Meet Mira, Part 2
Today I want to chat with you about this Leclerc Mira II counterbalance loom and why I’ve been enjoying it so much.
So, if you saw in an earlier vlog episode, my husband Dan and I assembled this Mira loom from literally a pile of sticks. It was packaged in 8 different boxes with a shipping weight of around 200 lbs. Now looking back at the process, it wasn’t all that complicated – we basically just tied everything together. Counterbalance looms are designed to break down in a pile of sticks… weaving would be done in the winter season and then put away and stored when the space was needed during another time of year.
So, on this loom here I’m just finishing up the very first weaving project that has gone on this brand new counterbalance loom, and today I want to talk a little bit about what this loom is. What are counterbalance looms, why would you want one, or why would you want to weave on one… so let’s get started!
Watch today’s Taking Back Friday vlog episode as I share more about the counterbalance loom, the oldest type of horizontal floor loom with treadles.
And if you are interested in looms – counterbalance looms, floor looms, any looms – and would like to ask me any questions, I’d love to hear from you! Leave me a comment here… I just want to talk about looms all day long!
In a previous post, I also share information about How to Buy a Weaving Loom from when I had gone through the process of buying this loom.
IN THIS EPISODE
- what I’m wearing: Chauncey designed by Isabell Kraemer. I knit this in SweetGeorgia Tough Love Sock in Marine + a Party of Five mini-skein set in Gemstone. For this sweater, I also used the Chiaogoo Bamboo SPIN knitting needles.
- what I’m talking about today: In today’s vlog episode, I’m excited to talk about counterbalance floor looms and my experience so far weaving on this new Leclerc Mira II loom. I also talk a bit about its difference from other floor looms I have, which are the Schacht Baby Wolf Jack loom and Louet Spring Countermarch loom.
- what I also mention in today’s video: Here are some helpful links to items I mention in today’s vlog:
- Follow along with me and my weaving adventures and handwoven projects at @lomeetsloom.
- In the video, I finish weaving a scarf that is for our upcoming School of SweetGeorgia Handwoven Colour 4: Faux Ikat workshop. The scarf that’s on the loom is 2 skeins of Tough Love Sock in the same colourway as our new Lighthouse Double Sock Yarn Blank. The second scarf I talk about weaving next is using a discontinued colourway of our CashLuxe Fine yarn, Autumn Flame, 1 skein of a dye test, splashy colourway, plus a lovely mohair yarn from Lichen and Lace which I picked up at a previous Knit City.
- want to learn more about weaving? We have many courses for that! There are a number of weaving courses, tutorials and patterns on the School of SweetGeorgia to help you begin your weaving journey. Stay tuned as well for my new Faux Ikat workshop, teaching you how to make a handprinted looking scarf with yarns you already have in your stash!
Hi. Can you do a video for your blog or the SSG about how to warp a counterbalance loom? I learned on a table loom (back to front). I bought a used Fanny and I can’t figure out where to put the raddle to warp it.
Thank you!! Christina
Oh thanks Christina! I have a raddle that goes into the beater (take out the reed and replace it with the raddle) and that’s generally where I put it on the Leclerc Fanny. If it’s a raddle that I made myself with a flat bottom, I can also clamp it to the back beam. On the Louet Spring, they have a built-in raddle on top of the castle, so that is sometimes an option too, depending on your loom. But for the Fanny, I’d check out the Leclerc raddle that fits into the beater: http://www.leclerclooms.com/raddle.htm