Back to Weaving!

So...I have NOT been weaving for quite awhile.  If you recall from this post, we gained a couple of additions to our family that did not go so well with the table loom.  The table loom became quite the jungle gym where many a tussle took place.

 The result was this broken warp thread.  Since I am really new to weaving, I had no idea what I should do about that except sit down and cry - which I did - after yelling at my new "friends".  Who by the way paid no attention to me and came over after I yelled to sit in my lap and let me pet them.

 I did a lot of research on-line via blogs and you tube and also talked with friends who are much more accomplished than I about weaving.  One thing I learned is that broken warp threads are just a fact of a weaver's life, so I better learn how to fix them.  Above is the knot where I have tied on a new thread that is hanging over the back of my loom.

 Here is the second broken warp thread.

 And the second knot.

 Now I know that all my warp threads are under tension and they are supposed to all have the same amount of tension on them to produce an evenly woven fabric.  In comes all those film canisters that I had stashed away from when we had a camera that used film (we still have the camera by the way!!).

 I tried many things in them to get the right tension on the strings, but these little decorative marbles that you put in the bottom on vases did the trick.  I filled the canisters all the way to the top.

 I did not use a very scientific method to measure the new string.  I just kind of held it in the front of the loom, pulled enough off to reach the back and most of the way down to the floor.  This by the way was more than enough for one of the warp threads, but a little close on the second one.  I would leave a bit more thread when this happens again.

 Here are the film canisters in action!!  They provided the perfect tension to weave with.

 This is the front where the new warp threads have been attached with pins and I have started weaving.

 More weaving.  At first I had a little tension trouble, but it worked itself out and I was good to go.

 Just for a laugh, I included a picture of these screws that I took from my husband's tool box - I tried to use them in the film canisters but they were not heavy enough to provide the amount of tension needed.

More of the weaving.  The tension looks good.  I have done a fair bit since this photo.  I finished this kitchen towel which is 3 of 4 and started the 4th one.  I think in my fear of making a mistake fixing the warp threads, I forgot how much fun I have weaving!

Sharing over at Tami's, Ginny's, and Sara's.