Everything you want to know about
The weaving process
The most frequently asked question to weavers is: 'How long does it actually take to make a tea towel, scarf, or tablecloth?' This question is almost impossible to answer, because so many factors are involved. Nevertheless, I will make an attempt here, and at the same time, I will show how weaving works.
Time
Weaving is a fantastic craft, but also a very time-consuming process. A great deal of time goes into color research, design, calculations, and setting up the loom. The weaving itself takes relatively little time, but it still takes many hours, and then there is the post-treatment and finishing of the fabric. As a result, making a single scarf can easily take a full work week!
To make the warp
The threads stretched tightly on the loom are called the warp. To make these, you must first calculate how many threads of each color you need. Depending on the project and the thickness of the yarn, this can vary from a few hundred to a few thousand threads. Then you measure them out on a so-called warping board: a framework with posts around which you can wrap the warp. By having all the threads follow the same path, you ensure that they all become exactly the same length.
To set up the warp
You wrap the warp around the rear 'beam' of the loom, a beam around which you can wind the warp. Next, you pull the warp threads one by one through heddles. Heddles are small loops attached to horizontal slats at the top and bottom. These are pulled up or down during weaving. The heddles are distributed across multiple shafts—in my case, a maximum of 8—depending on the pattern you want to weave.
Next, you pull the threads through the reed, a type of comb used to press the threads down ('beat') while weaving.
Attaching pedals
Once you have fully threaded the warp and tied it to a bar at the front, you can start attaching the foot pedals. Each pedal is attached to one or more shafts. By pressing the pedals in a specific sequence, the shafts move down or up in that order, and consequently the threads running through the heddles in those shafts as well. This creates a pattern in the fabric.
Turning spools
Now you are almost ready to weave; all that remains is to wind the bobbins with the yarn you want to use for the weft. Using a manual or electric winder, or even a hand drill, you wind the yarn onto bobbins that fit in the shuttle.
Weave!
After many hours of preparation, it is very satisfying to finally be able to weave the weft threads through the warp. Watching the pattern emerge and seeing the effect the colors have on each other is truly magical, every time. It often takes a while to get into the rhythm, but once you get the hang of it and your hands and feet instinctively know what to do, you can enter a wonderful flow. Still, you always have to stay alert, because a weaving mistake is easily made.
Finishing
Wanneer het weefwerk klaar is, moet er nog een heleboel gebeuren. Eventuele weeffoutjes moeten hersteld worden (zie video hiernaast), de stof moet met de hand gewassen en soms nabewerkt worden. Bij sjaals moeten er franjes gedraaid worden, theedoeken worden gezoomd, en soms wordt de stof met de hand (en naaimachine) verwerkt tot een eindproduct zoals etui's, tassen of kussentjes.