[Steppes] Weaving

[AlKudsi at aol.com]

OK, I'll take these questions on, as one of the local weavers.  

There are about five major types of looms:

The inkle loom produces warp-faced weave -- i.e. all you see is the warp 
threads (the threads strung on the loom).  A decent commercial brand is Schacht 
and a new one costs about $75.  No, as far as I am aware currently, there are no 
shops locally where you can put your hands on one...however, there are a 
large number of them around in the Barony, and I'm sure someone, including myself, 
would be happy to let you borrow one or weave on one at an event.  Mistress 
Stella, in Elfsea, even makes her own version of one to sell, as do several 
other SCA woodworkers. An inkle loom can teach you about tensioning, about 
selvedges, about even beating of your weaving, and is a good place to start. 
Advantages: easy to take with you, easy to finish a piece.  Disads: there are limits 
to the patterns you can produce and the width of what you produce, and the 
types of yarns you can use effectively.

Rigid heddle loom produces a balanced weave -- i.e. you see an equal amount 
of weft threads (carried on the shuttle) and warp threads. It is called a rigid 
heddle, because unlike an inkle loom where warp thread positions are governed 
by thread "harnesses" or heddles, it has a hard plastic comb-like structure 
that both does the governing of thread position, and also does the beating of 
the fabric being produced.  Working on a rigid heddle loom can teach you 
control, how not to pull in on your weaving, about more extensive patterning, about 
selvedges (did I mention how important good selvedges are?), and how to get 
the proper "sett" (sett is the number of threads per inch -- ideally, an inch 
square area should have the same number of warp threads and weft threads).  
Again, Schacht is a good manufacturer of rigid heddle looms (I have three, 
myself), and the approximate price is $175, last time I checked.  Advantages: more 
patterns possible, can use a wider variety of yarns (wool is NOT good on an 
inkle loom, but wonderful on a rigid heddle), and produce fabric up to around 36 
inches wide. Disads: not as transportable, takes longer to warp (set up) and 
finish a piece, not as flashy as what you can do on the next types of loom.

The harness loom or floor loom produces all kinds of weave, from warp-faced t
o balanced, to twills, to some types of patterns.  There are a lot of 
different types, but the two most common are the four-harness and eight-harness.  
Patterns are formed by the order in which one or more of the harnesses are moved, 
which is done by floor pedals or manipulation of the wooden harness by hand. 
Harnesses consist of a series of multiple metal pieces that hold the warp. 
These are expensive looms, starting in the low thousands (and going up) for new.  
Advantages: even more patterns possible, including (especially) twill, which 
is a favorite type of fabric.  Blue jean fabric is actually a modified twill.  
Other advantages: selvedges are easier (to a point), you can do complex color 
patterning easier by using multiple shuttles, and they do come up to 48 inches 
wide in a "hobby loom" and even wider for commercial use.  Disads: not 
transportable at all, really.  Once it is set up, it should stay where it is.  Very 
complex to warp, although you can set up a lot of length on one, and it 
requires extra tools.  I have one that I was given, I've just never learned how to 
use it.

The brocade loom or the jacquard loom: produces, of course, brocades.  
Heddles are controlled by cards (actually the inspiration for the computer punched 
card, by the way), pedals, and usually require two people to do anything beyond 
simple patterns.  Here, I go on research in text books, because although I've 
seen several kinds in action, I've never used one.  I wouldn't even venture a 
guess into costs.  I've not actually seen one for sale, so have no idea how 
much one would cost, but would guess much more than a harness loom.  
Advantages: the patterns, of course.  Disads: I think you can figure those out for 
yourself!

The tapestry loom (which also includes the Navaho rug loom): produces 
tapestry, where only the weft threads show.  Warp threads are usually invisible once 
the fabric is woven.  Warp threads are controlled by hand either using a 
heddle of some sort or the simple expedient of moving threads singly.  Multiple 
colors of weft threads are "painted" onto the warp threads.  Tapestry looms can 
range from costing nearly nothing to being relatively expensive.  Advantages: 
incredible range of patterning and colors possible, most tapestry looms are 
somewhat transportable.  Disads:  extremelly time-intensive, and fabric produced 
is not always usable for clothing as it really should not be cut.

There are a lot of variations on these looms, but I think most of them fall 
under one of the categories above.  In period, inkle looms did not exist, per 
se, although warp-faced weave is found. It had to have been woven on some other 
type of loom.  Ground looms as used in a lot of nomadic cultures, fall 
somewhere between inkle and rigid heddle.  Although they have found wooden heddles 
that resemble the plastic combs we now have, most ground looms used a set of 
wooden sticks and thread heddles to control the warp.   The ancient Egyptians 
produced incredible fabric (some with a sett of 3000 threads per inch, which we 
cannot match on modern machinery today) on standing looms, that used weights 
at the bottom and wooden sticks to control the warp.  

My suggestions:  come talk with those of us who weave.  Most of us have 
multiple looms, and would be happy to let you play on one.  An inkle loom can be 
borrowed or bought, and any of us who use one would be happy to teach you the 
basics again.  

Warped,

HL Saqra
of Saqra's Shuttle