measurements. I am only 5 ft so we are on the same boat. I know I would use the loom if I could find a table for it. Now I know what to look for.

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Thank you!