I first heard about this loom when Marion Stewart from my local Spinners and Weavers Guild emailed me. She attached a photo and my first thought was, ” I don’t need another four shaft loom and no, not counter balanced!”

The draw loom in its previous home

My second thought was, ”what’s that thing at the top of it?”

Loom at home at last

Considering the years of people and animals brushing past it daily, it was in pretty good condition but I still had to clean it up for my own satisfaction and to make it look like a loom should. Alice Hindson spoke mainly of creating patterns with the warp threads thus suggesting a second back beam as an essential component due to the different amounts of take up between the pattern warp and the ground warp.

The modifications of the loom began. A second back beam was put on and the loom cleaned up. Fortunately, as well as weaving I have an interest in wood work so I have a relatively comprehensive wood working workshop to clean up and modify/repair looms as required.

Meanwhile, I was reading another weaving book by Malin Selander and I noticed a book advertised in the back fly leaf that had the same loom as I have in the cover. I nearly fell over with excitement. Of course, it was Lillemor Johansenn’s ‘Damask and Opphamta’. Back to amazon.com and hey, presto! Book in mail. This book was totally devoured when it arrived and the modifications took on a different slant. Bye, bye counter balance, hello counter march. Hello to six ground shafts and lamms instead of four shafts and direct tie. I also lengthened the loom to allow room for more pattern shafts. Why limit myself to ten when I had space for at least twenty. Long term, I really like the idea of single pull as well but that will be after this one is up and running as it is.

The extended loom

 All this has happened over the space of over two years. I first got the loom before the loom room above was built and I would say before my second child arrived who recently turned two! Just recently the urge has come on me to continue so I started on the extra pattern shaft pull mechanism.

I had also discovered that the lamms were too close and tight so they needed to be separated. Due to the benefit of damask weaving with only one shaft going down and one up per treadling, I am hoping the lamms don’t have major arguments with each other. At this stage damask is the aim and then other weave types later on if I get bored with damask…if.

Back to the loom. Local woodworkers turned extra handles for me as I couldn’t find the right size at the hardware store and I didn’t have time to turn them myself. I made the frames and bolted them on then finally started to thread the pattern cords and handles together.

The half threaded pattern shaft pulls

 This has let me know where I need to separate the threads to prevent rubbing with a piece of smooth timber. I also need to make a raddle that can slot onto the the back beam for warping ease. I am half way through making the lingoes to hang off the pattern groups and I have ordered a stack of long eyed and pattern heddles so I will be set for most projects when the loom is finally warped up. To be continued……..