Yes, the Kromski Heddle Does Stay in the Up Position on the Loom

I often see comments about how someone's Kromski heddle on their Kromski loom will not stay in the up position on their loom. I have answered this many times and it is time I wrote an article about it.

The Kromski heddle and heddle blocks are designed to hold the loom solid in the up position IF the tension on the warp is fairly tight. Not break the beam tight but it is best described as drum tight. That is a term I have used when teaching miniature punchneedle embroidery which also needs to have the cloth in the hoop "drum tight". On the hoop it is easy to explain - tap on the top of the cloth in the hoop and it sounds like a little drum. With the loom, the warp is not going to make any sound if you tap on it, but if you push gently down on it about an inch down there should be resistance. Here is a photo with my fingers pushing down on the warp when the heddle is in the up position -

You see just three fingers lightly pushing down. On just the warp threads it pushes only slightly further (a photo did not show this well). Getting the tension here is not hard. Wind the warp to put some tension on it. Put the heddle heddle up. If it does not stay up by itself or it falls, increase the tension on the warp to the point that the heddle is solid on the top of the blocks. Like this -

See how the warp holds the heddle in place. And see that there are on need for rubber bands wrapped around the top of the heddle block and there is certainly no need for cutting into the notch on the top of the heddle block! Wow! Somethings that I have heard people do rather than get the heddle to stand as it was intended to.

Once it is staying up there, if you feel there is too much tension, then open a pawl (front or back) and move the ratchet one or two notches less. Put the pawl back on the ratchet to lock it and put the heddle back up - if it stays fine. If not, the tension has to go back to where it was - one notch at a time if you lowered it more than one notch.

One thing to know about putting the heddle in both the top and bottom positions is that you pivot the heddle into place. See how the bottom of the heddle frame sits in the notch in the photo above. Put it there first on an angle with the top of the heddle toward you and push the top of the frame up to put the loom straight on the block. It will move against the back of the notch and stay there.

For putting the heddle in the bottom position it is the same thing - with this same tension, put the TOP corner of the heddle frame on the top notch - both sides at the same time - always - and have the bottom of the heddle frame coming toward you. Have your thumbs push the top of the frame toward the back of the loom so that the bottom of the heddle swings into place to the bottom of the heddle block - and it will make a sound "SNAP" - you might even say "Pop" as in Pop Goes the Heddle. 😄 It makes a very definite connection - and stays there!  I love the sound the heddle makes when it snaps into place on the bottom position.

Here is the heddle in the bottom position -

So - it really does work. Don't crank up your tension to the point that it will do damage - but the tension has to be correct for the Kromski heddle to stay solidly in place - up or down! And each time you advance the warp you are releasing the tension to wind the cloth on the front beam and when done you need to return the tension to where it was.

When you finish weaving for the day - or will be away from the loom for several hours, take the tension off the warp - just enough for the warp and cloth to go slightly slack - not too much! This will reduce any stretch on the warp and also any stress on the loom while you are not weaving. 

WET FINISHING

SINCE THIS ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN I HAVE WRITTEN A NEW ARTICLE ABOUT WET FINISHING BY MACHINE. PLEASE CONSIDER THE NEW ARTICLE AS A CONTINUATION OF THIS ARTICLE. - - - WET FINISHING BY MACHINE


I have been trying to put articles on this site in the order of start to finish when weaving, but wet finishing is a question that comes up from new weavers quite often, so, therefore, I am going to skip all the way to the end of the weaving process and share what I do to wet finish my weaving.

Wet finishing is the process of turning what is basically a woven net coming off the loom into cloth. One very wise weaver who is not identified - and maybe after I say that, this weave  will comment here "That was me!" (not "me") - that "IT IS NOT CLOTH UNTIL IT IS WET FINISHED". Wet finishing goes all the way back in the history of weaving which is a Very, Very long time. Essentially, wet finishing is getting the finished weave soaking wet. When the weaving is wet finished, the fibers and yarn relaxes. The weave comes together. Things in your weaving that looked not as good as you expected while it was on the loom sometimes correct themselves and look fine. The spaces that you saw between the warp and weft close up - depending on the weave. The size of the weaving changes - generally a  little smaller - even for fibers like acrylic that don't shrink. The cloth is said to "full". It becomes cloth.

Some say that acrylic is not effected at all by wet finishing and I have to disagree. I use a lot of acrylic yarns and there is a big difference for the better between the weave coming off the loom and the after it is wet finished. It does full. It does change size slightly. The yarn does relax. The weave does come together.

There are many methods to this. The current master of wet finishing is Laura Fry, who has written a book and has a video class available on her methods. This is just a preview of that class. I have watched several videos, collected a lot of forum and weaving group comments about how to wet finish and I have my own variation of what I have learned. I know that others have different methods.


One can wet finish by hand or use a washing machine. I have tried using the washing machine with various fiber weaves and I infrequently now use the washing machine and for just about everything - unless I get foolishly courageous and decide to "take one more chance" - I HAND WET FINISH.

I just started writing about experiences using the washer/dryer to wet finish and decided that I would not confuse the readers and just stick to a method that will work - wet finishing by hand.

This is what I do to wet finish. Again, others do it differently. This has worked for me.

1. Fill a plastic tub that fits in your sink with enough water to completely cover the weaving.

A dish washing basin works well - and comes in a large and small size. I found one in Walmart - they are not hard to find. To use hot, warm, or cold water depends on your fiber and what you want to happen with the yarn and the weave. Generally you go by the label that came with the yarn with its washing/care instructions. Natural fibers that shrink such as wool, cotton, and all the rest, if you use warm to hot water the fiber will shrink. Sometimes you want the fiber to shrink. If this weaving is going to be washed by the owner, and you do not shrink it, chances are that when it is washed later it will shrink. Most weaving calculators (like ours) take shrinkage into account when determining the warp and weft amounts and lengths. You may decide that you don't want it to shrink at this point and then use cold water. Some natural fibers, such as wool, felt. Think of felt that you buy for crafts and that is what your weave will look like after it is felted. If you use hot water and when the cloth is in the water you agitate it, the fibers will felt. Agitate it a lot and it felts a lot. Some projects call for felting as an effect in the finished project. How do you agitate the fibers? I have a joking comment to make but I will refrain. Move your hand around quickly through the water and move the weaving around a great deal with a lot of motion. This only happens with fibers that felt. For a man-made fiber like acrylic, you can use hot, warm, or cold water and it will not make any difference. I just use warm water for my comfort with my hands in the water when I use acrylic yarn.

2. I add a capful of baby shampoo to the water. If you put this in while the water is going in, it will mix itself.

Some use other soaps. Some use nothing. Some use special soaps made for yarns that is sold in knitting and weaving stores. When I started I used just regular clothes washing Tide. I then decided that if baby shampoo was good for baby's hair it has to be good for any fiber that I am going to wet finish. A big bottle of the non-name brand is just as good as the name brand, more expensive bottle.

3. If your weaving is not already in the basin, put your weaving in the basin. Obviously, if what you have woven will not fit in this basin or in the sink, get a larger basin and use that out of the sink. I have heard that some use the bathtub.

4. This is when the motion you want to use for the yarn you are using comes in - as I described in Number 1 above. Swirl the yarn around in the water. (If agitating - agitate now.) Just move the yarn around so that it all gets wet and all of it comes into contact with the soapy water. The yarn will absorb the water fairly quickly. I am not that concerned with washing the yarn. Some do say that the yarn should be washed. Other than a hand-spun, homemade yarn direct from the animal, I don't see the yarns I am using being that dirty that they need to be washed for a prolonged period of time. Longer does not hurt. I do this step for about FIVE minutes. If you are felting, the time will be longer to the point of felting you desire. If you are shrinking you would also increase the time.

5. Take the cloth into both hands and pick it up from the basin. Let it drip out either into the basin or the sink from your hands - just enough so that when you put it down on the side for a moment while you prep for the next step it does not flood the counter. I put down a towel to put it on. Put the cloth down.

6. Empty the basin into the sink. Turn on the faucet and rinse out the basin to get all of the soap out and when all you see is clean water and no suds in the basin, turn off the faucet. Put the basin back into the sink and fill it with clean water - no special temperature - cool is fine.

7. Put the cloth into the basin and swirl it around for its FIRST rinse. Again, not long. Just a few minutes is fine.

8. Repeat steps FIVE THROUGH SEVEN for the second rinse.
At this point the water should be clear and stay clear.

9. Repeat Step FIVE TO SIX, but now I add on partial cap of Downy Fabric Softener. Have it mix into the water and mix it a little by hand. PUT THE CLOTH INTO THE FABRIC SOFTENER WATER. Swirl it around to get the cloth submersed into the water mix. Set a timer for 20 to 30 minutes and go take a break.

10. During your break take two large bath towels or "bath sheets". I use white to not transfer any dye in the towel to the  weaving. Put the towels flat on a table - you want the towels to be longer than the total length of your weaving - so if it is a short weave then one towel may do it. If it is very long you may need a very long table and more than two towels. Tables are just so long so hang it off the ends of the length of the table - cover the floor for drips.

11. When you come back after the timer goes off, remove the cloth from the water. Allow it to drip in your hands. I gently squeeze to get the bulk of the water out but do not wring it out. Carry it over to the towels you set up in Number 10.

12. Lay the weaving on the towel FLAT. If the towel is wider than the weaving - and with a scarf it often is, place the woven cloth toward one edge and fold the other edge of the towel completely over the cloth. If there is not enough towel to fold fully over the weaving, then don't fold it. Start at one end and roll the cloth up into the towel, trying to avoid having any of the cloth wrinkle of fold on itself. Roll it up so that you are left with a long roll of weaving stuffed towel - like a cake roll. I then squeeze the towel gently to absorb some of the water inside. The towel is then set aside and you set a timer again for twenty to thirty minutes. DO NOT let the weaving stay in the towel for more than 30 minutes - when I have, it comes out wrinkled.

13. When it is time, take the towel roll over to a table that is empty. You are going to now unroll the towel and get the weaving out and lay it flat on the table. This is for the final dry. It often comes out of the towel just damp. I have not had it come out still soaking. Make sure the weaving is laying out nice and flat and leave it there until dry. You may wish to come back as the top seems to be dry and turn it over to expose the bottom to the air more.

14. I have come up with a way to make the drying time a little quicker and if not quicker there is no need to turn the weaving to expose the bottom to air. I went to a home store - Home Depot - and bought a six foot long and 16" wide plastic coated wire shelf used for closets. Also buy a package of the little plastic tips used on the sharp ends of the wire where the shelf was cut at the factory or the store to length. I place this up on two plastic "milk" crates. I found some small ones of these in Walmart during school supply season that were a dollar each and I have two spare if I need to get a second 16" wide wire shelf for weaving wider than 16". When I use only one shelf I stack two for each end just because I have them. Put the crates on the table. Put the wire shelf up on the crates - balance it so that it is sturdy. Lay the weaving on top of the shelf - let the fringe hang down below. You are now drying both sides at once.

15. How long does it take to dry? This depends on the air it is drying in. In the winter with the heat on and the air being drier, it can be totally dry in four or five hours. In the summer with the humidity it can take over night to into the next day to be totally dry.

IMPORTANT NOTES -

FRINGE

There is always a question about finishing your fringe before or after wet finishing. I have done both. Many say always finish the fringe before you wet finish. I know that I am gentle with the fringe and the cloth as I wet finish by HAND - and make sure the fringe does not get tangled - which it wants to do.  Some yarns will un-ply at unfinished ends during wet finishing. Cotton is one that will often do this. Finish your cotton fringe always before wet finishing or at the very least tie a knot in the bottom of every fringe if you plan to just have plain fringe or will take care of fringe finishing later. If in doubt, finish the fringe before you wet finish.

FIXING UNINTENDED FLOATS

Examine your weaving before wet finishing for any mistakes made - floats - warp or weft threads not caught into the weave and stick up across the weaving where it should have been woven in. I am not going to explain the process to fix these now but FIX ALL FLOATS BEFORE WET FINISHING.

CUTTING WEFT TAILS

As you changed colors of weft or ended one shuttle or bobbin and started the next, you left weft tails hanging down from the weave. DO NOT CUT THESE OFF UNTIL AFTER YOU HAVE WET FINISHED THE CLOTH.   Once the cloth is completely dry cut those off close to the cloth but always making sure you don't cut the weaving at the surface.

ASSEMBLING 

If you are joining two pieces of weaving together, do that before wet finishing.

HEMMING TO NOT HAVE FRINGE

If you are going to cut off the fringe and hem your cloth so there is no fringe on an end, DO THAT BEFORE WET FINISHING. There is a specific method to do this - I am not including that at this time in this article.

I HAVE HEARD...

Have you heard about putting your weaving on the floor of the shower and turning on the water and walking all over it? Like I said early on, there are all different ways that people wet finish. (If not everything else , do take off your shoes before doing this.) 😃 

 

+++++++++++

Don't be put off by all of the steps. It does not take that long to wet finish your weaving. There is more "wait" time than there is active time doing it.



PART TWO - WET FINISHING BY MACHINE

Some Rigid Heddle Books Reviewed

One of the best way to teach yourself to weave on a rigid heddle loom - in addition to watching videos on YouTube and other sites - is to have a good book to start with. Choosing that book is important - I know because I chose the wrong one when I got my rigid heddle loom and became so frustrated trying to figure out the details of getting started, that I almost gave up - until another book was recommended to me - which got me going in a day. There are a handful of books specifically about the rigid heddle loom. Here are the ones in my personal weaving library that I will share my impressions about with you.

The first book - and the book that saved me from taking the new loom right back that first week - is Inventive Weaving on a Little Loom by Syne Mitchell. This published by Interweave - and most of the rigid heddle books are.  This book is the absolute best book for anyone who is going to learn to weave on a rigid heddle loom who has never woven before. This book covers all of the basics in detail with clear full color photos and diagrams and clear descriptions of what to do. The first 109 pages of this large book will teach you just about everything you need to know. Then from page 111 to the last page of 285 before the index pages start, the book goes beyond the basics and takes you into advanced weaves and weaving patterns,  the use of colors, and much more - all the way to weaving on a rigid heddle loom with double and even triple heddle (not all RH looms are capable of three heddles). Interspersed in these pages are project patterns to weave that give you what yarn to use, how to warp the pattern, and what to do to weave it. All illustrated clearly.  I have been weaving for three years now, and I still go back to this book to check on something I am not sure about and to learn something new for a technique that I have not tried yet. When there is a problem, this is my go to book.  Many rigid heddle weavers feel the same way about this book. I only wish that someone had told me to buy this book first when I was starting.

After you have gotten down the basics, the next very good book is The Weaver's Idea Book by Jane Patrick. This is NOT a book for a beginner. This book mirrors some of the techniques in the advanced part of Inventive Weaving on a Little Loom, but goes into more detail and covers techniques that are not covered in Inventive Weaving... With this book you are going to learn to use your pick up sticks and start doing pattern weaves with fairly good detailed written instructions - and photo illustrations. The only draw back I find with this book is that some of the photo illustrations are not clear enough to see what you are trying to achieve - and her use of color yarns in some illustration photos is poor when it comes to defining the look of the pattern. This is a good book, even though I will search other illustrations of what is being shown in this book to be sure I understand what I am looking for when I do it on my loom. This is a hardcover book with an inner spiral wire binding so that the book lays flat and the pages open to put on a table next to you as you follow the directions. Despite some illustration photos - not all - she give very clear step by step numbered directions. #1 Do this. #2 Next do this. And it goes on like that until it says REPEAT. Once you know what you are doing with the basics and once you are very comfortable with your loom and are ready to move ahead, this is also a must have book. BUT there are no basic rigid heddle instructions in this book. It starts advanced and keeps going.  There are also no project patterns to weave in this book with the exception of some sampler projects that use all of the various weaves from that section in the book - but you are not coming away with a scarf or usable item. This book is also published by Interweave.

The next book that I will share with you is a book titled, Weaving Made Easy by Liz Gipson. This is a slim paperback book that contains some basic weaving instruction and then 17 projects to make on your rigid heddle loom which include household items like towels, cushion covers, placemats,bags, things to wear (even slippers), a rug, belts, etc. This book has some detail on how to weave from the beginning on a rigid heddle loom but does not go into the detail that Inventive Weaving... does.  I would not get this book instead of Inventive Weaving..., but it is a good book to get for the different types of projects (if you learn to make towels from the pattern in this book you can then make any towels you would like to make - and that goes for bags, etc.) and it is especially a good book because it goes into detail - on just a few pages on something not covered in any of the other books I have or have seen. That is to fix warp and weft floats discovered after your weaving comes off the loom. These result when your shuttle goes under or over the warp when it should have gone through. This book tells you and shows you with good color photos what to do to fix these. Frankly, that was what led me to buy this book and I have since found it good for the project patterns in the book. Again this book is published by Interweave.

The next book is the one I bought and received just before my rigid heddle loom. The title of the book is Hands On Rigid Heddle Weaving by Betty Linn Davenport. I was told it was good for a beginner. It wasn't. IF you are not a beginner it is an OK book as it does contain a lot of nice project patterns and goes into how to make those patterns. Here is the problem with this book. The illustrations on what to do are not photographs but roughly drawn pen and ink drawings.  Basically sketches that to a total beginner are not clear to follow at all. Some of this book reads like it was intended for a college course on rigid heddle weaving and there is nothing wrong with that - as long as one has a teacher to guide you through it, but not for an on your own, total beginner. I kept this book. I bought from a retailer to which I could have returned it for a full refund, but I didn't. There are things in this book that if you can figure them out - and also project patterns - that are very good. I do not find myself picking this book up to look in often. If the illustrations would have been better and full color large photos, with do this, then this in detail, it might have been much better This too is published by Interweave. 

The last book in my collection - for the moment - is titled Simple Woven Garments by Sara Goldenburg and Jane Patrick - the same Jane Patrick from The Weaver's Idea Book. This is a book on how to weave clothing accessories with cloth you weave on your rigid heddle loom. The book has over 20 projects including jackets, shawls, tops, etc. I bought this book for the first 21 pages because in those pages are how to weave the cloth needed for making clothing, etc, how to cut the cloth you have woven, how to deal with the edges once cut, and how to sew the cloth to make clothing and other woven items that are assembled. It is only a small section of this book but it tells you what you need to know. The next really nice thing about this book is if you don't want to make what is exactly shown in one of its projects there are techniques described and illustrated that could apply to similar things in other types of projects. I had been looking at this book at full price on the shelf of a Barnes and Nobles bookstore and was interested. I lucked on a copy of this book in a closeout store and then could not resist the price for what can be a very valuable book to have if you intend to cut the cloth you weave and assemble it into something to wear or use. And if you don't find the patterns for things that are your taste - there is enough here to turn it into something that is something you would like. This book also is published by Interweave.

So there you have my rigid heddle weaving book collection. There are many more books for rigid heddle weaving and if you go to the Interweave website and look through the books specifically for rigid heddle looms (and do make sure the book is for an rh loom and not another type - as not all techniques apply from one type of loom to another) you will find a few other books that may be interesting to you. Also don't forget to check local libraries as many of these books are available in them.

DIY Bobbin Winder for Boat Shuttle Bobbins for Under $2 or Less!

A boat shuttle can be a fun accessory for a rigid heddle loom. They are used instead of the usual stick shuttle that comes with rigid heddle looms. With a rigid heddle loom they do have some drawbacks as they can only hold as much yarn as will fit on a bobbin and with the usual knitting yarns used by many to weave as weft on their rigid heddle looms they do not hold very much of that yarn and that means ending and starting a new bobbin frequently as you weave along with the many end and start ends you will have when your weaving comes off the loom. They are great, however, with thin yarns and you can get a good amount of finer yarns on a bobbin that will keep you weaving.

I am not going to go into buying a boat shuttle. One thing that you need to know before buying a boat shuttle is how large top to bottom is your open shed in either the up or down position of the heddle. The boat shuttle must fit through this opening with room to spare so that it will go from one side of the loom to the other as you weave. So before buying a boat shuttle measure the open shed and buy a boat shuttle that will easily fit and not be tight against the top and bottom of the shed as it passes through. There are several boat shuttles that will fit and one of the companies even makes a boat shuttle that they call "slim" that should fit a rigid heddle loom.

But once you have your boat shuttle you need to wind the weft yarn onto the shuttle's bobbin. This can be done by hand but while some do it, it is not practical. You would rather spend the time weaving. You want to wind the bobbin fast. There are manually cranked and electric motor winders sold - and they are expensive. But most have around the house a common tool that is perfect for winding a boat shuttle bobbin - an electric variable speed drill. Good for all kinds of projects around the house. And it is good for winding bobbins - but you need a secure way to get the bobbin onto the drill.

Here is a bobbin carrier that will cost you less than $2 at any home or hardware store. You will need:

1 six inch dome head screw bolt 1/4" in diameter
1 nut to fit bolt
1 small washer to fit bolt
2 larger washers to fit bolt

 

The bobbin for my boat shuttle is four inches long. The screw bolt is six inches long. This allows two inches to be tightened securely into the drill chuck. Boat shuttle bobbins can be different lengths. If your shuttle uses longer than a four inch long bobbin you would just need to get a screw bolt two inches longer than the bobbin length.  Also check the hole diameter in your bobbin. If it is wider than 1/4" then get a bolt that will just fit in - don't get a bolt that is much smaller than the hole in the bobbin. If you do, it will not wind evenly as it turns on the drill.

Here is how this will go together -

The small washer goes on first. This is to give a flat base to sit against the top of the screw. One of the large washer's goes on next. Then the bobbin is slid on. Next goes the second large washer goes on, Then put the nut on the bottom of the screw and tighten the nut against the washer to hold the bobbin securely on the bolt. Do not over tighten. Do not use any tool. Just turn the nut on with your fingers.

Put the end of the screw (not the dome end into the drill chuck and tighten the chuck. A variable speed drill will turn faster or slower by how much you hold the trigger in. You are going to start winding your yarn onto the bobbin SLOWLY.  First - with no yarn pull the trigger of the drill and see where you want to hold the trigger in to get a slow and steady wind. Also take note of the direction the drill is going. Most of these drills are also reversible so if you want it to turn the other way there will be a switch to do that. Take the end of your yarn and wrap it around catching the end under one of the hand wraps you do here at the top of the bobbin and make sure you are wrapping the same way the drill will turn. Now pull the trigger just a little and get the bobbin turning and you will have your yarn now winding on the bobbin.

 As it is winding hold your yarn with one hand while you hold and work the drill with the other. Move the yarn from top to bottom and back again along the bobbin as the drill turns and wind the yarn evenly along the bobbin. Once you have the wind going evenly you can squeeze the drill trigger harder and increase the speed - but don't get carried away! Once the yarn comes toward the top of the ends of the bobbin stop. Your bobbin is wound!

 This yarn is a #3 crochet cotton/wool blend. The thickest yarn I will use with the boat shuttle is a #1 knitting weight sock yarn. Anything thicker and I will go back to using a stick shuttle.

Cut the yarn between the screw and the ball. Take the screw out of the drill - just reverse how you turned the chuck to tighten it so that now you loosen it. Take the nut off the bolt, slide down the lower washer and slide off the bobbin. You are now ready to weave!

It is a good idea to buy a number of bobbins. They are often sold by the dozen. You can then wind all your needed bobbins for your project right at the start and have them ready to slide onto the shuttle when one ends.

It is easy. It works better than trying to chuck a pencil into a drill to hold a bobbin. (I tried that and was not happy with it.) And the price is right!

Different Apron Cords on a Kromski Loom

Kromski several years back changed the apron cords on their looms. At one time you received a long strand of nylon cord and the Kromski instructions told you to cut the cord into equal lengths and form looms with the cord which required holding the cord ends together in a candle and hoping to get them to melt - which meant needing to do this for all cords to come out to equal length loops which is not always easy. Then they decided to change how to use this long length of cord and put a screw at each end of the warp and cloth beams and tied the cord between the screws and showed in their new instructions how to wrap the cord around the apron rods to form "V"s to hold the apron rod loosely in place.

This works if you are using their "warp helper" block to warp your loom but did not work well when I tried to use this when direct warping. The problem on a 32" wide loom was emphasized when the dowel rod would dip down on one end while warping the other end and across. Some love this new setup and if it works for you don't change it. But I struggled with this for several months and then went out looking for an alternative.

I could have cut the cords into pieces and used the old instructions which are still easy to find on the internet to cut and burn the loops together and use them as they used to be uses. But I really did not like that. I looked to see what other looms do. One other company uses a plastic band to hold the rod to the beam. Another uses something called TexSolv - a product commonly used in multi-shaft weaving. The feature of TexSolv is that it is nylon cord made up of a chain of small loops that make it easy to put an end through one of those loops, pull and have the length of the cord on the loom exact as long as you you put the cord end through the same loop counting up.

I decided that the TexSolv was a great way to put the apron rods onto the beams and I went out to find it. If there is no weaving store near you, several of the weaving websites sell TexSolv. Some have better prices than others. Be aware that this cord is EXPENSIVE. You can buy it by the foot and you can buy it on a spool. I decided - not being sure how much I would need and not sure if at some point I would want to replace the TexSolv cords with new ones - to buy a spool.

Schacht has an excellent video on how to put TexSolv cord on the apron rods and beams of their Rigid Heddle looms and this process is the same for the Kromski. Here is a link to how it is done -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPGVyv3z8T8

Here is how it looks on my loom. Compare this photo to the one above. The apron rod is securely tied to the beam. You will see the two end cords not around the dowel - this is to keep tension off the ends of the dowel when weaving less than the full width of the loom. All I need to do is slip those back over the ends of the dowel.The best thing is that it is so easy to get equal lengths cord that enable your apron rod that you warp and tie onto the same distance from your heddle across the entire length of the apron rod.

Here are some close ups and you can easily see how this cord is constructed with small loops.

A small investment made using the apron rods so much easier. And you can easily slip cords off the dowels for narrow projects to put even tension on the dowels.

Another way to Direct Warp

Direct warping is a method of measuring the yarn for your warp at the same time that you are putting it on the loom. The usual method of direct warping - and there are many free videos on YouTube to show how to do this - is to clamp an vertical peg to a table (some use the top of a chair back) that is the distance from the apron dowel of your loom that the warp is to be long, and warp from the back of the loom tying your first warp thread to the apron dowel and then passing a loop of that warp through the first slot you have calculated to start your warp in to go across the loom the number of slots and holes also calculated. The heddle hook or slay hook is used to pick up the loop from the opposite side of the heddle, through the slot toward you and then catching the loop and pulling from back to front through that slot. This puts TWO warp threads (it is a loop that is going through) now on the cloth side of the heddle. You get up, take that loop in your fingers and walk it across the room to the warping peg and place the loop over and down on the vertical peg. You carry the yarn now back with you to the loom and then continue with the warp thread (placed under the loom on the warp side) and keep passing loops through. This is a simplified explanation of the process.

Now, what can go wrong? Well, if you put too much tension on that warp loop as you carry it down to the peg, you transfer that tension to the warp on the peg when you put it on - and you may just find that the peg comes flying off the table - and all the warp becomes a tangled mess on the floor - sometimes impossible to get straightened out - and usually just as you were about to finish the warp. That is one thing that can go wrong. Another problem is that if the peg is not tall enough, you can run out of peg before you are finished and you will find yourself pushing it all down as best you can to make more room. And still another problem is that with the warp going across the loom to a single point - the peg - you create a V from peg to loom with the closed end of the V at the peg. The distance from each side of the loom to the middle will be at different lengths.

So what can you do about this. I was a wonderful idea shared on one of the Weaving Facebook groups by a very smart lady, Ingrid Koch. She came up with a horizontal warping rod instead of a warping peg. As I recall, she used a curtain rod. I looked at her idea and decided to come up with something a little stronger and a way to secure it to a table.

I decided to use a thick wood dowel - about 3/4" in diameter and three feet wide. My loom is 32" wide so the 36" long dowel was more than enough for a full warp across the loom. Here is a photo of what I came up with -

What you see here are two stand brackets to hold the rod. The table they are on is a garden folding table from IKEA and I bought this table for this purpose - and to use for other weaving related tasks. With this table the brackets are held down to the surface of the table with a screw bolt passed up through the slot of the table through the bracket and tightened on with a wing nut - there is a washer both above and below the bracket. One bracket is cut shorter than the other, but the bottom of the slot that holds the dowel start at the same height from the table.

 
The rod is level across sitting in the brackets. One side is short because this is the side of the rod that will be lifted to slide the warp loop onto. The other bracket is taller so that the dowel does not slip off as the other end is lifted up.  In this photo you will see a permanent mark in the exact middle of the dowel. You know when you are half way across your heddle your warp should be right there at that mark on the dowel. There are two pieces of removable painters tape that mark the point the first loop should be placed next to - since I warp right to left - that would be the edge of the tape on the right and the spot the last loop is placed - that is the tape on the left. What you see on the right end (outside the bracket on the dowel) is a bubble level. I will explain why that is there later.

So now instead of walking to a vertical peg, with this you walk to the left end of the dowel, lift that end enough to get the warp loop over, and drop the warp loop down at the dowel starting at the edge of the right piece of tape. Let's say I am warping a warp that is to be 104" each warp thread. That warp loop is now 104 inches away from the apron dowel going through the first slot I am warping. The next loop goes right next to that - again 104" long. This goes on for the full width of the warp. When you are done you will have a very straight warp from the warping dowel through the slots in the heddle to and across the apron dowel. This will be the same when the warp is wound onto the warp beam under tension. Every warp thread the same length. All nice and neatly lined up across the beam. If the warp is 12 inches across the apron dowel, it will be 12 inches across the warping rod.

With this, it is hard for the warp to fly off. The brackets are securely attached - you could put these on any table edge using two soft faced wood clamps found at any home or tool store. You have a length of dowel to hold your warp as long as the number of slots you are warping through. You don't have to put a lot of tension on the warp - just enough to keep it from sagging.

Let me step aside a moment to say this - when you are direct warping, your main goal is to measure the warp length and not to put tension on the warp. The tension will be put on by your helper when you wind on the warp on the warp beam.

When you or your partner are taking the rod off the brackets when you are ready to wind the warp onto the back beam, lift it straight up off the brackets just high enough to clear them. You now need to get this to the front of the table. This is easy with this particular table that I picked as it is a gate leg table and what my wife does (who is my warping helper) is move the gate leg closed with her foot from the back of the table and the top comes down. With a table that you cannot do this with, move the rod forward to the front of the table(the tension will be lost but don't worry as the length will not change). Get around to the front and have your helper get hold of the rod  and you move the table so that there is room to get tension back on the warp on the rod. If you remove the warp from the rod at the table, you can warp as you usually would do by tying a string or yarn around all of the warp, and then weight that and warp alone. If you have a helper and you leave the warp on the rod held level and straight as you wind on you will get a nice even warp each thread lying next to each other on your back beam. An alternative is to weight down the table. Leave the warp on the rod and the rod in the brackets, start winding on and let the loom be pulled toward the table and the rod as you wind. Get up and walk behind the loom as you do this.

I mention here about hold the rod level. I find that this makes a difference in getting a good wind when using a rod like this. That mystery item on the right end of the rod in the first photo is a little bubble level. You can find these for a few dollars in Walmart in the Auto section where they have a section of RV supplies. It is a package of two and these little levels have peel and stick adhesive on the bottom. Stick it on the end of the rod and then whoever is holding the rod while you are winding on will see the bubble and if it is not in the middle the rod (dowel) is not level. Move that end up or down a little and the bubble goes to the middle. I added this when my wife said that it looked level as she was holding the dowel in her two hands but was not sure. I could see from across the room that it was way off. She can now see the level and adjust the dowel as needed.

If you leave the warp on the dowel until it gets to the front of the loom, you will have a nice even wind on the beam - every warp thread lined up on the beam just as it will come off the beam while weaving. Thread your holes following the order and you will have no crossed warp threads coming off the warp beam!

This works. I was not happy with the direct warp vertical peg. This solved all of the problems I was having with it!

ADDENDUM:

I have been asked about the size of the table. Here are the dimensions of the table - 28.5" high, 24.5" wide, with one gate leg up - 29.75" long, and with the two gate legs up - 51.75" long.  The table is heavy and I purposely looked for a heavy table so that the table would not move when warping.  The slats in the top make it easy to anchor the brackets. This table from IKEA is an outdoor table - available during the Spring and summer months.This link will bring you to the IKEA page for this table (as long as IKEA still offers this table) -   https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/aepplaroe-gateleg-table-outdoor-brown-stained-brown-50208535/

First Project as a Learning Project

 NEW INTRODUCTION TO THIS ARTICLE:

A very first weaving project needs to be a learning project. The project's only intent is to learn how to weave on your new rigid heddle loom. As when learning anything new, one needs to start with the very basics. When learning how to swim one starts out in the shallow end of the swimming pool. One does not go directly to the high diving board, and jump into the deep end of the pool. Similarly, when learning how to weave you need to do a basic project with inexpensive yarn. Do not use your best handspun or that really nice, but expensive yarn that caught your eye at the last fiber arts show you attended and just had to buy. Buy a cheap yarn in two contrasting colors of the same yarn. One will be your warp yarn and the other will be your weft yarn. The two contrasting colors are to show you clearly as you are learning how the warp and weft yarns interact with each other as you weave. Weave a plain weave - no fancy pattern weaves! You want a simple and basic balanced weave in which both the warp and weft show equally in the cloth you are weaving. Do not warp the full width of your loom. Center a warp of no more than 10" on a wide loom or 7" on a narrow loom on your heddle.This learning project does not need to be long - you could do a short 48" weave to learn with or if you want go a full 72" which is the typical length of a scarf.  Use a yarn that matches the dent on your heddle. Many looms come in the box with either an 8 or 7.5 dent heddle - this heddle is perfect for a #4 worsted yarn. Some looms come in the box with a 10 dent heddle - this is perfect for a #3 Sport. DK, or Baby yarn. Your warp yarn must be strong enough to withstand the tension that needs to be put on it by the loom so that the weave forms correctly. Do this pull test - take the yarn at an end in two hands - pull your hands apart hard and with a snap. If the yarn breaks or starts to come apart - IT IS NOT A YARN TO USE AS WARP.  If the yarn is fuzzy or sticky, it is not a good yarn for warp or weft FOR A BEGINNER.

A first weave can be very frustrating - if you have too high an expectation of what it MUST be as you learn. Again, you are learning. The only thing to be expected is you learn to weave - and you will! Many first time weavers have been able to teach themselves with the help of a good book (Inventive Weaving on a Little Loom by Syne Mitchell is the best) and videos on YouTube. Now, if you ask what I am making, the answer is a learning project. What will it be when I am finished? You will know when you are finished. Don't start out with the idea that I have to make SOMETHING. That can only lead to frustration if it is not coming out exactly as you had pictured before you even warped the loom.  What is you make mistakes? So what! Mistakes are what we learn from. Don't rush through the project. Allow yourself time to absorb what you are doing and learning. And also this allows you to start to relax and enjoy what you are doing. What if it doesn't come out? Do not get discouraged. You will not be the first weaver - new or experienced  - to cut a project off the loom and start again. 

Most important - HAVE FUN!  Weaving can be addictive! It seems to be that more so than some other crafts and hobbies.  

ORIGINAL ARTICLE STARTS HERE:

When I was ready to start weaving my first project ever on the rigid heddle loom, I decided that this project was going to be a test project. I would use this project to try different things. I would try a firm beat, a light beat, and a medium beat. I would try a pattern in the warp. I would try something called hemstitching on one end (usually you hemstitch both ends). I will go into details about hemstitching in another article. When this test project came off the loom, I would try wet finishing the weaving to see what the result was.

*****A word about wet finishing. Weavers will tell you that when the weaving comes off the loom, it is NOT cloth UNTIL it is wet finished. Wet finishing brings all of the fibers together. How you wet finish depends on the fiber you wove with. Cotton is wet finished differently than wool. Acrylic is wet finished differently from either of those. Some will tell you that acrylic does not benefit from wet finishing - I disagree. I see a big positive change in acrylic after it is wet finished. Another article will go into detail about wet finishing.

I decided right from the start that I would keep a journal of my weaving projects. I used a basic word processor to do this and stared with my test project. It is because of that journal that I can share all of the details of that project with you here.

I have a large stash of yarns from a knitting machine that I have not used in years and also yarn from various other crafts. I had several balls of a commonly found cotton yarn called Sugar and Cream. You can find this yarn in almost every chain craft store, Joann's Fabrics, and Walmart sells this renames and packaged as Peaches and Cream (same exact yarn made by the same manufacturer with a different label and name. This is 100% yarn of worsted weight and 4 ply which is perfectly sized for an 8 or 7.5 dent heddle. I had enough solid Delft Blue for a 45" long  and a 12" width. I had enough variegated Blue Swirl for weft. Remember that the end result had no determined purpose other than to be a test of weaving. My intent when I started was to stop weaving when I reached 14" long and I would see when it came off the loom - and after wet finishing what the end result would really be.

There are weaving calculators. Most weaving books have a fill in form which specifies what to calculate when. The weaving calculators on the web are either used right on their own web page or downloaded to put into spreadsheet software. If you don't have spreadsheet software on your computer you can download a free - really free with no catch - office suite called LibreOffice which is Microsoft compatible and has a full spreadsheet program within. Using one of these calculators, I determined that I would need a full ball of Sugar and Cream for warp and almost a full ball - 31 yards for weft.

Warping would require that 96 slots and holes needed to be warped which means there would be 48 threads of warp in slots and 48 slots of warp in holes. The heddle is marked and this should be easy.  Determine the start and end slot to put the loops of warp threads through when direct single peg warping and I had to go seven inches from each side of the middle. Now, what I discovered doing this was that I was warping 98 threads. Why? Putting a ruler up against the heddle I could see that what should be an inch was not exactly an inch. This may have to do with the metric conversion from a European heddle made in centimeters to inches. This was not a problem. I just deleted one slot and hole on the end of the warp and finished the warp two threads short to make 96 threads. I also learned right then that to make really sure where you will start and stop use your markings on the heddle as a starting point and then just count the slots and holes to make sure they coincide with what the warp needs to be. I use a piece of yarn tied through the starting slot around the top of the heddle and another through the ending slot . This tells you immediately where to start and where to end when warping. On warp widths that I use often I keep that yarn tied in place.

I set the warp peg 45" away from the rear beam of the loom. I attached the peg to a wood snack table. I was not sure if this would work and on this project I found it to be OK - but with later projects this was a disaster waiting to happen. The best thing to attach your warping peg to is something that is either heavy and will not move or stationary.

I use a long cloth tape measure (one that is at least 120" long) to measure the distance from the peg to the back of the warp beam on the loom. These tape measures are not hard to find and Walmart has one for the best price.

Sugar and Cream yarn is sold wound on a ball and this is an easy yarn to pull off the ball as you go along to warp or wind your stick shuttle. There is no need to wind this yarn from a skein into a ball as is often done with yarn that is sold as a skein. This is another reason to use this yarn for a first project. The yarn is also strong and has little stretch. This makes this yarn very easy to weave.

With the loom warped, I saw that the 32" stick shuttles that came with my loom were a bit long for a 12" warped project to weave. They would work but a shorter shuttle would be better. I decided to make a 16" shuttle. I will do an article about how to make a stick shuttle with simple woodworking skills. If you know someone with a basement or garage workshop it takes very little time and money to make a shuttle.  Shuttles are for sale in all sizes from various weaving retailers on the Internet if you need to purchase shorter shuttles.

I wound the weft yarn on the shuttle and I was finally READY TO WEAVE!

Weaving was not hard and very relaxing. I tried different things as I went along. I started without hemstitching and with my first throw of the shuttle I left several inches of yarn hanging out to work in on the next throw from that side. This is simple. When you open the shed when you get back to that side, you tuck that tail into the shed and and then down between two warp threads to hand down under the loom. Then you take your shuttle and weave through the open shed. When you beat the yarn with your heddle that tail is locked in and will not be noticeable.

I really was enjoying weaving! When I reached the 14" of length that I intended to weave I decided to just keep going for as far as I could and still leave yarn at the end for fringe. The end would be hemstitched so when I was at the end I made sure that I had five continuous lengths of yarn the size of the width of the warp that I would use to hemstitch. Again, this will make more sense when I explain hemstitching in its own article.

When I took the weaving off the loom it measured 11 inches wide - from pull in which is common - and 25" long. After I wet finished this piece it became 23" long and 10.5" in width. The yarn pulled in and also shrank - cotton shrinks - approximately 8%. I also found that this yarn's dark colors - the dark blue in the Blue Swirl ran. Others report also that Sugar and Cream (and Peaches and Cream) dark colors will run. The result was not bad.

I found one warp skipped in one spot which can happen if the shuttle slips below a warp thread instead of moving over it. There is a way to fix this. It was only visible from one side and I left it.

Now what had I made. It looked good. It was too good to just set aside - and so, I had woven a short table runner which sits on our dining room table since. I loved weaving it and could not wait to start my next - real and not test - project.

Some Resources to Get You Started Weaving

I taught myself how to weave. I used two books and a number of videos that I watched several times to get myself acquainted enough to sit down at the loom and start weaving. There was also a good download file from Kromski that applies to all looms that helped to get me started. I also joined several groups on Facebook to have places to ask questions and get quick answers by those more experienced than I.

BOOKS

When I bought the loom I also ordered a book that came well recommended on how to weave on a rigid heddle loom. This book turned out to be a disappointment when I received it and at first I was getting a bit frustrated and knew that I needed something with clearer photos and more detail in explanation. When I put that out on one of the Facebook a different book was recommended and it has been my go to book since I started weaving a year ago. This book is Inventive Weaving On a Little Loom by Syne Mitchell. It has large color photos and good instructions on what to do at each step of the way. As the book goes along it introduces more advanced techniques that make this book valuable beyond just a beginner's book. I highly recommend this book. I wish that I had learned of this book from the start.

I have four books on Rigid Heddle weaving - here they are:

Inventive Weaving on a Little Loom - Syne Mitchell - Storey Press

Hands On Rigid Heddle Weaving - Betty Lynn Davenport -  Interweave Press
 (Not a bad book but needs more photos than line drawings and more detail - I do refer to this book for somethings.)

Weaving Made Easy - Liz Gipson - Interweave Press
 (Covers a few things the other books don't. Focus is on projects with plans.)

Simple Woven Projects - Sarah Goldenberg & Jane Patrick - Interweave Press
  (Clothing patterns and projects made on a rigid heddle loom)

All of these books have projects of items to weave.

VIDEOS

ASSEMBLY OF THE KROMSKI HARP FORTE - 

Assembly of the Kromski Harp Forte

The Kromski Series - 

These apply to any rigid heddle loom.

Kromski Harp, Understanding the Rigid Heddle Loom, Part 1

Kromski Harp, Understanding the Rigid Heddle Loom, Part 2

Kromski Harp, Understanding the Rigid Heddle Loom, Part 3

Kromski Harp - Part 1 - Using the Warping Board

Kromski Harp - Part 2 - Using the Warping Peg

Kromski Harp - Part 3 - Dressing the Loom

Kromski Harp - Part 4 - Weaving

Warping the Harp - Using Warping Sticks


From Ashford
 
These apply to any rigid heddle loom.

Simple Warping for a Rigid Heddle Loom

Spreading the Warp on a Rigid Heddle Loom 

Tying on a Warp on a Rigid Heddle Loom 

Weaving on the SampleIt Loom

 
 PDF FILE

This applies to any loom. 

Starting a Project on a Kromski Loom

   This file starts by saying it is assembly but a few pages in it starts a project. 

RIGID HEDDLE FACEBOOK GROUPS

Rigid Heddle Loom Weaving

Rigid Heddle Adventure 

Rigid Heddle Loom Endeavor 

Rigid Heddle Looms 

Weaving    (general weaving group with rigid heddle weavers also on it)

If you are not a member of Facebook you cannot join these groups but these are worthwhile resources to make being on Facebook worthwhile - even if you don't do anything else on Facebook. There are other forums that have sub-groups for rigid heddle weaving but these are not as responsive as the groups on Facebook. Two of these are:

Weavolution

Ravelry




As we go along with these articles there will be more resources shared.










 
 

Getting the Loom Ready To Weave

Most looms require some assembly. My loom was assembled at the shop that I purchased it from, but generally you are going to have to assemble the loom yourself. I did have to assemble the stand that I purchased with my loom. This article is specific to Kromski looms but there are downloads and videos online to assemble Ashford and Schacht looms as well.

Assembling the loom and/or the stand is not difficult and requires no more than a screwdriver and sometimes a hex key. The hex key which was required for my stand came with it.

No matter which loom you have purchased you will need to make a bit of room in the area that you are going to assemble it so that you are not cramped and have room to move. There will be detailed instructions that come with your loom and it is important that you read the instructions all the way through first and then follow them step by step, paying attention to the direction that parts face and that moving parts are not tightened to the point that they don't move.

One thing that I found right away with the instructions for the Kromski loom assembly is that they were not very clear and I was glad that it had been assembled for me. It is not hard - but the instruction in the box could have been better. Then I discovered that there are much better instructions available and these were readily available online. The video is great to be able to see exactly how things go together. If you are going to assemble a Kromski loom or a Kromski stand there here are a few documents to download and print out - and a video that you will want to watch.

KROMSKI LOOM AND STAND ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS WITH COLOR PHOTOS

KROMSKI  STAND ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS - these are the instructions that come in the box with the stand.

KROMSKI LOOM ASSEMBLY VIDEO

You can watch this video right here - 

 

VIDEO THANKS TO KROMSKI NORTH AMERICA AND  NEW VOYAGER TRADING

There is something to note about the assembly instructions linked here and the assembly video. When you look at the instructions that NOW come with the Kromski loom, the cord that is attached to the warp and cloth beams and dowels is put on the loom much differently. It is no longer cut into individual strands with candle burnt ends to form individual loops. It is attached so that it is one continuous cord on each beam that forms openings that the dowel will slip through. The former method is more like what is used on other rigid heddle looms, but Kromski has decided that this new method is much better. You decide how you would like to attach the cords after reading this article. There are some that like the new method and some that like the older method. Both work. After weaving several projects I was not happy with the continuous cord. This is perhaps just my opinion. I found that it was difficult to insert the dowel and have it remain at a consistent distance from the beam while warping or tying on the warp on the cloth side. I was thinking that cords of a consistent length would be much better - which is what was done by Kromski in the past. I, however, was not certain that I wanted to cut the cord that came with my loom up to form these loops and saw that having to melt the ends and get them to stay together - and consistent in  length could be a struggle. I learned that some looms use a special cord for this called TexSolv. TexSolv cord is the same material as the cord that comes with the loom but it is made into small loops along the length. By taking one end of the cord and passing it through a loop you make a moving loop that will hold onto the dowel and by doing the same with the other end of the Texsolv after passing it through one of the holes in the warp or cloth beam you attach the cord to that as well - and as long as you have the same number of the little loops that make up the Texsolv cord you will have exactly equal length cords. TexSolv is not sold everywhere. It is primarily sold in stores that sell weaving supplies. There are various types and it is not cheap. I decided to purchase a small spool from a weaving retailer's website at almost $35 for the 22 yard spool. It can also be purchased by the length from some retailers. You want just the cord and not Texsolv heddles which are used on a different type of loom. This is just the way that I went and I have been happy with it. Here is an article that will show you and tell you all about Texsolv. From the linked article you will also learn that the dowels on your loom are called "apron rods".

Older Kromski looms had nylon ratchets and pawls as other looms use. You will see those in the instructions and video linked here. The new Kromski has metal ratchets and pawls. They assemble the same way - but do rely on the instructions that came with your loom in the box to attach the metal ratchets and pawls. These are much stronger than the nylon. Kromski renamed the loom the Harp Forte instead of just Harp when they began including the metal ratchets and pawls. For not very much money an older Kromski can be converted to metal with a conversion kit that includes all that you will need. THIS video is a good video on how to install the conversion kit if you have an OLDER Kromski. 

The stand is assembled in a way so that it is easy to take apart. If you are going to pack up your loom in its carry bag to take to a class or a demonstration or a weaving guild meeting, you will be disassembling and reassembling the stand a lot. It is made to go together and be taken apart just for this reason. DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN THE SCREWS. DO TIGHTEN SO THAT THEY HOLD THE STAND STEADY.  Tighten by hand and not with a power screwdriver or drill. Follow the instructions that come with the stand - linked above, if you don't have them - and the stand will go together quickly and easily.

Some Ashford looms do not come to you with the wood finished. The wood is raw when you get the loom. You could leave it this way but it is generally a good idea to finish raw wood to preserve it. Ashford sells a wax to finish their looms. You can stain the wood before using the wax. There is also a locally available product in the US that many weavers like to use to finish their looms. This product is called Howard's Feed N' Wax and can be found in the paint/wood finish sections of both Home Depot and Lowes. This is a wipe on, let sit, wipe off finish that dries fairly quickly. This does smell like oranges while the finish is first put on, but this smell goes away in a couple of hours to days. This finish is good for raw or finished wood and it buffs to a nice shine. All Kromski looms and Schacht looms come finished out of the box.

Once the loom and the stand are assembled you are going to put the loom on the stand. Have someone help when doing this. Let them hold the loom as you attach the screws that hold the loom to the stand. There are many adjustments that you can make as to the angle the loom sits on the stand. This is personal preference. I decided that I wanted the front of the loom to come up against me at about stomach level as I sit in front of the loom. This puts the loom at a downward angle but allows my body to stop the loom from moving when I beat the weft with the heddle. I find this to be a comfortable position. If you like you can adjust the loom on the stand to sit completely flat and parallel to the floor.

If the loom is to be used on a table and not a stand you can clamp the loom down to the table so that it will not move. If the table is too tall for you to weave comfortably like this, man put the back of the loom on the table and hang the front of the loom down to them to their lap.

The loom will weave the same no matter what angle it is sitting at. The heddle stays in place with the tension of the warp.

Now that the loom is assembled and on the stand it is almost ready to weave with. It will help when you are going to warp the loom to know where the center of the heddle is. To do this count the number of slots from one end to the other. You should come out with an odd number. You need to mark the center slot. Divide the number of slots by 2 and subtract `1 - count from the end to the answer to that division and you should arrive at the center slot. From that slot there should be an even number of slots on each side to the end. Take a pencil and mark the frame of the heddle on the back of the heddle under the middle slot. I use pencil first just to make sure we have the right spot. Consider that middle slot as SLOT 0. Double check now by counting out from Slot 0 to the right end of the loom - do not count Slot 0. Then do the same counting out from Slot 0 to the left end of the loom and do not count Slot 0. If both counts are the same, take a permanent line marker (like a Sharpie) and make a small line about a quarter of an inch long down where the pencil mark is. It is also helpful to mark inches out from Slot 0. Again use a pencil first. This is easy to do. Start counting slots to the right - not counting Slot 0. If you have an 8 dent heddle every four slots is an inch. Mark each of every fourth slot with the pencil. Do the same going to the left of Slot 0 and mark every fourth slot with the pencil. Put a ruler down and you should see that you are right. Once you are certain, put a marker dot on each pencil mark. Why have you done this? You always want to warp in the center of the loom. You do not want to put on, for example, a ten inch warp starting on an end and warping in ten inches. You want the center of the ten inches in the middle of the loom. With these marks this is now easy to determine. Why mark on the back of the heddle? You will be warping from the back to the front. The Kromski heddle has a back and a front. Some other companies heddles do not. You can tell the front of a Kromski heddle first by looking at the plastic that forms the slots and holes and the front is pushed out and the back is flat. The name "Kromski" is also on the front. If there is no difference from front to back on your loom's heddle it does not matter which side you mark - but always put the side you have marked to the rear so that you have your measurement markings visible when you warp from back to front. (Warp beam on the back. Cloth beam on the front.)

Now you are ready to weave!

 Now the fun begins!

Buying My Loom

When I first saw the loom that I eventually would buy, I had no intention of buying a loom. My wife and I... oh yes, I am a  man... went to a quilt show in Pennsylvania in September of 2015 and when we arrived we looked in the schedule of free workshops and presentations and saw one that was a bit out of the ordinary for a quilt show. It was on weaving on a loom. Of course, this had nothing to do with quilts but the vendors at quilt shows often come with a variety of fiber related things for sale and the vendor that was giving this presentation sold yarn and related fiber arts supplies.

Hmm - I have always wanted a "real" loom. I had woven on a plastic toy loom that actually had the ability to weave a fairly decent but narrow piece of cloth or cloth band.  and an inkle loom that I made myself. An inkle loom weaves bands and straps and uses no heddle but your hand pushes down on two different sets of threads to open and close two sheds. I enjoyed weaving on that loom until it broke - during a demonstration that I was giving with it at a regional fair. The inkle loom was set aside broken in the basement after that. I had pretty much put the idea of weaving aside while I pursued other crafts - some professionally.  Well, this presentation was tempting and we decided that we would go to see it.

We sat down on the chairs in the program area and a woman came to the front carrying a loom on a stand. The chairs quickly filled and she began her presentation on the Kromski Rigid Heddle Loom. She told everyone that this was the largest loom that Kromski makes - 32" wide and that it also is available in widths of 8", 16", 24" and this 32" loom. All of the looms are made the same she went on to say and that these were the newest made by this company as they had a new feature being included - metal ratchets and pawls. At that time this did not mean much to me. I knew that the ratchets and pawls are the gears and catches that hold the yarn at tension from the back beam to the front beam and allow those beams to be turned to wind the yarn on that you will weave with and the cloth on the other side that you have woven as you go. I did not know until she said it that the Kromski is the only rigid heddle loom that now uses metal for these instead of a composite plastic or nylon. Metal is stronger. Strength for this purpose is important. (I learned something in the first few minutes of the presentation!) She also went on to say that the loom folds in half for easy storage and when it folds it can have the yarn on it. (Some other rigid heddle looms do this also.) She went on to say that the loom is made of hand selected, furniture grade hardwood in Poland and the wood is finished like fine furniture. I could see that. What my wife could see was that I was getting really caught up in this presentation. The loom was attached to a stand that was an optional purchase. The stand matched the loom and was made specifically for it of the same wood that the looms are made of. As a woodworker, I could see that the loom and stand were well made and nicely finished. She also said that when folded the loom fit in another optional accessory - a carry bag made specifically for each size loom. And the carry bag also held the stand disassembled.

When the loom bug has buzzed around my head in the past there were always two stumbling blocks - and until now I had not known about rigid heddle looms but only about more traditional multi-shaft looms. One stumbling block was the space that a loom would take up in the house - we live in a small house. The other was always the price with looms that I was aware of over a thousand and higher. This loom folded! This loom had a bag to store it in! My mind started thinking about all the corners of the house I could use this loom in and then store it in if necessary. Was it heavy? I did not know. I did she this woman carry the loom on its stand into the presentation so it could not be that heavy. (It isn't as I would soon find out for myself.) The price? As of yet, unknown.

Then she started weaving on the loom. It had a shawl already started on it. This was not the first day of this quilt show and she had given this presentation before. The shawl was the width of the loom. She showed how all she had to do was lift the heddle up to open one set of threads and pass the shuttle from one side to the other, move the heddle down to open the other set of threads and pass the shuttle back again. It was that easy. She went along and wove several rows. She commented that you always know what side to raise the heddle and what side to lower the heddle by the side the shuttle was on - and remarked that if you always start the same way, you can not go wrong. Interesting. Maybe obvious, but not to me at that point. Start with the shuttle on the right she said and raise the heddle. When the shuttle is on the left side, lower the heddle. (I was really getting hooked!)

I liked the loom. My wife could tell. I also had not planned on buying a loom and I knew nothing more than what I had been watching there in the convention center. What I did not know yet was the price - and as I tend to be a skeptic so I was not letting myself get too carried away until I heard what this loom would cost. The presentation was over. People asked questions. The woman doing the program handed out a flyer about the loom - with a show special price listed. The 32" loom with the stand and the carry bag was just slightly over $500. This was the "show special price" - the presenter said that the price was special and only for the show and that their shop - which is a distributor for these looms - had to get permission from Kromski to offer a discount on the package. Individually the loom, stand, and bag were regular price - which all together was about $50 more. I was to learn later that none of the companies that make these looms want them discounted and that the price of looms is the same from one retailer to another. It was a lot of money - at least for us. I am not sure what I expected the price to be. Less, I guess. But then as I say, the looms that I have known about were much more than this. My wife could see what was going through my head. She said, "You rally want this. I can tell." Yeah, but I am a realist and know what we can afford and what I will spend on the spur of the moment. This was a big purchase. The presentation was over and the next presentation was coming in. We walked out of the program area and I wanted to head over to the booth with the looms to see it up close.

We went over - the funny thing is that we had been in this booth earlier asking about something unrelated to any loom and I had not even noticed the looms on display. The loom from the presentation was back and I went over to look at it up close. One of the people working in the booth came over and I explained that we had just watched the presentation. I asked if the loom was heavy and I was permitted to find out for myself. It was not heavy at all. It could be easily moved if needed. I could see close up just how big ti was and in the back of my head I was figuring out where it would fit to use it. Looking back, the places that I thought it would fit were spots where it would just fit but not where it eventually would go to be used which is our living room - or should I say, living room/weaving studio. The booth was from a shop that is located in a part of Pennsylvania that we travel to often - Lancaster County. We took their card. We had the show papers about the loom and we went off to see the rest of the quilt show. That day I managed to come back to be around that booth and watch people looking at the looms, see how many she had left for sale, and every so often going back again for a close look. I really was hooked. I wanted that loom so badly.

We discussed it. The difference in price was significant if we waited but it would be best if we waited - allow me to really decide if I really wanted this, that I would use it, and what I would do with what I made. (We have been selling handcraft that both of us make for many years - this would be another craft that I would get involved in. I have to say that what I start I make sure I learn and do well and my mind was going around what I would weave and how much such could sell for. At least this was justifying the cost of the loom in my head.) Also I would be able to do some research about this loom and others, prices, and also figure out where this kind of money would come from. When we walked out of the convention center that evening I felt a bit sad that I was not leaving with one of those looms. As we drove home later that night the loom was still in my head.

This was September. In November I still wanted that loom. I had looked up various looms and this loom was around the price range of the others. I like to buy what I have seen in person and not what I have seen just in photos on a website. I looked to see who sells looms like this and came down to no one near enough to go and shop around. From what I could learn, this was a good loom. Around November my wife told me that if we waited until after the beginning of December we could layout the money to buy the loom, stand, and carry bag. From my research I learned that Kromski makes "warping sticks" which are helpful when "warping" the loom. (We have not talked about warping yet.) I would add those to the purchase - just another $25 more, oh boy...  I wanted the loom and I am always looking for a good excuse to make a day trip to PA so we set a day in December when the shop would be open late - just in case we got caught in traffic from two states away - and go and buy the loom. The loom would be a gift from Santa - though Santa was not paying for it.

Also during this time I joined a Facebook group called "Weaving" and found out that there were other rigid heddle weavers on that general weaving group. I had not thought to look for specific rigid heddle groups - there are there - and we will talk about all of that in another article.

I contacted the shop two weeks in advance to make sure that they had the loom, etc. in stock. They had and they would hold one aside for me. We started out early the day we went for it in nice weather (I had been concerned that it would snow which would prevent us from making the trip)  and got to the shop just before noon. We went into the shop and were greeted like old friends. The loom usually comes  not assembled but the shop assembled the loom for me - and brought out the loom folded in the carry bag with the stand, not assembled, in the bag and in the straps there for it on the outside of the bag as well. They made sure all of the parts were in the bag including the hex key needed to assemble the stand, along with all of the accessories, the instructions, etc. They had a packet of the warping sticks on the side and we put them also in the bag.  It was all there. I paid,smiled and carried the loom to our small car and put it in the back. Nice! It was mine!

The Kromski comes with everything that you need to start weaving except yarn. One of the things needed when weaving in general is a "warping board". This is a frame with a series of pegs on which you wrap yarn around to measure it out to the total length that you will need for the warp (vertical yarn on the loom). Usually this is something that is an additional purchase. The Kromski looms have this built into the bottom of the loom. Turn the loom over and you have a warping board when you add the included pegs. Another plus for the Kromski loom. A direct warping peg and clamp is also included. A direct warping peg is another way to measure and prepare the yarn that will be warped using the loom itself and this single peg. Also included is a "sley hook" which is what you use to thread the yarn trough the slots and holes in the heddle. The new Kromski's have a hook that has a  heavy wire threader built into the handle which is also useful when threading the warp. The Kromski also includes two stick shuttles the width of the loom and also a pick up stick the width of the loom. We will get to all of these as we go along. There are also clamps that attach to the loom and a table if you are not using the stand - or don't get a stand - and will use the loom on a table instead.

Aside - don't get a 32" loom without a stand. It is much too awkward on a table. The stand is well worth the price for ease of use and convenience.

The Kromski loom comes with an 8 dent heddle. This size heddle is good to weave #4 worsted weight yarn or thinner. Kromski makes heddles in 5 dent, 8 dent, 10 dent, and 12 dent. The higher the number the thinner the yarn (smaller slots and holes). Worsted weight #4 yarn is a common knitting size yarn. We will talk about dent as we go along.

So I had it all. Now all I had to do was wait until Santa came to bring me the loom!

Now, just in case you think that this site is going to be one long advertisement for Kromski looms, let me be clear that this was only the loom that I saw and decided that I wanted. There are other rigid heddle looms made by other companies. All weave in the same way. Preference for loom brands is very much like preference for anything else. Some like Chevys, some like Fords, and some like Hondas. Just like looms, preference is a personal choice.  I have heard great things about other company's loom as I have heard great things about my loom - and I have also heard negatives about each of them. Be assured that what you will learn on this site can be applied to just about every other rigid heddle loom, no matter the size of the loom or who made it.