Starting with my new Mirrix Loom

I survived the wait for my new loom.  It really did come quickly.  What a great sight to come home and see a box sitting on the porch.

The McKinley 28" loom came mostly assembled.  I only needed to put the shedding device on it and unpack the warping bars, etc.

I spent the time waiting for the loom planning my first project.  I've decided to do tapestries representing my travels.  The first design is Peru.  When I think of my travels to Peru a few things came to mind.  I started by looking at my photographs from the trip.  I knew I had a picture of a painting I found interesting.  It is of two llamas.  This will be the focal point.

The next thing I remember is our trip to see the Nasca lines.  These are lines and figures carved into the desert floor.  They are huge and can only be seen from the air.  There is much controversy about why and how these lines were created.  There are straight lines that look like landing strips and figures like a monkey, spider, humming bird, and a man waving hello.

 In addition to flying over these lines, which was over way too quickly, our trip to Nasca involved a high speed drive through torrential rain on some of the most dangerous roads in Peru.  They were curvy with cars passing other cars on narrow passages.  There was no rest during this ride from Nasca to Lima.  Because of weather conditions our small flight from Nasca to Lima kept being postponed and we had to be back in Lima for our international flight back to Phla.  We made it to our hotel with half an hour to spare.  So, the figures from Nasca will be featured in this tapestry.

There were many other things I could choose from our trip to Peru, like Machu Picchu, the beautiful dresses of the women, our visit to the floating islands on lake Titicaca, the art in the monastery, the homes in the countryside backed by the glaciers, etc., etc., etc.  looks like I will have more than one tapestry of Peru.

Also while waiting for my loom to arrive, I tied heddles.  I'll address this in a separate blogg.

Mirrix Loom in my future!

I love weaving.  I enjoy weaving on my Harrisville Design 8 Harness loom and try to weave at least 1 hour a day.  Weaving is very relaxing, it gives me a chance to concentrate on something fun while being creative.  I try to limit my weaving to 1 hour at a time because my muscles start to get tight if I go much longer than that.  It also gives me time to start planning my next project or warping or hand sewing the last project.  There is always some weaving activity to fill my time.

I have been saving my thrums, the left over warp when the back rod hits the heddles, with the thought that someday I will weave a tapestry with them.

The other day, I decided to see how I could make a tapestry loom.  They look simple enough.  I found everything from just using a picture frame to a copper pipe loom.  I did not want to purchase a loom because I don't know if I will like tapestry weaving and I purchased my HD loom only a few months ago along with lots of yarn to use with it.

The copper pipe loom looked like something I could make.  I researched plans to make one and printed them out.  That evening my husband got the plans from the printer and asked what it was.  I told him I was thinking of making one.  I could cut and fit all the pipe and have a friend solder it together.  The next question was, why don't you buy one.  I told my husband that it would be fun to build and I could save money and could test if I would like tapestry weaving.  He said, you know you will like it, just purchase the loom you want and don't play around.

So, I was pretty sure I knew what I wanted.  I have been interested in bead work for many years and looked into the Mirrix looms at that time.  Now I could weave both beads and tapestry and have my HD loom available for other weaving projects.

I considered many types of looms before making up my mind.  Mirrix. http://www.mirrixlooms.com,  Ashford tapestry loom  and Harrisville Designs http://www.harrisville.com/product-p/ftl.htm

The Mirrix loom won the comparisons.  It looks like a very well made and durable loom.  There were  many sizes from which to choose and I could weave beads and tapestry with it.  The price was a little more than similar sized looms, but I have learned to choose quality and not chintz on price.  It never fails,  when I try to save money by getting "the next best thing"  it never works and I always have regrets or eventually buy what I should have in the first place.

My next decision was what size to choose.  The Mirrix looms come as small as 5" wide at $145.00 to a massive 38" for $540.00.  Since I want to weave tapestries, I decided on the 28″ MCKINLEY LOOM.  (All the looms have names, like  Zeus, Joni, Zach, etc.).  I think this size will be best for the size tapestries I would weave.


Now, what accessories should I get?  The McKinley comes with:  Included: Four coils: 8, 12, 14, 18 dents, shedding device and handle, two  wooden clips, warping bar, flat wrench, Allen wrench, coil bar and written instructions.   The additional selections are an extra warping bar, another beam, extra coils for the bottom of the warp, a stand, Texslov heddles, and a treadle to switch the shed with your foot instead of your hand with the handle.


I decided to get the extra warping bar and the coils for the bottom.  I have learned that keeping the warp straight and tensioned well are most important.  Mirrix offers a combination package that includes the loom and bottom coils at a savings.  

So I placed my order.  It can't come soon enough, I can't wait to start weaving on it.  I have so many ideas swirling through my mind I can hardly sleep.  I ordered it Monday night and it is scheduled to arrive Saturday.

A failure, how humbling.

I thought awhile before writing this post.  Do I really want to show a terrible project? Do I want to let people know I failed?

The answer is no, but I am looking at it as a learning experience. Up to this point I have been successful with my projects.  Not all perfect, but I have woven many beautiful things.  To have a failure is very humbling.

This was my first attempt at double width double weave.  In retrospect, I should have chosen a plain weave to do as my first attempt.  But, no, I had to choose a rose path or pointed design.  I decided to use two colors in the warp, red and blue, and purple for the weft.

To design the Ruana I used pixie loom software.  Put in the single design then let the software come up with the double wide threading.  I tried to follow it but I must have made mistakes.  I knew there were errors when I started to weave but decided to continue as it was.

I really liked the design created by using alternating colors on the warp.  It changed the pattern, so you do not see a rose path, but the colors and new pattern are nice.  The weaving went well, I created a double wide cloth which became two separate cloths mid-way through.

There were so many times that I wanted to cut it off the loom.  I know there are so many mistakes in it that I will never wear it, but I pressed on.  My first critic is my husband, or shall I call him my cheer leader.  It doesn't matter how the things I weave look, he always has a kind word to say.  " It's beautiful, I don't see anything wrong with it"; he says.  That is nice, but I know better.

I'm glad I finished it.  Now I need to think of something to make with it so I can cut out a few good parts to hide my mistakes.  Thinking of felting it a little and making a tote bag.

The best part about finishing it is that my loom is empty and I can start something fun.

Little time off now it's time to weave again.

After finishing my piano scarf I started a double weave Ruana.  It is OK but many mistakes, that takes the fun out of weaving.  I considered quitting it and taking it off the loom, but decided it is a learning project and I should finish it, mistakes and all.  I'm a little past half way done.

I took a cruise for a week.  That was great.  It was so nice to have warm weather and sunshine after the many snowstorms this year.  The only negative thing is that I had vertigo for 10 days after the cruise.  It is so draining that I really only wanted to sleep, so no weaving.  I did try weaving for half an hour the other day, but it made me feel sick so I had to stop.

I did enter the Philadelphia Flower Show in the botanical jewelry class.  This year was Faberge Eggs. I won 3rd prize.  My design highlighted the bird inside the egg so I think I lost some points for that.  Sunday we go to the show to pick it up and see the show.  I'm looking forward to that.