Weaving a throw using hand spun art yarns on a Ashford rigid heddle loom

WHEN i spin art yarns i love the process! how ever i have collected many skeins. on of the ways i use them is to make my art yarn throws on the ASHFORD RIGID HEDDLE LOOM WITH THE FREEDOM ROLLER and the 2.5 ends per inch heddle/reed 

that way the hole is so large you can slip a pencil through it and most of my art yarns can go through the warp slots and holes of the 2.5 .

 

 here is the freedom roller which allows the cloth beam to fill up with more yardage or bulk which normally a rigid heddle loom can not hold.

 i have  the freedom mounted on the rear of a ashford rigid heddle stand this is the older version stand but the new tilt stand you can mount it on as well  you can mount it on the front of the loom as well if you use a table not a stand to weave on.

  ASHFORD 2.5 SIZE REED 

 a word about Ski shuttles . the SHUTTLES i use are made in Sweden  BUY SKI SHUTTLES HERE

THEY ARE BIFURCATED  which means  they have 2 separate cleats ,not one lone ridge down the middle. why is that important? because you can wrap your, weft yarns in a figure 8 and load mor yarn and when the yarn unfurls at the end of the row you can use your thumb to flick it off the cleat not having to do a baton twirl manuaver in the air to get the section of yarn free, also ski shuttles are better than stick shuttles because that have a smooth bottom that sails through the shed not sticking like stick shuttles 

 at the end  of weaving time to cut off 

done ,cut it off the loom 

 now into the sink for a hot water Soak and to dry on the deck railing 

 all done but the  triming 

i really like this size throw and how it turned out , a  nice finished  throw size too about 40-42" wide and 75" long not including the fringe 

but how did this all began?

i bought a Ashford 48" rigid heddle loom with the freedom roller  . i have a 32" too i have woven throws on ,i  just sew sections together and that works out great but somehow i got it into my mind i needed the 48" ! i started by assembling it  and putting a Lacquer on all the pieces .

purchase a ASHFORD RIGID HEDDELE LOOM HERE

ASHFORD FREEDOM ROLLER HERE

then with no room in the studio i warped it up with my hand spun yarns  PARTLY OUT DOORS.

 never intimidated by space to direct warp i walked outside around the corner and clamped a bar clamp to a tall stool and wound my warp. i do crank and yank so the tension was great. see videos below.

PEACEFUL WEAVING SPINNING THE THE SANTA  CRUZ MOUNTIAN REDWOODS 

JILL N SANDERS

WWW.SAORISANTACRUZ.COM