Woven On The Bonker Loom

Day 3: Since the acquisition of that lethal-looking implement in the foreground, the Glimakra band loom has earned a new name: the "bonker loom." The band knife is actually blunt-edged, although it has a point you wouldn't want to feel at the small of your back. It is used to beat the weft in place, a process which, in this particular type of weaving, is done with some force. While I was teaching myself the rhythm of the weave as I made these three bands, I kept repeating to myself, "Pass, treadle, bonk...pass, treadle, bonk," referring to the three steps involved. The shuttle is passed through the shed, then any slack is drawn out when the shed is changed and opened, and the throw just made is beaten ("bonked") against the fell with the knife. The left hand controls the shuttle, the right wields the band knife. The treadles, of course, are run by the feet. I must say I find something eminently satisfying about that "bonk," especially since I have been rather peeved at the world of late, and if some of the warp floats seem a bit tighter than others, it may be due to the level of frustration I was experiencing at the moment. It's amazing how therapeutic weaving can be.