A warping we will go...

I was going to do an entire post on how I warp - but since this warp has been on and off and on and off and the pattern changed a couple of times it wouldn't have worked out very well. So, instead I'll show you a few of the (probably unusual) things I do. (Clicking on the photos will biggify them.)


# 1
This is my usual warping setup:

I'm using a coat rack to loop my warp around, clamped to a portable table. I usually need to weigh down either the loom or the table (or both!) with weights - I use our handweights. You can also see that I've replaced my wooden dowels with aluminum dowels, as the wooden dowels warped with the high tension I usually use. And the dowel you see sticking out on the right in the first photo - is item number 2. :-)


# 2

This is pretty new to me - I'm using part of Betty Davenport's method of warping she shows on her DVD - using a 'loose' dowel instead of using the tied-on warp beam dowel. It is soooo much easier to just slide the loops on instead of dealing with the ties!

After all your loops are on, rubber-band the dowel to the attached dowel, and then you're ready to wind on. :-D


# 3
I use long rubber bands to hold my cloth beam dowel to the heddle block (or in this case, to the clamps holding the heddle in the upshed position) - it just makes it easier to tie on without fiddling with holding the dowel and trying to tie on at the same time.

# 4
And last, but definitely not least - I need my mp3 player and my cool new speaker case-thing to play my Old Time Radio shows. :-)

I just found this at Bed Bath & Beyond this week - only $10! and the pocket holds your mp3 player secure. The case zippers closed, and has a hook on the outside of the case that you can snap on to something. :-D


And here's my log cabin warp, temporarily tied-on.




Spinning

This is all I have left of the gray stuff!!!!!!!!!!

The Pedal Pusher had developed a really annoying squeak during Spin Club, so I actually brought the wheel upstairs (first time in a long time!) and tried to remedy the squeak. I think I have it now - at least it stopped squeaking for awhile. I think it was where the footman goes into the pedal - it's covered with a clear rubbery-plastic sleeve, and I think that rubbing on the pedal finally caused it to start squeaking. Thank goodness this wheel is going to be relegated to just a plying wheel after I finish this gray wool!


The Tomato - the ongoing saga

The tomato is looking a little sad...

The terrible thunderstorms we've been having day after day after day have been hard on the poor thing, and it looked a bit wilted Friday afternoon during one of our bigger storms. But one of the tomatoes is actually a bit orange this morning, so all hope isn't lost. :-) It would help if there were some kind of stake or cage or something that you could protect some of the stem to to keep it from being whipped around by high winds, as mine just seems to want to dangle instead of growing up around the plastic bag.