Beka Inkle loom - Manual

Front
Fabric
Weft
Tension Bar
Heddle Bar
Top Bar
Heddle Loops
Warp
Bottom Layer
Instructions for the Beka Inkle Loom
Your Beka Inkle Loom comes to you assembled and ready for use. Before warping the loom, you must select
your yarn. The warp threads you choose will create your pattern. In a traditional inkle project, you will not
see your weft thread in the finished fabric.
Begin by making enough heddles to accommodate one of the two sheds used in inkle weaving (half the total
number of warp threads). Use the heddle bar and top bar to measure your double heddle loops. Tie a firm cot-
ton yarn, such as crochet cotton, in loops around the two pegs to make the heddles. Tie these, and all threads,
with square knots.
Now place the tension bar about an inch from the front of its slot and tighten it. You are now ready to warp the
loom. First tie the end of your warp thread in a temporary slip knot around the front peg. Wind this thread
around the loom, using the appropriate pegs for the length of the fabric you wish to make. The path pictured is
that taken for the longest band done on this loom.
The first thread you “wind on” goes under the top bar. When you wind around the pegs and return to the start-
ing point, untie the beginning slip knot. Tie the end thread to the second thread. Use a square knot to prevent
the threads from sliding apart. Continue to wind the thread around the pegs following the same path except
that this time you go over the top bar. This second thread, and every other even numbered one (2, 4, 6, 8…),
has a heddle over it. As you wind the thread onto the loom, attach the heddles by slipping one end of your
heddle loop onto the heddle bar, folding the heddle over the proper thread, and slipping the other end over the
heddle bar. This gives you a sling that holds each even warp thread, and thus, separates the warp into two sets
for weaving. Proceed to warp the loom, placing a heddle over alternating threads which go over the top bar,
and not putting a heddle on the ones that go under the top bar. Make sure that the knots on the heddle loops
themselves are positioned under the heddle bar (Fig. A in the photo).
When you change colors, tie each new thread to the previous one. Your aim is to have a continuous warp, so
never tie a thread to a peg. Continue the warping process until you have wound on the number of desired
threads, in your chosen color pattern. When you reach the end of your warp, use another square knot to tie it to
the previous thread.
Now you are ready to weave. Adjust the tension by moving the tension bar to a position which gives you a
good tight warp but does not stretch the thread. Weave as you would weave a tabby, by alternating the two
sheds. Raise or lower the set of threads not in heddles by lifting or pressing down with your hand on the
threads in the space behind the heddle bar. As you weave, pull each weft thread firmly straight across the warp
until all of the warp threads touch each other. Then beat the weft into place with your shuttle, and repeat the
process in the next shed. (For a tighter fabric, change sheds before beating the weft yarn into place.)
After you have woven a comfortable distance, you will want to advance the warp. To do this, loosen the ten-
sion bar and tip the loom onto its side. Grip the weaving with your left hand, and grip the bottom layer of warp
with your right hand. Pull toward yourself with your left hand and push away from yourself with your right
hand. Continue this until have you moved the warp the desired distance. You may need to stop during this
procedure to push the heddles back, to better allow for the warp to move through them. When you are finished
moving the warp, re-tighten the tension bar in the position which gives you a good weaving tension. You can
then continue to weave until you need to advance the warp again.
When you have woven all that you can, or all that you desire, simply loosen the tension bar and remove your
band by sliding it off the pegs. Cut the remaining warp threads and tie them in sets against the woven area to
finish your band, or just weave the weft yarn back through the next to last weft shot position. You can then
use your band as a belt, sash or decorative trim in a variety of items.
Beka, Inc., 542 Selby Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55102 USA
Phone (651)222-7005 Customer Service 1-888-999-2352 Fax (651)222-3965
Email: [email protected] Web: www.bekainc.com
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