Classes at Woolbearers are going well and I have a few new private students so my weaving life is becoming as busy as my preschool life.

Anyone interested in an 8 shaft like new TOIKA!  it can take the 16H/24H box, all texsolv, worm gear advance?  $2600 OBO?

picks at http://www.flickr.com/photos/50047366@N02/sets/72157625670476531/

Restored mahogany colored Swedish style loom, 4 shafts, 6 treadles, asking $475.  40 inch weave width.

I was using narrow metal curtain rods as lease sticks and to my horror – they broke apart and I watched my cross disappear before my eyes.  I knew I could use the portee cross which was at the end of the warp chain.   If using this portee cross to set groups in the raddle then this cross would be used first.  Usually I beam with the lease sticks in but when using wool it creates some furring.  My warp had been spread in 1/2 inch increments and appeared in good order so I beamed without the sticks until the end of the warp chain.  At this point I replaced the lease sticks into the portee cross and the warp was beamed without further problems.

When considering the Porrey and Portee cross, they can be easily identified by thinking of the Portee (from the word porte – meaning carry) as the raddle or carrying cross.  You would carry this cross ready to be inserted into the raddle.

Happy Weaving!

Now the Toika looms I find to be heavier (a plus) and a more compact layout (plus and minus).

So when tying up, the lams and treadles are in closer proximity. As a result I decided to modify the treadles with eye hooks and pins to tie up. I marked the treadle ties and proceeded on a few hour quest for the near perfect tie up. It took a while but now I know that the back 3 ties require tying at the highest point.

Here is a view from the back.

Once the loom is set up properly it is a real pleasure to weave upon, it is quite, comfortable and produces wonderful cloth.

I made a scarf from charcoal zephyr with a dusky lilac weft and wove in an advancing/overlay twill. The pattern is on 16 shafts in a pointed draw. Whilst beaming I found the fibers to lock together. Using a round rod for lease sticks and minimizing the number of threads in each dent gave better results. When the scarf was woven I hemstitched groups of 8 threads and twisted and knotted the fringe of the first piece. The scarf was then washed by hand with a gentle rinse and press. The end of the tassels did felt together a little. On the second scarf I left x amount of inches unwoven and then wove approx 2 inches to hold what was to become the tassels in place. I then washed and pressed first and then undid the 2 inches of weaving to enable me to make the twisted fringe. Washing before twisting or finishing the tassels gave a much more satisfactory result.

For the mens scarves I used a straight draw with miscellaneous stripes in the 2/18 merino. I secured the ends of the tassels with 2 inches of weaving and washed and finished. Upon pressing I trimmed the tassels leaving them untwisted for a more masculine look.

Some time ago in a previous post I illustrated warping back to front. In college this was the way to warp (England) although England isn’t exactly “Europe” so the Swedish method one might refer to is still different. I am a proponent of do it right – but that doesn’t mean there is only one way to skin a cat.

I am teaching a workshop on Saturday the 21st of Nov on Warping Back to Front. I decided to research and refresh and saw little info on this method. Most people ran the warp from the front straight to the back beam on the raddle. That works, if you have Gorrilla arms and can hold tension on a larger loom and still reach the back beam crank. Oh, unless you are a member of the “Incredibles.” All the Swedish books show a community of “helpers” straddled on the floor at the back of the loom, grinning fiendishly as they help their weaverly friend.

In college (harping back to the good ole days) I have to admit we had a wonderful gentleman who was somewhat like the cartoon character “Mr. Ben” – you know – “suddenly, the shopkeeper appeared.” As did our wonderful weaving assistant except “suddenly, your dressed loom appeared.” But nontheless, I did my share of warping back to front.

I like to describe this as the “ole reliable” method, pretty much works for every warp. Of course for the newbee – there is always the confusion as to where the lease sticks go and how to balance the back apron rod while putting the warp on the raddle, oh yep, by the way – you WILL need a raddle! unless you are Swedish then…….. that is for another blog.

So….I will probably repost my instructions on warping by this method. As with all things, once you do it… do it again soon so it sinks in!

This loom is unusual in that it appears to have used some mechanism other than jacks or counterbalance as noted by the pins at the top front of the loom.

Here are some other photos:

The loom needs a new front cloth beam and counterbalance supports and pulleys. Eventually I plan to add a 10 shaft draw attachment and Drall pulleys for Damask.