Tools Day: Texsolv Heddle Round Up

The great thing about Texsolv heddles is that they are easy to move around. If you know how to tie them together, it is simple to add heddles, remove heddles, or switch heddles to different shafts. When I’m getting ready to thread the loom, I get my box of bundled heddles and put it on the cart right beside the loom. Then, I can easily add heddles if needed. And when threading is finished, I tie any unused heddles into bundles and put them in the heddle box, ready for the next project.

Threading complete for alpaca scarves. Texsolv heddles.

Tie Texsolv Heddle Bundles on One Shaft

  • Step 1 Take a cord (I use my choke tie cords) through the heddles below the heddle eyes.

How to remove Texsolv heddles. Tutorial

  • Step 2 Wrap the cord one time around, below the heddle eyes.

Removing Texsolv heddles. How to --

  • Step 3 Cross diagonally up with the cord, and take the cord through the heddles above the heddle eyes.

How to tie up Texsolv heddles.

  • Step 4 Wrap the cord one time around, above the heddle eyes.

Tying up Texsolv heddles to remove them.

  • Step 5 Join the two ends of the cord with a bow knot.

Removing Texsolv heddles after threading is complete.

 

Tie Texsolv Heddle Bundles on More than One Shaft

  • Step 1 Take the cord through the heddles below the heddle eyes, right to left, one shaft at a time, front shaft to back shaft.

Removing Texsolv heddles from multiple shafts.

  • Step 2 Take the end of the cord from the back shaft, and wrap the cord around one time through the heddles, below the heddle eyes, right to left, one shaft at a time, front shaft to back shaft.

Removing Texsolv heddles from multiple shafts.

  • Step 3 Cross diagonally up with the cord, and take the cord through the heddles above the heddle eyes, from right to left, one shaft at a time, front shaft to back shaft.

How to remove Texsolv heddles. Tutorial

  • Steps 4 & 5  Wrap the cord one time around, above the heddle eyes, from right to left, one shaft at a time, front shaft to back shaft. Join the two ends of the cord with a bow knot.

Removing Texsolv heddles. How to --

 

Remove Heddles from Shafts

  • Step 1 Remove shaft pin from the lower shafts, and slip the bottom of the heddles off the shafts. Replace the shaft pin.

Removing Texsolv heddles.

  • Step 2 Remove shaft pin from the upper shafts, and slip the top of the heddles off the shafts. Replace the shaft pin.

Texsolv heddles are easy to move around!

  • Step 3 Place tied heddle bundles in the heddle box. Put the box away, ready for the next project.

Texsolv heddles ready for the next project!

May you always have enough heddles when and where you need them.

Loom dressing,
Karen

Autumn Alpaca

Autumn is the perfect time of year to plan alpaca scarves. This three-ply alpaca yarn is dreamy. The thing I love about winding a warp like this is the feel of the soft yarn as it goes through my fingers. This warp is going on the big loom for an eight-shaft wavy twill.

Winding a warp of alpaca yarn for scarves.
Counting cord is used to keep track of the number of ends that are wound onto the warping reel. This warp was counted 40 ends at a time.

The first pass around the warping reel must be correct, which is why I measure the distance first with a guide string. After the first pass, I simply follow the correct path around until all 136 alpaca ends have been included. I am already starting to dream about the eventual soft and cozy scarves.

100% alpaca in a 3-ply yarn, preparing warp for weaving scarves.
100% alpaca in a 3-ply yarn.

Alpaca warp chain.

Following the path of the guide string is like having faith to follow Christ. Faith grows in good soil. And there is no better soil than Christ himself. I don’t yet see the scarves, but it’s not hard for me to imagine what they will be like. I have touched the yarn, and the completed warp chain is a sweet preview. When we see what Christ has completed, faith takes root and gives us reason to trust him for everything else.

May your roots grow down into good soil.

The Three Rosepath Rag Rugs For Now have been hemmed and are listed in my Etsy shop. Take a look!

Yours,
Karen

Planning Swedish Towels

After spreading out a few Swedish weaving books and other resources, I am ready to develop my own version of towels in plattväv, a classic Swedish weave. I have double-checked my calculations, so I’m ready to wind the warp. This set of towels has a cottolin warp and linen weft.

Planning new handwoven Swedish-style towels.
Planning sheet holds all the details for a weaving project. I use digital devises for planning most things, but for my weaving plans I still like paper and pencil the best.
Winding a striped warp for cottolin towels.
White, black, silver, ash gray, and pale blue gray. The pale blue gray seems to turn the other grays into brownish hues.

As always, I started with more than enough thread. Unfortunately, I made a major error while winding the warp. By the time I noticed the error, I had already wound 264 meters (289 yards) of warp. I chained off the mistake, putting it aside for another use. I started over, correctly this time, but I had a nagging worry that I might run out of white thread…

Warp winding for cottolin towels is complete.
Warp winding is complete. Smallest tube of white thread is close to empty. Spool crate is elevated to reduce the distance needed to bend down.
Warp chains for striped towels.
Smaller warp chain on the left was wound incorrectly. The threads will be divided up and used for weaving bands on the band loom. The two warp chains on the right will become striped handtowels with plattväv (platt weave) patterning.

Worry doesn’t make anything better, and big worries can lead us into a downward spiral in our thoughts. Prayer pushes worry away. When we pray about the things we are tempted to worry about, God’s peace acts as a guard over our hearts and minds. His peace frees us from the weight of worry. And we often learn later that our worry had been unfounded. Like my worry about the white thread, which, despite my blunder, did not run out.

May you forget your worries.

All the best,
Karen