Quiet Friday: Unroll the Cloth Beam

Karen

If you are a weaver, you know this thrill. I weave the very last pick, and then I hold my breath as the finished cloth is unrolled from the cloth beam. All ten meters / eleven yards of it! I don’t usually have an audience for the unrolling, but this time I want to share the experience with you, my friends.

If you stay to the end, you will see the cap I made from the sample pieces at the beginning and end of the warp.

And, one more thing, I added a little 3 1/2-minute time-lapse video at the very end. I hope it makes you smile.

Just finished weaving 10 meter warp.
Final pick in place.
Release warp tension before cutting off the warp.
Release ratchets on cloth and warp beams to loosen warp tension.
Cutting off the finished cloth.
Get out the big Gingher shears and start cutting.
Cutting the fabric from the loom.
First good view of the last towel on the warp. The last shall be first…
Unrolling the towels...
The Nine Color Towel.
Unrolling more towels...
Keep unrolling.
More towels...
Still more to come..
Red striped towel coming off the loom.
Each one is different.
Now for the brown towels...
Seeing brown now, so we know we are getting near the end/beginning.
Now we see the beginning of the warp!
Finally, we made it to the tie-on bar!
Slats on the floor after unrolling the cloth beam.
I love the final sound–warping slats falling to the floor as the last round of cloth is pulled from the cloth beam.
Empty cloth beam. Love it!
There it is. Now I want to get something else on the loom so I can do this all over again!
Goose eye towels just off the loom. Karen Isenhower
Ta da!

Cap made from handwoven pieces of goose eye twill.

 

And now I invite you to join me as I weave the Nine Color Towel. Remember that this is time lapse–I really do not weave this fast.

May you be filled with joy.

Very Happy Weaving,
Karen

7 thoughts on “Quiet Friday: Unroll the Cloth Beam”

  1. Karen,
    Have you ever experienced tendonitis from weaving? I’m curious about how you hold your shuttle and throw with your right hand- I can’t tell in the video. I have thumb tendonitis and haven’t been able to weave for several months. Any suggestions? Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Claudia, I have never experienced tendonitis from weaving. I’m so sorry you have to endure that.

      I always hold my shuttle with my palm up – to throw the shuttle and to catch it. Joanne Hall taught me, “thumbs up.” I think that may be more friendly to the hands and wrists than grasping the shuttle with thumbs down.

      Karen

      Reply

    1. Mary, I used a McCall’s sewing pattern for the hat. I made one first out of fabric from the store to make sure it was a good fit. So, now I have two new hats that are fun to wear.

      Thanks for the compliment. I’m glad you like the fabric!

      Happy Weaving,
      Karen

      Reply

  3. Hi Karen,
    What Beautiful Towels! I love that you’re chomping at the bit to get another batch going.

    I watched your video twice! How nice to be able to watch your process at the loom. You have a lovely work room. I love that big Glimakra shuttle. I also admired your bobbin winder. Didn’t your husband make that for you? I love how much he supports with your love of weaving. Good man.

    Thank you for sharing!
    Laurie

    Reply

    1. Thanks, Laurie! It’s that much more fun when friends enjoy it with me!

      Yes, my husband made the bobbin winder. He’s my go-to guy for nifty tools.

      I appreciate your enthusiastic comments!

      Karen

      Reply

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