Day: February 9, 2016

Tools Day: Teeny Tiny Temple

Karen

What if you start weaving a project and realize your smallest temple is too big? And that your smallest temple is the smallest one they make. I am aware that most people do not use a temple for something this narrow, 16.7 cm/6.5 in. width in the reed, but this is a rag rug. A miniature rosepath rag rug. And draw-in is inevitable, which leads to weaving headaches like broken selvedge warp ends. A temple helps prevent all that.

Smallest temple is too big. How I solved this dilemma.
Smallest Glimåkra temple is two inches wider than my weaving width.

I have seen makeshift temples that I could try, but my genius husband has a better idea. Why not cut down my little temple to the size I need? So he takes the tiny temple out to his workshop in the garage and turns it into a teeny tiny temple! (He does this knowing full well that I will need to replace the temple being cut.)

Cutting a temple down to make a teeny tiny temple.
Measure twice; cut once. Steve marks his cutting lines on the original temple parts.
Small temple is cut down to teeny tiny size.
Happy with the first cut, Steve is now ready to let the second piece meet the saw blade.
Small temple is cut down to teeny tiny size. It works!
Once cut apart, we wonder if a temple this tiny will work? Will there be enough length for the pieces to pivot as needed? There’s one way to find out…

Perfect! It works! And holes for the locking pin line up, too!

Teeny tiny temple in place on miniature rag rug. (6 1/2")
Teeny tiny temple does its job. Yay!
Start of a mini rosepath rag rug. Karen Isenhower
Start of a miniature rosepath rag rug.

Mini rosepath rag rug in the making.

May you cut your problems down to size.

A little weaving,
Karen