Bergdala Spinnhus

on weaving, tricks and tips


Some people don't even recognize a "trick" when they use one - as the procedure is quite normal to them...
Here are some of the best hidden tricks I have found on the 'net:

From the blog of Laura Fry:
  • The header picks (the very first picks on any warp): if you take them out and around the apron bar, the edges will not curl, will not become too tight - will, in fact, help setting things straight faster. (picture to the right)
  • In this post she writes, as a PS: "[...] I lost the end [on a cone]. The yarn is so fine it's difficult to see, and finding the broken end proved fruitless. Inspiration struck, and I grabbed the lint roller, rolling it around the cone in the direction the yarn was winding off the cone. It only took a swipe 1/4 of the way around the cone for the broken end to be caught on the sticky roller, saving minutes - possibly quite a few minutes - not to mention the frustration. "
    Lint roller - now, why didn't I think of that?!?
Now, even a seasoned weaver like Laura knows that some of her practices are "tricks". She has made several video clips, some can be found in her blog, some on youtube (the link takes you to Laura's channel; opens, as do all links here, in a new window).

There are also the basketweave selvages - every time you find that plain weave selvages will "build" too much. (picture to the right)

No doubt there are many more - no doubt there are some that I don't recognize as "tricks"...


Here is a nifty trick from Debbie Kaplan, published in the group "The efficient weaver" over at Weavolution.

Grouping threads for fringe

I work with very fine threads, so there's lots of counting when tying fringe. Recently, I tried using the denting of the reed as a counting device twining one round across the warp as a counter. For example, with a 36epi warp just before starting the cloth, I twined junk yarn around the threads in batches of 3 dents, 9 threads per fringe. When off the loom, untwine each group as it is tied. If you have extra harnesses in your design, it should also work to add a shed with 1 fringe group up and one down and be significantly faster to, since you can just weave a couple of shots instead of twining.

Since the post cannot be accessed unless you are a member of that group, I asked (and got) Debbie's permission to publish it here, too - thank you, Debbie!



Bergdala Spinnhus
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360 51 Hovmantorp
Sweden
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