An afternoon threading

Back into weaving again! Starting with a quick thread up of my WX60 Saori loom.

A couple of weeks ago I dyed several pure silk textured warps using a cram and sprinkle, heat dye method with Landscape dyes. I learnt the method at the Manning Regional Art Gallery fibre group meetings and it is quicker than my usual Fibre reactive dye method although not as flexible.

Threading is so easy with the cross holder organising the cross and I had the warp sleyed, threaded and wound onto the loom really quickly. Threading with the cross suspended on cross sticks is the conventional method but I’ve always thought that there must be a more efficient way to order and select the threads in their sequence and this is it. Instead of holding the warp threads horizontally the cross holder holds them in a vertical pile which allows me to pick off the correct thread in turn.  My warp only had 100 threads so not too arduous anyway but it still feels good to get so productive so swiftly.

I never use a heddle hook to thread my heddles unless I’m threading both the reed and heddles in the same action (This is the method when threading a Saori pre-wound warp onto the loom). I just use my fingers to thread each of the eyes and it’s a bit like playing a piano with threads. The heddle hook disconnects me from the flow of each thread and spends most of its time getting hooked on the wrong thing.. So the hook doesn’t get used very much and hides in a drawer.

Just love the feeling of a new warp ready to go again. Warping definitely has elements of birthing and new beginnings in it.

PS: Thank you to all my readers kind wishes on the birth of my grand daughter. I appreciate it greatly.