Warping the inkle loom

Did I tell you about the new loom I got for Christmas?  I think I did. We scored a deal at the local thrift store and got a Nilus Leclerc inkle loom from the early 70s.  It's in perfect shape.  Last night I got out some yarns I'd had for a long time to practice on the new loom. It came with the original instruction book and also an Inkle Weaving book.
First you have to make the heddles.

I used some big size crochet cotten I had in my stash and made 50 heddles.  You only have to do this part once unless you are needing more heddles for a bigger project.  Here's the heddles made on the loom because they need to be all the same size.  Square knots are essential or it will pull out when you put pressure on it.

Then the heddles are attached to a slit peg and you can start warping.  I'm doing the first simple project in the book.  A three color belt.

You just wind the yarn around however many pegs to get the length you want.  You alternate round, one without going through the heddle, next one through the heddle.

Then I was set to weave.  You just open the shed with your hand and use the shuttle to beat.  Here's a good source for terms you don't know (for me that's a lot). Weaving glossary

Thoughts on this weaving.
The black yarn is just slightly thinner than the other colors and so I'm getting a fatter weave down the middle and the edges are too loose.
I'm not very good with making the edges even.  Practice, practice.
The yarn itself is not as strong as I'd like so I'm being very careful with this.
The weaving goes pretty fast and that's fun.
The loom is tall enough that I'm not having to bend too much at the waist to weave.  This is an issue because my muscle core is very weak and I can't tolerate bending too much now.
I like doing this.  I tend to be a process person so I like the handling of the yarn and the process of weaving.  I'm the same with knitting and spinning.  I like the making of the yarn and the knitting process.  Once I'm done, I usually give things away and am not too attached to the finished product.  That must be why I don't have a lot of the things I've made.  Mostly socks I've knit.
Well, that's it for today.  This weekend I will have some time to work on this more.
Happy weekend!

Almost a year has passed.  Wow, time goes fast.  I'm thinking that this blog will be some of my musings as well and I hope to see my writing get better.  Join me!

Musings first.  I recently posted on another forum some of my resolutions for 2019.  While I wont get into my health issues right now, I will copy this part.

Start working towards your dreams, even if you can only do it a little at a time.  I've spent too much of my life waiting for things to happen or finish happening so I can get on with things.  There is never going to be the right time.  You can't let life just happen to you. 

This has been a huge thing it's taken me ages to learn.  I hope it will encourage you as well.


I have lots of ideas percolating in my head right now but I've been trying to finish things so I don't feel too guilty about starting new things.  Right now I've been knitting and doing embroidery but I want to do more spinning and weaving.  I'll introduce you to some of my current projects in the next few blog posts and slowly let you in on some of my ideas. 
This is my latest new thing.

A Nilus Leclerc inkle loom.  The instruction book is dated 1971.  I can't wait to get started and I hope to get working on it tomorrow.  I have some ideas about what to do with the product of this loom. Wish me luck!