I learned from my last project that the Lion Brand Mandala yarn (this it it in Gnome) is slightly stretching and really pulled the rod you wrap the yarn around toward the heddle on one side. The Kromski came with a “warp helper” to hold it in place but it’s only on one side.

I asked on the rigid heddle group on Facebook and they suggested rubber bands. I had seen this on this post but I didn’t have the issue with the cotton yarn on my first project so I didn’t focus on it. It really was helpful!

This time I made a subtle raised stripe by going through the same slot multiple times and only pulling one strand through the eye (or whatever that is called). It was very easy and I liked the effect. I used most of one cake for the weft and most of a second for the warp.

I did run into trouble with this one when a warp snapped toward the end. It appeared to have a knot in it that unraveled. I think I did notice it when warping but I wasn’t thinking it would make that much of a difference. I was wrong! I think the tension and constant going over it when beating down my rows was too much .

Something I’ve noticed in the rigid heddle and general weaving community is the assumption you have so many other random times hanging about. Giant-sized Kraft paper springs to mind. Virtually no instructions said you needed something between the yarn or why but you do need something.

In this case, when I googled what to do when a warp string breaks, I kept coming across the suggestion to put fishing weights in a old film canister. What?? It’s not the 1990s and I live in a city. I’m not keeping random fishing weights around. I ended up weighing the warp down with a Sugarfina plastic box from candy and coins. It worked fine but I am tempted just to buy the ones I see Ashford selling. Basically you weave in a new piece of warp and then hang it from the back and weight it down so it stays in place.

The directions I found have you anchoring it with T-pins which I also didn’t have on hand and had to order. I think I might write a post about the extras I’ve needed so far. I haven’t even done that much weaving!

The knotted together rope on the apron of the loom from last time’s accident was fine, just a little lumpy in that part for the beginning. Not a huge deal but I’d like to replace it soon, I might ride out to that yarn store that carried some weaving items and see if they carry it.