Second Time Around

Pinch me...

I want to make sure this isn't some wonderful reality.  

~ Bauvard

So, I FINALLY finished my overdue report for work and have started preparing my loom for the next set of rag rugs!  

This is now my second time following the process explained in my Etsy class and, I am happy to say that, so far at least, it is going better than the first time.

Here I have done a "rough sley" - where I divide my 240 lengths of thread into groups of approximately equal size and spread them out along approximately the width of the final rugs:

Here I've pulled the rod to the back of the loom, in preparation for the two-person job of wrapping the back beam:

Notice the relatively untangled lengths of yarn.  :)

Finally, a shot taken in the middle of the process of wrapping the back beam - notice my helper back there, smiling at me.  ;)

I'm holding the 10 yard lengths of 240 yarns in my hands (in two groups) - keeping them under tension - as he turns a crank that wraps them onto that back beam.  Again - notice how the threads are all relatively untangled and actually behaving relatively well!  I am so happy!  :)

I also studied the first set of rugs and identified some things I am going to do differently this time.  The main thing is that I didn't have any fixed length for the rugs - I just used all of the recycled t-shirt yarn of each color - however long (or short) that made each rug.  

Well, when I looked at the rugs I realized that the lengths were not all attractive.  The width to length proportions were odd on some of them.  :(

So, this time I am going to make each stripe 12 inches long - so that each rug is 36 inches long - even if that doesn't use up all of the t-shirt yarn.  That proportion looked pretty good.  :)

I should be able to finish preparing the loom this weekend - hopefully I'll even be able to start weaving!  The weaving itself goes fast!  This year may be a first - I may actually finish my Christmas gifts BEFORE Christmas!  Pinch me!  ;)