Weaving Lesson: Threading a Loom

McMorran Balance, Weighing Yarn, Finding Sett

When I wrote on Facebook that winding warps was one of my favorite activities, my friend Ann said I was "wacky." But i do love the set up of a loom, winding the warp and dressing the loom, something I miss when I add a new warp to the TC-1 loom by tying knots that connect the old warp to the new one. For all those of you who think weaving and setting up a loom is a boring process, I say, it is fraught with tension--a mine field where every step has a possible mishap lurking. So I photographed my process the other day to share with those of you who have never woven, and might be interested in the process. Before you actually get to throw the shuttle and actively make cloth, there are dozens of steps that proceed, and lots of lovely tools to help in the process.

One warp I wanted to make was from a spool of linen thread, which had no data on it--so I took out my McMorran Balance to find out the approximate yards per pound of this yarn (1300). Then I weighed the spool (15 ounces); and then I did a warp wrapping to find out how many ends per inch would work for a balanced plain weave (10 epi) (the warp sett). Calculator, pen and paper (not photographed) got me the calculations that I could safely wind a 24 inch width at 10 epi of almost 3 yards and have enough yarn left for the weft. (We will see.)

Overall Picture of Threading Loom; Counting 40 Warp Ends

With the warp wound, I can go to the loom. The following pictures are of a different warp than discussed above--this one is 40 inches wide, Borgs Bomullin (50% flax and 50% cotton). I wound on an 11 yard warp (with the help of my husband), and the plan is to thread 20 ends per inch--800 threads. What isn't pictured is the hours spent counting the heddles on each shaft, moving them over so they are in the proper place on each shaft (these shafts are divided into three areas) and adding heddles on each of the eight shafts since none of them had enough heddles. There was math involved here too--800 divided by 8 = 100 heddles per shaft; then divided appropriately for the three sections which are not identical in width. Above you see the general set up--note the important coffee cup which seems to be making an appearance in every step of the process. On the right you see me counting off a group of 40 ends.

Counting and Moving Over Heddles; Threading Heddles

Then I count off a group of 40 heddles--5 on each shaft (40 divided by 8 = 5). I should note that I go for accuracy rather than speed and I have these processes which help show me as I am going whether I have made a mistake or not. I would much rather correct a mistake in 40 threads than find out at the end that there is a problem somewhere in the middle, or anywhere. I hold the 40 ends in my right hand, along with a threading hook, and use my left hand to move over the correct heddle and pull out the next thread from the group and hold it taunt so the hook can grab it and pull the thread through the eye of the heddle. If I have done everything right, there are now five threaded heddles per shaft and no extra threads in my hand, and no shaft with more or less than five threads.

Pulling Group of Warps in heddles and tying them in a knot

Then I pull the group tight and make an overhand knot in front of the heddles. Even though i don't go for speed (I always lost to my friend Marilyn when we worked together in her studio in Brooklyn in the mid-80s), I am always amazed how fast this process can go. It definitely takes me about a third of the time to thread a loom than to tie the knots on the TC-1.

Pulling two warp ends through dent of reed using a hook and tying groups in a knot

After all the warp ends are through heddles, I get to thread the reed. In this case I used a 10 dent reed, and put two ends per dent (bringing the sett up to 20 epi). Reeds come in different divisions, and over the years I have acquired a great variety. If I had decided on 30 epi, I could use this 10 dent reed (10 spaces per inch) and put three threads per dent, or I could use a 15 dent reed and put two threads per inch, or, if I had it, and the threads moved smoothly through the space, I could use a 30 dent reed and put one thread per dent. The cloth I am going to make is going to be a fairly open plain weave, but the cloth will shrink when washed and make the cloth firmer. It is going to be used by my husband, Mark Goodwin, for his work.

Mark and I have talked about collaboration before, or tried to talk about it--I guess I am not an easy collaborator. But he has been doing some experiments on cloth I have given him, and the results are starting to be really intriguing. You can see two of them below. So now I am going to make yardage for him so he can really explore. I don't know if the energy I am putting into the weaving is really making a difference, and I don't actually think this is a collaboration, since the creativity is all coming from his side once he has the cloth, but I do like the idea that the cloth is a catalyst for him, and I like that I have this weaving to do. It is different than the work on the TC-1, less demanding in terms of expectations on my part. Thinking about why I like dressing a loom so much, I realize it is an activity where I feel in control--I have mastery. It is one of those mind-body connections where I have done it so often that the smoothness of the process feels right--I feel right--in other words, I know what I am doing.

Drawing by Mark Goodwin on cloth woven by Bhakti Ziek

Another Mark Goodwin drawing on Bhakti Ziek cloth plus more work by Mark Goodwin

Will end with an image of the beautiful light pattern on Mark's studio wall yesterday. We both wish we could claim it as our art.

Light Pattern on Wall

Re-Cycle

Spring Returns

Here's our first spring flowers! So the cycle starts over. I guess you could say this every day--every morning a fresh start; every evening a return to sleep. But sometimes it takes something remarkable to make you conscious of the passage of time and the recycling of events. The almost 80 degree temperature the last few days was certainly a jolt--but for me it was the jauntiness of these crocuses that really said, once again it is spring.

Weaving cycle: winding warp, tying knots

Weaving is all about cycles, repetition and movement. I am all over the house right now working on the next weaving. Winding the warp on the ground floor meant bringing skein winder, spool holder, bobbin winder, yarn, scissors, and tying thread downstairs so skeins of yarn could be converted to a new 4 yard warp. I am aware that my process is very inefficient--tying 880 ends, new to old, for just four yards is going to really get to me after a few warps--but I don't want to have the same ground on these weavings, and I don't want to paint my warps. I was talking to a friend about this, how a process that was once almost my signature has no draw for me now. I did consider it, it would enable me to wind a long warp and make each section different--but then I would be locked into the colors that I dyed now--and really, I want each piece to inform the next one. So I have opted for "slow" work--each warp short and distinct. The current one is stripes of white yarn--a silk and ramie mix, a silk and linen mix, and several variations of 100% silk. All 880 knots are now tied.

I took the knot tying as an opportunity to have a Bob Dylan festival--all Dylan all day for two days--one of my favorite events that has cycled through my life ever since I first became a fan. At one point I was sure I would meet him--it was inevitable. One of the first weavings I did was a guitar strap woven on a belt loom that an acquaintance of mine, who knew Dylan, supposedly gave him from me. That was back in 1969. I guess I hoped I would see it on his guitar at one of the concerts, or, even better, on one of his album covers. It was inevitable, right. Listening to him sing brings on such a weird combination of nostalgia and the present moment. How many classes did I cut when Blond on Blond was first released? I had never heard a sound like that album before--I just couldn't get enough of it. As soon as it reached the end, I would just get up to start it over, then lie down on the floor again, completely mesmerized. As often as I have listened to his music, I can still hear a new phrase, or get a jolt from a familiar one. So I will never get to say thank you in person, but these days I realize I don't need to meet him. I think the gratitude in my heart is enough.

Detail showing front and back of March weaving

One of the things I like about lampas is that the front and back of the cloth can be so different. Here is a detail of both sides from the March weaving that I posted last time. I used four wefts--and on the front you see distinct areas of color (plus you are seeing warp strips too) but on the back the wefts combine to give a completely different coloring. Sometimes I have combined both surfaces in one weaving, but not in this one; nor in the small weaving I squeezed out of the final bit of warp. I guess you could call this the cliff notes version of my March weaving, or Mini March. There are differences, the gold lattice is not outlined in black, the warp stripes run vertically here where they are horizontal in the large weaving. They are clearly related though: cycle and recycle.

Cliff notes version of March weaving

Both Mark and I have been busy in our studios these last few weeks. It's not like we aren't always doing something, we are, but some periods are just more productive than others. Again, a cycle. When we first met, as students at the University of Kansas, we would work late into the night, into the morning really. Around 2 or 3 a.m. one of us would go find the other (I was on the 5th floor, he was in the basement) and we would head home. Thirty years later we are still spending our finest hours alone in our studios--but this work, these hours, it is what makes our time together potent and interesting. Living with an artist means I have a partner who understands and honors the fact that making my work demands private time, lots of private time--just as I honor his work space and needs too. It is nice though, that I can tell him in person, periodically, how lucky I am to share my life with him. Personal cycles.

Drawing by Mark Goodwin

Technology Scream

March weaving by Bhakti Ziek

(whole image at top, details at bottom)

On this dreary wet frustrating day, I will start with an image of my finished weaving. I don't have a title yet, which is unusual for me since the weaving usually "tells" me its name while I am making it. For now, it is March weaving. My reading of A Path with Heart tells me that many people, when mediating, notice their mind stories are often self-aggrandizement's--and that certainly applies to me--not when I am meditating, since that is rare, but when I am weaving. I think this weaving is a very good beginning for a body of work, but perhaps it is not quite the shining, magnificent, awesome work that I saw as I was making it. Sometimes when I finish a work I have to put it away for a month or so before I can see it for what it is, rather than my expectations and judgements. This one is on my wall right now, which is a tribute to my early acceptance of it. It needs to be mounted and finished, but I have months to procrastinate on that.

So I have been fussing about the learning curve of new technology--in my case, a new scanner and a new digital camera. The camera is already not working--and the really frustrating aspect is that I purchased it from a vendor online, through Amazon, and, unbeknown to me on ordering, it came from Hong Kong. I have nothing against Hong Kong, but the warranty for the camera is not valid here in the USA--and I just feel like screaming. I am not a big consumer, so the idea of exchanges and exchanges that mean shipping overseas, is really frustrating me and ruining my day. Those of you who do shop online and through Amazon know that it also means email correspondence, no easy recourse to a living human being, and probably weeks until this gets resolved.

On Sunday I went to Montpelier to see Don't Know, We'll See: The Work of Karen Karnes by Lucy Massie Phenix, which was shown through the Green Mountain Film Festival. Both Karen and Lucy were there, which was very nice, and the movie was quite inspiring. At one point Karnes' studio (and house?) burnt and the film shows her the very next day going through hot smoldering destruction, pulling out a pot or two (the last kiln load of work survived). I could not believe that she was so cheerful--not a moment of self-pity. She says she is lucky because it was only things that were lost, it could have been much worse. So I am going to tell myself the same thing about today--it's only a tool/toy and even if the situation doesn't resolve itself to my satisfaction (and it probably will), it's only a thing.

Maybe you noticed that I have added a link on the right side of this blog where you can sign up for email notification that I have posted a new page. A friend asked me to do this, so I looked it up online (so technology does have some good to it today) and added it to my blog. This might mean that some of you who click often looking won't have to do that, and my numbers on the click counter won't grow so fast, but I am sure it will be more convenient for you, if you want that type of notification.

10,000 Hits

More Images of March weaving progressing on the TC-1 Loom

This week my blog reached more than 10,000 hits. I know it doesn't mean 10,000 readers, that it could be the same loyal 49 followers reading it over and over again--but it makes me feel important to see that number grow so large. Thank you, everyone, who takes the time to read this blog.

As you can see, my weaving is progressing. In fact, I finished it this afternoon. I still have enough warp left to weave a small image, which means back to Photoshop® to design it. Probably i will do a detail from the larger piece as a reference. When I get it cut off, I will photograph the piece with my new camera, which just arrived today. The old one doesn't allow enough pixels for good prints, and it skews everything. Hopefully this one will be better.

Sheep, lambs and rooster at Highfields Farm

Curious Lamb meets Friendly Dog at Highfields Farm

We had lovely weather over the weekend and the owners of Highfields Farm in Randolph, VT called to say it was a good day to come see the lambs. In fact, it was a perfect day to see them--all eleven of them (well, maybe there are ten). They were frolicking and running around--we couldn't have asked for a cuter scene. Then Julie and Chris came back from a walk with their dogs--and I captured the image above of the curious lamb coming over to greet the dog. They actually touched noses. I really want my own farm and sheep and baby lambs, a few goats, chickens and fresh eggs, and a big garden (that someone else weeds).

Dinner Party with my tablecloth--notice that it shrunk

Well, the tablecloth definitely shrunk. I can't hem the ends or it won't fit lengthwise--and it just barely goes edge to edge in width. I really thought I had woven enough--I certainly had the warp to extend it by a foot. Oh well, it still works and my dinner party was a success. Can't say that about the latest power of myth gathering. Oh, the gathering was fantastic (thank you Kelly and Forest)--lots of fun--but the consensus is to leave Joseph Campbell in the dust. There actually is an option here--whoever hosts the future gatherings can choose the video--or I suppose they could choose to do a poetry reading, or play charades--but my vision of six meetings watching the six episodes, with six discussions really ended after session one. This one didn't exactly count since the video turned out to be the second one of a different series, a bit more pedantic as if Campbell was lecturing to his Sarah Lawrence class. I felt I should get a notebook and take notes, quickly, so I could be prepared for the upcoming test. It just didn't generate the type of conversation we had after watching the Moyers-Campbell part one. Mostly that conversation was about how dated their clothes and hair styles were, and how funny all that star wars stuff was--but it was still good conversation. This evening had its unexpected highlights though--like Tommy playing the piano. The entire house filled with powerful sound--it was like magic.

Hardly any snow on March 20th

We have had rain for the last two days, sunny warm days before that, and you can, almost all the snow was gone on Saturday, so after the rain, there won't be any. But I am warned, anything is possible in Vermont until May, or even later. I refuse to believe it though. Spring is here and i am all for warmth.

Spring also has brought registration for the summer classes at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. They just finished registration for their students, and this week they open it up to anyone who wants to attend. There are some openings in my class, so if you want to study with me, sign up at www.saic.edu/summer. The class is open to any level of student--beginner to advanced--and students will work on floor looms as well as the TC-1 hand jacquard loom. This is the only venue where I will be teaching this summer, and probably for the rest of the year.

Busy Weaving

March weaving growing on TC-1 loom

It is so good to have obligations on the calendar that force me to stop playing computer games and return to the loom. I gave a talk on Saturday morning for the Vermont Weavers Guild, then they came to my house to see the TC-1 loom in action. I also put out most of my ethnographic textile collection in hope that pieces would find new homes (and a few did). Spurred on by the visit, i got busy last week weaving. I always wonder why I have these long breaks, once I return to the loom--because it really is exciting to see the image grow. This weaving is going to be approximately 42 inches wide so the motif that you see developing in the images above will be on the left side of the final weaving. It is one of the drawings I did when i was trying to figure out classification awhile back (remember, the PBS Art 21 series?). I never did decide where I would place myself, but I like the motif and am very pleased how it is working in the cloth. There is a gold metallic weft that is being used both for the ground and for patterning, and my photos are not giving you a clear sense of the simmer and shine of the piece. Maybe when my new camera arrives I will be able to show you it better. And by then, it should have become much longer too.

Two of my studio walls with structural studies hanging

I hung the walls of my studio with the structural studies for the guild to see. I find them very useful myself but have given up on the idea of making them my art work. They are what they are--and that is enough. I see I have different aspirations for the current piece than I do for them. That means I will be very critical of the weaving when it first gets off the loom, and then, hopefully, I will soften with time.

Some of the ethnographic textiles in my collection

After the excitement of the talk, and a house full of weavers, I had a quiet day putting all the textiles back in the containers where I store them. It is almost a ritual, to take them out, try to sell them, remember when and where i bought them--usually directly from their maker--then carefully fold them up and put them away. I wonder if they will end up in some thrift store when I die? I hope not. India, Guatemala, Uzbekistan and Japan are all represented in the fabrics above.

On Monday, Liz and I had a lesson in coiled pots by Holly. We really had a good time. I definitely felt like a grade-school child, awkward and out of control. I had to put my first attempt back in the recycle pile, but my second attempt has possibilities. It is going to be a spoon pot for our wooden spoons and stirrers. It was really informative to work with Holly and see how skilled and joyful she is with the clay. One little pat or pinch by her and our work would shape up.

Holly Walker and Liz Billings making coiled pots

Yesterday Mark and I drove to Pawtucket, RI to pick up two of my weavings that had been in an exhibition at the Slater Mill Gallery, juried by Norma Smayda (center below) and Jody Brown (right below). Andrian Paquette (left below) was kind enough to show us around Slater Mill, which has wonderful old textile equipment that is still running. Andrian demonstrated the narrow tape loom which is shown in the image below. We also saw the renovated studios where classes are taught and meetings are held by a number of guilds. The waterfall outside the mill was really roaring and Andy said the river was about 8 feet higher than normal.

Andrian Paquette, Norma Smayda, and Jody Brown at Slater Mill

Narrow tape loom which is still weaving, see all the dobby bars on the left side of the loom!

After the mill, we went into Providence to see Kristin Crane's handmade books at Craftland. Kristin was a textile designer, before most of the mills in the area closed, then studied graphic design, but she seems to be thriving as a bookmaker and one of the directors of the gallery. She also sells her work on Etsy. I was a bit overwhelmed by the city--pastoral Vermont has changed me. But not so overwhelmed that I couldn't find Whole Foods and immediately spend my lecture fee and then some. I realize I am glad we don't have a store like that near us in Vermont (I think I am sounding like that cliche about New York--you know, the one that ends "but I wouldn't want to live there.")

Kristin Crane holding one of her travel journals in Craftland

I bought the new Abstract Expressionists stamps at the post office the other day. They are so cute that they will really tempt you to send a real letter. All these miniatures of very big paintings. Some of them are huge though in terms of stamps and when I mentioned to the post person that I would have to turn the stamp to get it to fit on my envelope, and was that okay, he said, "It's abstract expressionism. You can turn it any way you want."

New stamps available at the US Post Office

Goodbye Loom

Last project on dobby loom

Yesterday we said goodbye to the beautiful dobby loom that took center stage in our front room. The first step in disassembling the loom was to cut off the yardage that was on the loom. I laid out the damask block section on the table and am relieved to see that it is long enough to go edge to edge. I hope after washing it will still cover. Now the front room is empty, encouraging us to bring the sofa from the second floor office downstairs to be more useful.

Thank you to everyone who sent me comments on my last blog post, many of them came in direct emails to me. They all were thoughtful and encouraging. I have been rereading Jack Kornfield's wonderful book, A Path with Heart, and, honestly, I want to underline every sentence. It is reminding me that each of us has to forge our own way, authentic to ourselves. As soon as I wrote the last post, I knew that I had already come to some decisions--like focusing on weaving work for an exhibition, and not letting other things interfere with that commitment. I will have to finalize the first work soon, since the Vermont Weavers Guild is coming to see my studio on Saturday.

If you are on Weavetech (a yahoo group) or the Complex Weavers Jacquard Study Group, you already know that Garth Fletcher, the developer of JacqCAD Master, a software specifically for jacquard design, has announced that the program is now available as shareware. He explains it all on the website. When I taught in universities, this was one of the programs I used, and I had created and saved hundreds, maybe thousands, of weave structures in that program. When I left academia I no longer had access to any of that information--and it is one of the reasons I was interested in developing Photoshop for jacquard (see The Woven Pixel for those results). With my impeccable sense of timing, about a month ago I cleaned up the two computers that had all my JacqCAD files on them and threw those files into the trash! Oh well. I probably won't go back to that program, since I am quite satisfied with my method of designing and weaving using Photoshop, but it is an excellent program and Garth has offered a gift to everyone in the field.

I want to mention the Osloom project again. I like the spirit of this project. It is an attempt to open up new technologies in weaving to a larger group of people. I also want to say that I suspect that as that project unfolds, they are going to discover that the high cost of the current hand jacquards is due to the expense of manufacturing parts that are specified to the tiniest fractions of variation--and anything less than that will cause problems with the loom. Vibeke Vestby began her investigations that led to the TC1 with the same spirit of innovation and sharing that Margarita Benitez has for the Osloom. The expense of the loom has not increased because of greed but because of the value of the dollar versus the Norwegian krone. Despite the headaches of manufacturing, Vestby and her company have continued to improve the loom, and continue to offer the best customer support possible. As I return to my TC1 this week, I know for certain that I will be sending silent blessings off to Vestby, in gratitude for all she has done for me and other weavers. In that spirit, I wish Benitez support for her project, and hope you will donate to her kickstarter project. If enough of us donate $25, it can add up to the sum she needs.

Creative Business Ideas

Snow Snow Snow

It seems like everyone else got snow this winter except us. We were seeing the ground in most places but Tuesday winter announced, in a very loud voice, "I am still here." Majestic and beautiful. Be sure to watch my video at the end of this post.

I want to talk about the Breaking into Business workshop, sponsored by the Vermont Arts Council, that I took Valentine's Day weekend. Led by Maren Brown and Dee Boyle-Clapp, the first day focused on marketing strategies and the second day on writing a business plan. As you know, I have been trying different ways to get my weavings out in the world, and I thought the comment by Neki Desu to my February 12th post, was very apt. One of the things Maren and Dee told us about were online surveys, like the ones offered by SurveyMonkey, where you can query your clients about almost anything. I had an ahha moment when I realized, I can ask you directly, right here, to help me figure some things out. So my first question is:

What can I offer that would get you to pay me money for it?

I am not saying that I will follow all suggestions, after all, I am always teaching my students to take what I say, or anyone else says, put it in a basket, and throw it in the air, like rice being separated from chaff. If it is relevant it will stick, if not, let it blow away. However, I will definitely listen, and try to "put on" all the suggestions. If something fits, I will try it. That was what my silent auction was--an attempt. When it didn't work, I took it away. I learned something--that is not the way.

I will say that in the two weeks since the workshop, and after having such a positive experience with students in Fibers at UMass-Dartmouth, I am thinking that I should increase the number of workshops I am willing to do each year, traveling to schools to do these short, intense lecture/workshop/critiques, and separate any commercial pressure from my studio weaving. This is what I did in the past, when I taught full-time, and it allowed me to create work that was labor-intensive, personal, and creative. I never allowed the thought, "who will buy this?" to enter into the equation. I am enjoying doing functional weaving for my own use--it is a daily thrill to see my own curtains hanging in the living room; the new tablecloth fabric is woven and just waiting to be cut off the loom--but I don't want to divert my art work into this direction.

Another idea that is changing is my offer of tutorial teaching. When I first moved here, it felt fine to share my looms with students for a short time--and I had absolutely fantastic experiences with all the students that have come here. But now that I want to focus on a body of work for my show in January, I don't feel I can interrupt the work on my loom for others to do work on it. In fact, I have had to turn people away for just that reason. Perhaps I can set aside specific time each year and offer tutoring during that time? What do you think?

We all have bills to pay, daily expenses for food, heat, shelter, gas, medical, taxes, and those constant surprising miscellaneous items which never stop coming just when you think you are going to have a cushion. I already have the loom of my dreams. Honestly, my needs are modest. (But modest in the USA is like funding a village in other parts of the world.) So readers, please send me your suggestions, either comment here or send me an email, and help me find ways to keep my studio practice true to itself, and still pay my bills.

I want to mention a few other things.

I broke down and signed up for Facebook. I have two accounts. One is a business page:

Bhakti Ziek - Weaver

You can sign up there and become a "fan." Just to show me some support.

The other is a personal page:

Bhakti Ziek

You can invite me to be your "friend" and I will confirm. We all need all the friends we can get, right?

The other thing is that Kickstarter.com was mentioned in the workshop, and then I heard from Margarita Benitez about her Kickstarter project. For all those who have been interested in jacquard weaving, but feel left out because of the expense of the looms, this project is just for you. Please go to her site and pledge money. She has 64 days left to raise her $10,000 goal. If she raises less than that, she gets nothing; if she raises more, she gets it all. An open source loom is a win for all of us, not just her. Please read more and get the word out to other interested people.

Finally, here is my latest video. I posted one on my Facebook page and nobody commented. Maybe because it had a red background. Try this one--blue.

Randolph Snow - Blue by Bhakti Ziek