Unlike a traditional loom, where the warp is wound tightly onto the loom through a series of heddles and a reed that separate and lift different groups of threads, the warp hangs free and is moved by hand. The weaver would suspend fibers from a tree branch, which was parallel to the ground, or he might fashion a vertical loom using tree limbs and branches. Although i do know where to find how to do it, i need to buy the book, and having recently forked out an eyewatering sum for marta hoffmans book, and having plenty of other things to do before i really need it, it can wait. All the cloth for viking sails would have been woven on this type of loom.
The illustration is from an old swedish book, from 1744. How to make a weighted warp loom a weighted warp loom is perfect for textured yarns. Below is an image of a warp weighted loom depicted on a terra cotta greek vase. Warp weighted looms research explorer the university of. The book is written primarily in english and is divided into 3 sections.
The warpweighted loom is a simple and ancient form of loom in which the warp yarns hang freely from a bar supported by upright poles which can be placed at a convenient slant against a wall. It was used by most early european cultures and even survived into modern times in northern europe. How to build and use a warp weighted loom building a fullsized warp weighted loom out of woo d all pieces cut from 2x4 lumber. The end of each cord is tied to a small weight to maintain tension. Studies in history and technology of an ancient implement by hoffmann, marta and a great selection of related books, art and. With the living history presentation by darc at lanse aux meadows nhsc coming up this summer august 16 25, 2010 the entire group is reworking a lot of our equipments. The first ones title is diamond twill woven on a warpweighted loom.
Her study of warp weighted loom weavers was conducted in the 1950s. Vavmagasinet swedish weaving magazine vav magazine. White white, all that was possible mutably white white gives out calm embroidered curtains winnies white weaves gunilla skyttla marathon weavers my costume the vingaker costume inspired by the vingaker costume. The warp weighted loom studies in the history and technology. Especially when compared to large floor loom with multiple sheds. Based on finds in ancient burial sites in the palestine city of jericho, it has been estimated that the warp weighted loom dates back 9,000 years or to the seventh millennium bc. Our initial project was to produce an instruction book for the warp weighted loom. Nov 21, 2016 and in many ways, the taut hanging warp threads became the womens prison, as they wove themselves veils to wear in the presence of men. Vesterheim norwegian american museum features textiles from its collection in a new booklet, a broad overview of norwegian weaving history and techniques. Loom weights have been found at archaeological sites dating from 3000. Warping your loom erratu we left out one step in our instructions for building your warp weighted loom. Because of the way the warp weighted loom works, the yarn has to be strong enough to withstand the weight of the loomweights. We currently have a particular focus on preserving knowledge about old craft traditions, and have great expertise in oppstadgogn warp weighted loom. Mar 01, 2015 another interest, since reading the warpweighted loom.
Other articles where warpweighted loom is discussed. Her method employs the expansion of multivariate polynomials to devise a weaving scheme. A copy of hoopers book can be found here, in pdf format. To wrap the material around the beam so you have room to weave some more, you will need something to hold the beam in place and keep the material from unrolli. The warp weighted loom is one of the easiest looms to warp. May, 2010 this is a brief introduction to the warp weighted loom that would have been used throughout medieval scandinavia. Unlike more complicated looms, a warp weighted loom can be easily disassembled and carried around, so is ideal for use by nomadic people. This book does not explain how to use the loom in a stepbystep fashion. It is a homemade affair basically a 6 inch by 4 foot long oak shelf with cabinet pulls mounted on 6x2x2 blocks at either end. It developed into much more but the main purpose still remains an instruction on how to weave on the loom.
A warp weighted loom, at its simplest, consists of a stick or bar called a cloth beam at the top supported by upright poles on each side. Dietz june 16, 1882 may, 1950 was an american weaver best known for her 1949 monograph algebraic expressions in handwoven textiles, which defines a novel method for generating weaving patterns based on algebraic patterns. Media in category warp weighted looms the following 55 files are in this category, out of 55 total. I enjoyed your gallery of inkle loom set ups and wanted to add my comment using a different loom for cardweaving. I enjoy cardweaving on a horizontal, warp weighted loom. The main feature of the loom is that the warp is not tied off or fastened in any way but hangs freely from the end of the loom. The result is a story in three partsloom history in iceland, shetland. The warp weighted loom uses a system of holding the warp threads parallel under tension by tying them in small bunches to weights made of stone, pottery or metal. There is historical evidence for two types of starting edges associated with the warpweighted loom. Warpweighted loom article categories norwegian textile. It is thought that the first looms, called warp weighted looms, were vertical structures.
A thank you note read at the book opening event in bergen city library december 16th 2016. Evidence of the warpweighted loom appears in the neolithic period in central europe. Open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. A functional scaled down warp weighted loom introduction warp weighted looms were used throughout history beginning with the greeks and continuing into modern times, but they are most associated with scandinavians during the viking age, including norway, iceland, and greenland and vinland. Loom weights are the most direct evidence of the use of a specific type of loom, the warp weighted loom a type of vertical loom. Seat cushion with goathair trim punched pattern on a seat pad. See more ideas about weaving, loom and loom weaving. Studies in the history and technology of an ancient implement, marta hoffmann.
Part 1 is an introduction to the year history of the warpweighted loom. The warpweighted loom consists of a crossbar supported by two vertical posts. The key to understanding why words and images from spinning and weaving are still in use even after we have entered the forth dimension world and the digital age, when the majority of western women no longer learn to make thread, weave or cut clothes the key to. Building an icelandic pattern loom one of the current objects under construction here is a warp weighted loom, commissioned by karen peterson. The warp weighted loom is a remarkable book on so many levels.
These measurements may be adjusted for a taller, shorter, wider or narrower loom as desired. Based on finds in ancient burial sites in the palestine city of jericho, it has been estimated that the warpweighted loom dates back 9,000 years or to the seventh millennium bc. These instructions presuppose a working knowledge of weaving and warping, but there is a brief glossary at the end of the article. Dietz work is still wellregarded today, by both weavers and. The warp weighted loom studies in the history and technology of an ancient implement. It undertakes the preservation of womens history as it relates to weaving and wadmal production within the north atlantic cultural heritage. This booklet includes construction diagrams for a number of variations of the loom along with an explanation of the operation along with different warping methods. The loom development alhakaya documentation project. Our quest for replica fabric turned into a quest for the warp. As such, it is the oldest type of loom and, remarkably, remains in use even today. The warp threads hang down from a crossbar at the top, weighted in bunches. The warp weighted loom is a vertical loom with an upper beam, the warp held taunt by weights hence the name and the weft beaten up toward the beam. One of my tabletweaving books has a short summary of a warp weighted loom described in luther hoopers weaving with small appliances.
Warp weights on israeli loom scotland, israel, holland scotland. I first became aware of warp weighted looms when i was looking at the influence that the vikings had on textile traditions in the scottish islands. The warpweighted loom i oppstadveven i kljasteinavefsta. I use a very simple mechanism to weave long bands on a warpweighted loom. We serve the local specialty stompekake on sundays during the summer season. The warp weighted loom is a simple and ancient form of loom in which the warp yarns hang freely from a bar supported by upright poles which can be placed at a convenient slant against a wall. Studies in the history and technology of an ancient implement oslo. Twill and tabby weaving on the warpweighted loom, by antoinette merete olsen. This book tells you all you need to know about how to weave twill and tabby weaves on the warp weighted loo. Our book now includes the history of the loom in each of our own countries iceland, shetland and norway, and the connections we uncovered are amazing. The fabrics were trying to emulate used quite fine threads in both systems, and singles at that. Mar 3, 2014 this pin was discovered by diane howes.
You will also learn about the tegle find, the lendbreen tunic, and how the sami people wove their grene rugs. Synonyms for warp weighted loom include handloom, handoperated loom, manual loom, backstrap loom, drawloom, footoperated loom and foottreadle operated loom. This is a good book and gets 5 stars for being informative about the history of the warp weighted loom. It is not an instructions manual, though it does focus on preserving what few living. This extensive study maps the loom distribution, primarily across norway and finland and provides information on the looms, the weaving and the terminology used. After you have woven a while you will run out of room for weaving.
Bedding before 1900 in nordfjord learn about the layers of blankets used on norwegian beds in centuries past. Bundles of warp threads are tied to hanging weights called loom weights which keep the threads taut. Explains why the author thinks that any fourshaft weave is possible on the warp weighted loom, a conclusion that has not been as obvious in the literature as one might think. The warpweighted loom, worldwide, 7000 bce smith college. The museum centre in hordaland museumssenteret i hordaland. Marta hoffmann 6 x 9 softcover 428 pages 1964, robin and russ handweavers no longer available currently out of print. Warp weighted looms are almost as ancient as weaving and are still in daily use in some parts of the world. From the beginning of western history until the middle ages, the main weaving tool was this type of loom. Twill and tabby weaving on the warpweighted loom shuttle. Pdf you too can warp and weave on a warpweighted loom. Therefore we have a story thread, we twine together words and facts, we unravel lies and we talk about the fabric of life and at death the thread is.