Tightening Loose Threads

In a comment on yesterday's post, Diane asked, "How do you tighten individual loose threads? I'm looking to avoid untying the entire bout. Do you wrap it around that pin?"

I agree - when lashing on, untying an entire bout means undoing the lashing cord back to that bout, which takes an inordinate amount of time. I much prefer to apply discipline to individual threads!

If I've only woven a few picks, I wrap the loose thread 5 or 6 times around a pin and secure the pin weftwise in the web. If I've woven several inches, and if I can trace the loose thread back to the lashing-on knot, all I need to do is pull the thread back toward the knot until it's the same tension as its neighbors. The woven web usually keeps it from sliding in the reverse direction.

I keep a tiny crochet hook (the size used for really fine crochet lace, inherited from my grandmother) near the loom to make it easier to pick one thread out of a bout at a time and tighten it. I'll try to remember to post a photo of it - another of those handy tools "adopted" into my weaving tool-kit.

When a tension problem happens in the middle of a piece - for instance, because a hook begins to misbehave and that thread doesn't take up at the same rate as its neighbors - I'll just tighten the thread right there in the middle, and after the cloth comes off the loom I pull the loop to the back of the cloth. If the hook errors show on the face of the cloth, I repair them with needle and thread.

Funny how "weaving" includes so many tasks that don't involve a shuttle!

P.S. Here's a photo, with my fingers in the shot to show scale. The hook is less than 4 inches long. On one side it says "Empress" and on the other either 6 or 9, but I've no idea what size numbering scale is used on crochet hooks this small! It's perfect for my task, in any case.