365Caws is now in its 14th year of publication, and was originally intended to end after 365 days. It has sometimes been difficult for me to find new material, particularly during the winter months, but now as I enter my own twilight years, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to provide daily posts. It is my hope that along the way I may have inspired someone to a greater curiosity about the natural world. If so, I can rest, content in the knowledge that my work here has been done.
Friday, February 17, 2023
Take A Shuttle
Day 217: A friend recently sent me a meme showing the original Star Trek's Enterprise with the caption, "Warp drive is for distance. Weft drive is for going back & forth. It's good for shuttles." I'd seen it before (several times, actually), but as a weaver, it made me chuckle nevertheless. Small wonder that I'm a huge Star Trek fan! I have enough shuttles to launch a fleet of my own. There are many different types, and some of them are interchangeable depending on the weaver's preference and budget, but others are fairly much dedicated to a specific style of weaving. Rag shuttles are a good example. While they could be used to hold finer threads, they are large enough to accommodate strips of fabric for weaving rugs. Others have a "knife-edge" on one side. These help beat the weft in place when using an inkle or backstrap loom. I tend to prefer stick shuttles for most of my weaving. They're relatively inexpensive and come in a wide range of sizes. The shuttle I use with the bonker loom is the shorty in the middle (wound with blue thread). It is easier than a traditional quill to manipulate and holds more thread. One thing is certain: I'll take a shuttle (or two or three or four) when I'm headed to the Loom Room at warp speed.
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