The Bead Loom Works!

Last night I was working on a # 40 count silk pillow in four way bargello, when Tessie came bouncing into the room. She announced, "You shouldn't be doing that. You promised to try out the beading loom and see if it would work for regular weaving."

Then she proceeded to zap the silk gauze that I was working on right out of my hands. She also managed to take all of the spools of silk sewing thread that I was using. I have no idea where she hid them.

In their place was my smallest beading loom and lots of crewel wool.

I went on strike and refused to start weaving until this morning. After pouting for the rest of the evening, she finally stomped away, defeated. I won a round!

Well, I did until this morning. Then she let me have it with both barrels. "You will not do anything but weave today. I am not giving your bargello back until you finish at least one rug!"

In the early 80s I taught macrame and weaving in a couple of craft stores. I used a table loom quite often. For the classes, I taught people to make a cardboard loom and do a woven pocket or bag. It was fun to do. I haven't done much weaving since that time.

I finally gave my dusty table loom away....I just wasn't using it. Minis got in the way of larger crafts.

It all comes back when you need it though. I strung up the loom with regular sewing thread and started using various crewel wools for the weaving.

I did the starter band of weaving with tatting thread because it is a bit thicker than sewing thread. Then I switched to the crewel.

Tessie tried her hand at it, but she kept getting tangled in the thread and messing things up.

I finally shooed her away and took the needle back. I find that a long tatting needle works great for doing this on the beading loom. It reaches all the way across the loom and you don't have to stop in the middle of a row to pull the thread through.

I remembered why I am not that crazy about weaving, especially with fine thread....It is slow.

Here's what I had after a couple of hours. It goes about the same pace as mini needlepoint. I am out of practice.

It does take a bit of work to keep the edges straight.

I am determined to finish this piece this afternoon so that Tessie will give my bargello back....I guess I had better get back to work now.

Please don't forget to vote. You are hanging in there with me. I appreciate your going back, time after time. So far, so good....

Also, the response to the anniversary drawing has been fantastic! There are right around 100 people entered so far. I am going to have to sort a few out because they commented twice. It will all be straight before Tessie draws the lucky three.

I have to go weave a rug now.

See you tomorrow.