Tablet weaving prep: bobbins

Yesterday I warped the tablets for a new belt. This time it’s going to be narrow diagonals – only the reverse side won’t be a simple negative of the front; it’ll have a completely separate pattern of its own.

For the first time, I set up the loom using bobbins. To allow the warp to unwind during weaving, I had to start setting up from the far end of the loom.

First, the four threads for one tablet are tied to a weight, then most of the length is wound onto a bobbin, and the ends are threaded through a tablet:

Next, the threads are passed through the spreader, and their ends tied to the bar at the working end of the loom:

The bobbin hangs directly above the weight, and allows for adjustment of both thread length and weight height – making it easier to position the weights so they don’t get in each other’s way.

Here’s the full warp and all the weights, ready to go:

So far, I’m really pleased with the bobbins. We’ll see how they perform once I start weaving.

And this Saturday, after a long break, I’ll be teaching a workshop again. I’m just hoping I don’t overwhelm everyone with too much information. 😀

Photos of the finished band along with basic information about it can be found in the gallery: "Fox tail".