u/bananasinpajamas49 — reddlx

Finished my first project on a rigid heddle loom

Sooo I went ahead and bought that cricket quartet with stand combo.... And I'm really happy I did! I just have it as a rigid heddle now and want to get more comfortable with that before trying the quartet.

Still need to wet finish these(one warp for two towels) the lighter yarn is Peaches and Cream, the burnt orange is something I found at the thrift store, cotton/bamboo/linen and it's got a little bit of texture. Can't wait to see what they will look like after the wet finish! I'm really hoping the different shrink rates will make for some cool texture on the mixed yarn one.

u/bananasinpajamas49 — 12 hours ago

▲ 3 r/ftm

Review for cotton binders from TGS

Disclaimer: I'm a very small person, 28" ribcage and 32" chest so experiences for larger people or chests may be different.

I got both the standard half tank and racerback half tank in a size small. I knew going in that they would not be a powerful binder, as that's how they are advertised. But, I wanted something comfortable and breathable for summer, as temps regularly reach above 100F and I work outdoors half the time for my job, sometimes needing to bind for 13 hours/day.

Fabric Feel: very soft, feels like a thick cotton T-shirt. They have a band at the bottom to keep it on your body and keeps it from needing to be pulled back down or adjusted throughout the day which I like. The GC2bs always ended up flared and floppy at the bottom of the half tanks.

Fit: VERY comfortable, full coverage with no tissue squeezing out the armpits. I enjoy both the racer back and standard back fits.

Binding ability: I'd say they're like a 3.5 or 4 out of 5 in terms of compression for me. If you have a large chest you need to hide and can't layer up, these may not work for you, but are still something to consider for being comfortable during the winter time when you can wear jackets or flannels. No one should expect a miracle with these though, they are like a heavy duty, full coverage sports bra.

Experience after wearing one at work today: I didn't feel it all day, completely forgot I was wearing it. Even my stretched out GC2bs make me ready to crawl out of my skin by the end of the day.

Overall, I'm happy I bought these! I had a realistic expectation going in(I also bought one of their max compression half tanks for when I need it, knowing that these won't provide that), and honestly they exceeded my expectations.

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u/bananasinpajamas49 — 3 days ago

▲ 27 r/weaving

Survived my first rigid heddle warping.

Wow, that was frustrating, and threading the reed/heddle wasn't even the worst part! I was trying to wind the warp on with the damn paper but it's all not winding evenly on and messing up the warp strings. All the videos I've watched they just roll it in, but my paper wants to be crooked, then I got someone to help me try to hold it in place, it took three tries of winding on till I just said "good enough". It'll be interesting to see how it ends up affecting the tension I guess but these are just going to be cotton hand towels and it's my first project on a RHL. Trying to remind myself to breathe and mistakes are ok, that it's part of learning.

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u/bananasinpajamas49 — 3 days ago

▲ 7 r/weaving

Would I be insane for buying this even though I literally just started weaving?

Edit: Thank you all for your honest opinions! You've given me a lot to think about!

This is the only loom within 70 miles of me and I'd have to drive a couple hours to pick it up. I do like the idea of it having a stand so I could either stand, use a stool, or take it off and weave in bed. And then once I'm ready for more advanced designs I could use the quartet.

The frame loom I recently got needs some modification because it's "adjustable" and the top warp bar slides down when I'm warping even if I crank the wing nuts as hard as I can. I won't be able to use it until I buy some nuts and bolts to keep the top bar from migrating down. The heddle bar also doesn't give much shed room for putting my shuttle stick through. And honestly I want to make scarves and towels more than tapestries anyway.

Any opinions on the brand? Do you guys think I should say screw it and go for it? Or just start with just a plain rigid heddle loom and collect the other pieces I'll need over time?

I've seen other posts about buying looms and people say to look into finding a weaving guild, they may have some to rent or try out, and I found one that is an hour away. They have a meeting tomorrow but unfortunately I'll be getting my car fixed during that time.

u/bananasinpajamas49 — 12 days ago

▲ 1 r/DiagnoseMe

BCC, acne scar, or something else?

34 years old, I think I've had this about 2 years? When I first noticed it I thought it was a pimple and popped it, it bled. Never really went away, seems like there's still fluid in it. Sometimes it itches and it smells like sebum when I scratch it. Sometimes it will hurt only enough to remind me it's there but most of the time I forget it's there, can't even see it in the mirror.

I know I should get it checked out by a dermatologist but I'm in the process of getting insurance and then actually getting seen will probably take a long time. Just would like some outside opinions.

For some family history my grandpa died from melanoma spreading to his brain, and my dad has had skin cancer(not melanoma) spots removed before but I haven't talked to him in over 5 years so I don't know if he's had more and I can't ask him.

u/bananasinpajamas49 — 14 days ago

▲ 5 r/weaving

Warp closer in the middle, then gets further apart on the edges

Just a sample swatch for my second piece and practiced Damascus edge since I messed it up on my first piece. This was done on a frame loom and I was doing a test piece for making wash cloths in the future. The yarn is just some stuff I picked up at the thrift store, similar to the Peaches & Cream Worsted 100% cotton yarn except on a big spool, didn't come with a label.

I got about an inch in and noticed my inner warps were getting closer together and my outer warps were getting further apart. Is this an issue with my beating or uneven tension when I warped my loom? I'm leaning towards the warp being an issue, I do find it hard to get an even tension, especially with this yarn that's a bit thicker than normal warping thread. I first started beating with an extra shuttle stick through the shed then switched to the comb once I noticed the warp issue.

I'm still going to throw it in the wash and see how it comes out- for science! 😂

u/bananasinpajamas49 — 15 days ago

▲ 85 r/weaving

Went down the weaving rabbit hole on YouTube one night and became obsessed. A few days later I bought a cheap but still somewhat large frame loom from Amazon because I didn't want to spend a lot if I didn't end up liking it.

It's about 6 1/2" w x 5 1/2" l. Just need to do twining at the top and then take it off, then try the full Damascus edges with a little fringe so I can start some washcloths with cotton yarn I found at the thrift store but I'm scared it's going to fall apart when I do. 😂

Single warp for simplicity, it did come with a heddle but it seems like it's better for double warping. Weft yarn is a 4, acrylic wool blend

I'm calling everything I do "experiments" instead of "projects" so I don't get too attached to the outcome and get overwhelmed or disappointed then abandon weaving. So far I'm really enjoying the process!

u/bananasinpajamas49 — 19 days ago