Then the heddles...
Only two shafts were used as the first project was woven in tabby (plain weave). Odd ends of the warp were then threaded through heddles on one shaft, and even ones through the heddles on the second one.  I found this quite a difficult task using the original string heddles

Crete. Weaving. Loom. Heddles.

All the preparation was very demanding at first.  It does get much easier as personal skill increases, but there is no getting away from the fact that weaving on a Cretan floor loom requires considerable and time consuming preparation to avoid later problems once the actual weaving process has started.  Never shirk or rush the preparation and always buy warp from a professional source - a beam full of dud warp is a definite no no...

...and the reed...
The next step was easier – threading the ends through the reed.  The Cretan reed has been patiently hand made. The horizontal bars are of cane and the dents made by the insertion of very thin pieces of cane pushed through both slots in the bars. String is then wound tightly round the bars and all is secure.


A simple matter now of tying up...  
There was just the simple matter of tying the bundles of warp to the stick on the front beam.  And tying the shafts to the foot pedals. What was not so simple, I found, was getting the tension even.

 

Crete. Weaving. Loom. Attaching warp. Front warp beam.
Crete. Weaving. Loom. Shed.

And then - 'Eureka!'...
Eureka! At last a shed – wide enough for a shuttle loaded with wool to pass through.

And the first weaving began...
Weaving in progress!  Started on 30 March so the setting up had been a long learning process.  The pattern and colours evolved as I went along. It was great to be weaving at last. 		Crete. Weaving. Loom. Woven wall hanging.
Weaving can be enormously satisfying.  The preparation can be long and somewhat arduous for something as large (or larger) than an average floor standing Cretan loom. Starting from scratch with no knowledge of either looms or weaving is something of a long haul, but the rewards are commensurate. Magic!
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