Handloom Construction and Use
8 Where to Find More Information
Books
Bress, Helene. Inkle
Weaving. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1975.
Complete
information for creating all kinds of patterns using the Inkle loom.
Contains plans
for a floor model Inkle loom that weaves longer strips than the
loom in this
manual. An invaluable tool for anyone
interested in all the
possibilities of
the Inkle loom.
Channing, Marion L.
The Magic of Spinning. New
Bedford, Mass.: Reynolds-DeWalt,
4th edition 1971.
Directions for
spinning with an emphasis on wool and its preparation. Information
on using
traditional English and American spinning wheels.
Davenport, Elsie G.
Your Handspinning. Tarzana,
California: Select Books, 4th
edition, 1971.
Most
comprehensive book on spinning. Covers
a wide variety of wheels and
their use. Describes several
methods of spinning, with
an excellent section
on spinning
fibres from rabbit, camel, angora goat, silk, cotton, jute, hemp,
sisal and flax.
Duncan, Molly. Spin,
Dye and Weave Your Own Wool. New
York: Sterling Publishing Co.,
Inc., 1973.
Very good
description of preparing wool for spinning.
There is also a discussion
of spinning
wheels and handspinning. Weaving
section gives plans for an
inkle loom of
unusual design made from plywood, and tells how to weave on a
small commercial
table loom. Warping section is
well-illustrated and pictures
some useful tools
for winding and measuring the warp.
Garrat, Cay. Warping
- All By Yourself, Santa Rosa,
California: Thresh Publications,
1974.
Describes how to
warp a two- or four-harness loom with just one person. Uses
more elabourate
technology than presented in this manual, but it is clearly
illustrated and
written and may prove helpful to those attempting to warp a
large loom by
themselves.
Gilly, Myriam.
Free-Weaving. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1976.
Describes history
of loom design and construction and gives directions for
techniques used in contemporary style
wall-hangings.
Gonsalves, Alyson Smith ed.
Weaving Techniques and Projects.
Menlo Park, California:
Lane Books, 1975.
Good discussion
of weaving problems and techniques, with plans for a very
simple loom. There is a large section of patterns and
projects usable with
the looms
presented in this manual.
Harvey, Virginia I.
Macrame: The Art of Creative
Knotting. New York: Van Nostrand
Reinhold, 1967.
Complete
information on macrame, with many suggestions for fringes.
Hope, Elizabeth, Estine Ostlund and Lisa Melen. Free Weaving
on Frame and Loom.
New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold,
Mainly deals with
tapestry weave techniques. Many colour
illustrations.
Ingers, Gertrud.
Flemish Weaving. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1967.
Guide to
techniques and patterns for pictorial tapestries.
Innes, R. A.
Non-European Looms. Halifax,
England: Halifax Museum, 1959.
Catalog of
African and Oriental looms should interest those looking for other
styles of looms
that are basic in design and simple to construct. Not all
looms are
illustrated; however, many details such as pulleys, heddles, reeds
and beaters are
pictured. The Mende Tripod Loom from
Sierra Leone and the
Egba Narrow Loom
from Nigeria are interesting versions of the foot-powered
loom presented
here.
Kluger, Marion. The
Joy of Spinning. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1971.
Emphasis is on
preparing and spinning wool. Includes
directions for spinning
with a drop
spindle and a treadle spinning wheel.
Brief section on other
fibres - flax,
cotton, dog hair, quivit.
Marlin, Shirley. Off
the Loom: Creating with Fiber. New York:
Viking Press, 1973.
Directions for
using the Inkle Loom; plans for a simple frame loom and techniques
using macrame.
Mosely, Spencer, Pauline Johnson and Hazel Koenig. Crafts
Design. Belmont,
California: Wadsworth Publishing Co., Inc.
1962, 1967.
Chapter 4 offers
clear, well-illustrated directions for building very simple
looms. Good section on weaves and patterns for the
Inkle loom. Weaves for
two- and
four-harness foot-powered looms are well-diagramed. Knotted weaves
and tapestry
weaves are also discussed. Sections on
decorated textiles and
leatherworking
may also be of use to weavers.
Well-illustrated.
Murray, Rosemary.
Practical Modern Weaving. New
York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1975.
Well-illustrated
collection of patterns and weaves for all types of looms.
Parker, Xenia Ley.
Creative Handweaving. New
York: Dial Press, 1976.
Techniques and
patterns suitable for the Frame, Inkle and Foot-Powered Looms.
Pendleton, Mary.
Navajo and Hopi Weaving Techniques.
New York: Macmillan, 1974.
Describes Navajo and Hopi rug weaving
techniques. Special attention paid to
techniques of
putting in the weft in creating tapestry patterns. Patterns
presented for the
belt loom can also be used on the Inkle Loom.
Plath, Iona. The
Craft of Handweaving. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1972.
Patterns and
weaves intended for use on a jack harness loom. Some are suitable
for use on a
four-harness, foot-powered loom.
Redwood. Backstrap
Weaving of Northern Ecuador. Redwood,
1974.
A limited edition
of a very beautiful book giving complete and easy to follow
direction for
building and weaving on a backstrap loom.
(Available from The
Unicorn)
Regensteiner, Else.
The Art of Weaving. New
York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1970.
Covers all
aspects of weaving. Brief discussion of
animal, vegetable and
mineral fibres
and their use in weaving. Most looms
discussed are commercially
made, although
there are rather complicated plans to make a backstrap loom in
the Appendix. Deals extensively with types of weaves and patterns with
a good
section on
tapestries and rugs.
Reed, Tim. Loom
Book. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1973.
Directions for
building a foot-powered loom slightly more complex in design than the one
presented in this manual.
Reichard, Gladys A.
Weaving a Navajo Blanket. New
York: Dover, 1974.
Directions for
building a Navajo loom with patterns and techniques for
weaving Navajo
rugs and blankets.
Rubenstone, Jessica.
Weaving for Beginners. New York;
J. B. Lippincott, Inc., 1975.
Describes
construction of a very simple loom - a rigid heddle backstrap type
loom using tongue
depressors.
Schery, Robert W.
Plants for Man. Englewood, New
Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1972.
Chapter 7
discusses a wide variety of vegetable fibres and their potential
for use in
weaving. Good source of information for
those looking for new
sources of fibre
from domestic and wild plants throughout the world.
Scabey, Joan. Rugs
and Wall Hangings. New York: Dial Press, 1974.
Excellent section
on the historical significance of tapestry weaving throughout
the world. Many illustrations. Contains techniques and patterns for
rugs based on
traditional designs.
Svinicki, Eunice.
Step-By-Step Spinning and Dyeing.
Racine, Wisconsin: Western
Publishing Co. (Golden Press),
1974.
Very clearly
illustrated methods of spinning using several types of drop
spindles. Includes section on dyeing fibres and a very
brief section on
simple weaving
techniques.
Swanson, Karen.
Rigid Heddle Weaving. New
York: Watson-Guptill, 1975.
Describes
construction of a rigid heddle loom of the backstrap type (similar
to Rubenstone's)
but on a larger scale. The patterns and
techniques presented,
however, are
suitable to any loom and may interest those constructing
any
of the looms
in this manual.
Tacks, Harold and Sylvia.
Band Weaving. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1974.
Techniques and
patterns for weaving strips of cloth such as those produced
by the inkle
loom.
Tidball, Harriet. The Weaver's Book. New York:
Collier, 1977 (soft-bound).
Instructions for
weaving on a multiple harness loom.
Some techniques may be
useful on the
Foot-Powered Loom presented in this manual.
Weir, Shelagh.
Spinning and Weaving in Palestine.
London: British Museum, 1970.
Looms described
here are similar to the Frame Loom in this manual. Those
interested in
constructing it may find the photographs of the looms in
use
very
helpful. A Foot-Powered Pit Loom is
also illustrated. (Available
from The Unicorn)
West, Virginia M.
Finishing Touches for the Handweaver.
Newton, Mass.: Charles
Branford, 1968.
Directions for making fringes and handles
and for Joining woven fabrics
together.
Wigginton, Eliot, ed.
Foxfire 2, Garden City, New
York: Doubleday, 1970.
"From
Raising Sheep to Weaving Cloth" describes the preparation of wool for
spinning, the
spinning of the wool on a wool wheel, and gives plan for
building a skein
winder (vertical), a spool rack, a boat shuttle similar in
design to the one
in this manual, and a warping board.
Photographs and
drawings are of a
foot-powered loom slightly more complex in design than
the
one in this
manual. Brief directions for warping
and weaving may
interest builders
of the foot-powered loom.
Wilson, Jean.
Weaving is Fun. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1971.
Excellent section
on fibres, especially animal sources, and their preparation.
Geared toward
teaching children to weave with Simple looms.
Interesting
section on
basketry.
Wilson, Jean. The
Pile Weaves. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1974.
Detailed
descriptions for making and using twenty-six different pile weaves.
Very useful for
anyone considering making pile rugs.
Worst, Edward. Foot
Treadle Loom Weaving. Mayne Island,
British Colombia, Canada:
Cloudburst Press,
1976.
Collection of
traditional weaves and patterns, many suitable for use with
the Foot-Powered
Loom in this manual.
Zielinski, Stanislaw.
Encyclopedia of Handweaving. New
York: Funck and Wagnalls,
1959. (Soft-bound)
Definitions and
illustrations of the many confusing terms used in describing
weaving.
Znamierowski, Nell.
Step-By-Step Weaving. New
York: Golden Press, 1967.
Very complete
book which includes plan for a frame loom (different in design
from the one in
this manual), directions for warping, planning a fabric,
dyeing yarns and
directions for many types of weaves.
Contains suggested
projects for the
frame loom and for a four-harness, foot-powered loom.
Book Distributors
Most of the books listed, plus a great many more, can be obtained from the following Craft Book Distributors.
Earth Guild, Inc. 15 Tudor Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Catalog $2.00)
The Mannings R. D. 2, East Berlin, Pennsylvania 17316 (Catalog $.50)
The Unicorn Box 645, Rockville, Maryland 20851 (Catalog $.50)
Periodicals
The following periodicals often contain articles of interest to weavers.
The Mother Earth News, P.O. Box 70, Hendersonville, North Carolina 28739 (One year $12.00)
Back issues can be ordered. Articles of interest are listed below.
Lindeman, Joan. "A Very Primitive Loom" Mother Earth News. No. 22, July 1973, p. 49-51.
Describes the construction of a very simple loom, built into the ground, suitable particularly for weaving mats of heavy fibres.
Lichtenstein, Bernie. "We Built A Spinning Wheel for $2.50" Mother Earth News. No. 39, May 1976, p. 106.
Describes construction of a spinning wheel (wool wheel type) using a bicycle wheel. Very rough design, but may get a creative person thinking of other possibilities.
Shuttle, Spindle and Dyepot. Published by the Handweavers Guild of America, Membership includes subscription. 998 Farmington Avenue, West Hartford, Connecticut 06107. ($12.50 in U.S., $12.50 outside)
LENGTH CONVERSION
The chart in Figure 3 is useful for quick conversion from meters and centimeters to feet and inches, or vice versa.
hcax164.gif 
For more accurate results and for distances greater than 3 meters, use either the tables in Figure 2 or the equations.
hca2x163.gif 
The chart in Figure 3 has metric divisions of one centimeter to three meters, and English units in inches and feet to ten feet. It is accurate to about plus or minus one centimeter.
Example:
An example will explain how to use the tables. Suppose you wish to find how many inches are equal to 66cm. On the "Centimeters into Inches" table look down the leftmost column to 60cm and then right to the column headed 6cm. This gives the result, 25.984 inches.
FIGURE 1
Equations: 1 inch = 2.54cm 1 foot = 30.48cm = 0.3048m 1 yard = 91.44cm = 0.9144m 1 mile = 1.607km = 5280 feet 1cm = 0.3937 inches 1m = 39.37 inches = 3.28 feet 1km = 0.62137 miles = 1000 meters
