Weavers often need to move heddles from one shaft to another, or add new heddles for a pattern, or remove heddles to make more space. After you add or remove heddles, evenly distribute the heddles across the shaft.
- It's important to have enough heddles for your weaving pattern before you start warping the loom—it's much easier to add heddles after you've removed the shaft from the loom, and once you start warping, you can't remove the shaft. If your pattern doesn't list the number of heddles needed per shaft, you can calculate from the weaving draft.
- It's also important not to have too many heddles on a shaft, because they take up space on the heddle bars. If you want to use the full weaving width of your loom, and there are more than 50 extra heddles on a shaft, you might want to remove heddles that you don't need for your pattern.
What you'll need:
- heddles*
- strong cord or twine and a tapestry needle to secure heddle bundles
- the assembly manual for your loom—view or download from its page on this website
*We sell two kinds of heddles for our shaft looms: Texsolv heddles (in different sizes) made of braided cord and inserted eye heddles made of metal. Both kinds are sold in packs of 100. We recommend different heddles for different looms—see the description on the heddles page so you buy the correct size or type for your loom.
Simple Steps
(For more information, see the detailed steps below.)
- Work with one shaft at a time: remove it from the loom and lay it flat.
- Make a bundle of the heddles you want to move OR divide a new pack of heddles into smaller bundles.
- Secure the heddle bundle with cords. Make sure the bundle is secure—moving heddles one at a time is not fun (to put it mildly).
- Release the heddle bars from the shaft (or access the heddle rods on the Cricket Quartet).
- Slide the old heddle bundle off the heddle bars OR slide a new bundle onto the heddle bars. Check carefully to make sure the bars go through all heddles in the bundle!
- Reinstall the heddle bars in the shaft—making sure they're secure—then cut cords around the heddle bundle.
- Put the shaft back in the loom.
Repeat these steps for each shaft.
Videos
For inserted eye heddles, start at chapter 6, Installing the Hetals (sorry about the typo)
For Texsolv heddles, start at chapter 2, Assembling the Shafts.
Detailed Steps
1. Work with one shaft at a time. Remove the shaft from the unwarped loom (see the assembly manual for your loom) and place it flat on a work surface. For original Wolf Pup or Wolf Pup LT, prop up the shaft with a block—these shafts shouldn't be removed from the loom.
2. Bunch the heddles you want to move into a bundle, so you can secure them.
If the shaft has a lever cord around the upper heddle bar/rod, remove it now (Cricket Quartet and Schacht Table Loom).
If the shaft has heddle bar hooks (25" Schacht Table Loom, Baby Wolf, Mighty Wolf, Standard Floor Loom), release the heddle bars from the hooks. Push up on the slide look and pop the bar out of the hook.
3. Secure heddles that you're moving or removing on a cord. If they aren't secured, and an accident happens while you're trying to move them, you'll have to thread them one at a time. Weavers consider this scenario the worst nightmare ever. Take a few minutes to secure your heddles, and tie a tight knot in the cord, to avoid mishaps.
For inserted eye heddles, bunch together all the heddles you're moving. Cut a 30" length of strong cord (3/2 perle cotton, twine) and thread it through a tapestry needle. Run the cord through the tops and bottoms in one big loop, the way new heddles are secured. Or make separate loops for the tops and bottoms, as shown in the diagram.
If you want to divide a new pack of 100 heddles, count out the heddles in smaller bundles. Secure each bundle separately before you cut the cord on the whole pack.
For Texsolv heddles, bunch together all the heddles you're moving. Cut 4 lengths of cord, then tie each cord through the bundle above and below eye, where the heddle bars will go.
If you want to divide a new pack of 100 heddles, count out the heddles in smaller bundles. Secure each bundle separately, in 4 places, before you cut the loops and remove the twist ties on the whole pack.
3. Access the heddle bars.
Cricket Quartet: Remove the free side of the shaft (the dimpled side).
Wolf looms, Standard Floor Loom, Schacht Table Loom: Gently bend the heddle bar until it pops out of the slot in the side. You can remove just one end of each bar, or you can fully remove both heddle bars and set them a work surface.
4. Remove the bundle of old heddles or add the bundle of new heddles—slide the ends of the heddle bars/rods through the bundle. When you're adding a new bundle, check that the bars go through all heddles in the bundle.
6. Secure the heddle bars in the shaft. Check one more time—make sure the heddle bars are secure—and carefully remove the cords around the heddle bundle.
Cricket Quartet: Reattach the free side to the shaft, pressing it firmly onto the heddle rods.
Wolf looms, Standard Floor Loom, Schacht Table Loom: Gently bend each heddle bar until it pops into the slot in the side. If the shaft has heddle bar hooks, move the heddle bundles wherever you want them on the heddle bars. Reattach the heddle bars into the heddle bar hooks.
7. Reinstall the shaft in the loom.