Tag: Unboxing

Process Review: Unboxing Siru

Karen

Steve and I assembled another loom recently. This 40 cm (15 3/4”) Glimakra Siru Rigid Heddle Loom is going camping with me. It folds and opens effortlessly, even with a warp on it. The Siru loom has built-in support for two heddles. This gives me the perfect excuse to dip my toes into two-heddle weaving on the rigid heddle loom.

Assembling a new Glimakra Siru RH loom.
Glimåkra Siru Rigid Heddle Loom in the box. Do I see a little dinosaur? …or is that a pony?
Weaving with 2 heddles on rigid heddle loom.
First project is a three-shaft twill, using 2 heddles. Warp is 22/2 cottolin. I am trying an assortment of linen, cotton, and cottolin wefts, with single threads and doubled threads. Everyone wants to know what I am making… Answer – Nothing in particular, I’m just weaving for fun.

As with any loom assembly, Steve and I first lay out all the parts and pieces, putting like things and sizes together. We then mark off the supply list in the instructions to make sure no parts are missing. That prep work simplifies the whole assembly process. The written instructions that come with the loom are sparse, but I found this online video that shows clear assembly steps for the Siru: Siru Assembly

I am impressed with the Siru for its sturdy construction, ease of folding, and smoothly operating ratchets. I will write more on two-heddle weaving on the rigid heddle loom in the future, as I gain experience…

And here is our one-minute version of assembling and weaving on the Glimåkra Siru Rigid Heddle Loom:

May you put your parts and pieces in order.

Happy Travel Weaving,
Karen

My New Glimåkra Julia Loom

Karen

My family of looms just welcomed a new little sister—Julia! This 8-shaft countermarch is Glimåkra’s smallest floor loom. I dressed the loom right away in 6/2 Tuna wool for 4-shaft Jämtlandsdräll to try out the loom. So far, so good. An 8-shaft project using 20/2 Mora wool is up next. Would you believe this is my new portable loom? Surprisingly, the Julia fits in the back of our vehicle, without disassembling. This is the loom you can expect to see with me at future workshops.

My new Glimakra Julia Loom delivered!
One of the boxes delivered to my front door.
Assembling my new Glimakra Julia loom!
Loom assembly in our foyer.

My Julia Observations:

  • It goes together like you’d expect from a Glimåkra. Instructions are minimal, and quality is high. It’s a well-designed puzzle.
  • The assembled loom is easy to move around to gain space needed for warping, or simply to change location for any reason.
  • The breast beam is not removable like it is on my other Glimåkra looms, which makes it a stretch to thread the heddles from the front. However, by hanging the shaft bars from the beater cradle at the very front I can thread the heddles without back strain. (Or, if you are petite and don’t mind climbing over the side, you can put the bench in the loom for threading.)
  • Tying up lamms and treadles is not much different than it is for my Ideal. Everything is well within reach from the front. It helps to take the lamms off the loom to put in the treadle cords, and then put the lamms back on the loom. With one extra person available, it is entirely feasible to elevate the loom on paint cans, upside-down buckets, or a small table to make tie-ups easier, but I didn’t find it necessary to do that.
Swedish loom corner in the living room. New Glimakra Julia.
Loom that Steve built sits near the windows in our living room. Julia sits nearby. Sister looms.
Glimåkra Standard and Glimåkra Julia in the living room.
Glimåkra Standard sits by the windows at the front of the living room. Julia sits a few steps away. Loom sisters.
  • Weaving on the Julia is a delight, as it is with my other countermarch looms. Everything works. With four shafts, the sheds are impeccable.
  • The bench adjusts to the right height.
  • The hanging beater is well balanced, sturdy, and has a good solid feel. I can move the beater back several times before needing to advance the warp.
  • I thought the narrower treadles might prove annoying, but I’ve been able to adjust quickly. After weaving a short while, I forget about the treadle size.
Jämtlandsdräll in Tuna wool.
Double-bobbin shuttle for the pattern weft, and new boat shuttle that came with the loom for the ground weave weft. All 6/2 Tuna wool. Jämtlandsdräll.

Steve is the loom assembler in our family. I stand by and give a hand when needed. I hope you can feel our excitement as you watch this short video of us discovering what’s in the boxes and figuring out how it all goes together.

May you enjoy the puzzles that come to your doorstep.

Happy Weaving,
Karen