Still waiting to hear back from AVL about my Compu-Dobby II. I keep dreaming about it!
Below is the book that has been my bedtime reading lately. I can't put it down!
It's technically exact and very wonderful. The author, John Becker, exhaustively explores a number of ancient complex weaves and techniques, and also features extensive technical descriptions and drawings of the different loom set-ups used to execute these weaves. It includes things like samitum, lampas, damask, and also fabulous gauze weaves used in ancient China, among others.
Mr. Becker passed away in 1986, and his astonishingly comprehensive book had been out of print for some years; however, Donald Wagner, the co-author, has inherited the copyright and generously made this book available online in PDF form for free. There may be a second printed edition coming out eventually, but just being able to access the knowledge that this book contains is an amazing gift.
http://donwagner.dk/Pattern-and-Loom.pdf
What I'm getting from this book is a much greater understanding of the complex weave structures I have long wanted to learn more about, but also the detail and diagrams with which he explains the loom set-ups is actually helping me learn about the mysteries of drawlooms to the point at which I think I'm going to start measuring my Cranbrook loom in preparation for adding an extension on it, in order to convert it to a drawloom. I think it would work quite well, and it would be especially good for weaving linen damask since the warp line is straight and not sunken as it would be on a jack loom. If only I had room enough...
Basically, my plan will be to add another four shafts to the existing four countermarche shafts in order to make an 8-shaft ground harness arrangement, with the second harness for the pattern about 35 cm deeper into the loom towards the back beam. Then I'll have to make two heddle jigs - one for the long-eyed heddles on the ground shafts, and small-eye heddles for the pattern harness. Not sure whether I'm going to make a shaft drawloom or a single-unit one. And this will take some time...and I think that before building it, I should take a course at the Vavstuga in Shelburne Falls, MA, who are experts with the drawloom.
That would make a marvelous combination of looms for me - the Bexall Cranbrook turned into a drawloom for traditional damask, lampas, and samitum, and my beloved AVL, with Compu-Dobby, for exploring the wild and wonderful world of long, computer-driven repeats!
No comments:
Post a Comment