Flow

 

I listen to music when I work in the studio.  For weaving, I have headphones that do two things - block out the loud bang of the solenoids, and provide music.  The type of music is eclectic, shall I say?  But mostly I enjoy rock and roll, although not exclusively.

When I'm beaming or threading, I tend to listen to instrumental so that I don't get carried away, singing along (in my head).  But when I'm actually weaving, pretty much anything goes.

I have a rather large collection of CDs, ones I bought, then more that I inherited from my brother which doubled my options.  Recently someone gave me a whole bunch of their CDs because they weren't listening to them anymore, which really expanded my listening options.

It was interesting to note that my brother and I had very similar tastes in music, but only two CDs were duplicates.  The same happened when I got the box of CDs from my friend - another selection of titles I didn't already have except for the two duplicates.

I have a couple of boomboxes, and buy the ones that do both CDs and cassette tapes because I use the tapes to time how long my weaving session is.  Generally I weave for 45 minutes, then when the music stops, I stop and take a break.

This morning I grabbed a random tape (I rarely write on the tape which CD I taped on it) and listened to Billie Holliday in the morning, then Sade in the afternoon.

When Smooth Operator came on I suddenly snapped back into awareness (weaving is a working meditation for me and I'm only half 'here', if you understand what I'm saying).  As the music played and I wove, I realized I was in sync with the music experiencing that flow consciously instead of sub-consciously.  

This warp was a bit of a bother to get set up (see previous blog post) but once it was finally ready, it appears to be behaving nicely and I've been really enjoying the motions, the rhythm, and the flow of it all.

The fine linen is looking 'balanced' and the web in the loom looks promising.  But mostly the linen, well steeped in humidors, is being co-operative.

It's really nice to just sit down and get into the rhythm and watch the picks flow by.

When You Know, You Know

 

I'm preparing to write an article for School of Sweet Georgia, and I needed to show what happens when things go 'wrong'.  

The problem is, I'm so trained to do it 'right', I had a really hard time weaving the way a newer weaver might do it and create the 'wrong' effect so that people could see how it looked 'wrong'.

But I think, as a teacher, it is a good idea to show the unwanted results to show that *I* know what a newer weaver is experiencing.

Because so many things in weaving are 'it depends' and 'change one thing' considerations.

But I have to tell you, my entire body was screaming at me the whole time with the alarms clanging (wrong, wrong, wrong)!

The section with the selvedge loops was especially difficult to weave because every pick I had to stop and prevent the weft from seating itself 'properly' around the selvedge ends, which meant it was very slow and very irritating (to me) to do.  And why *that* section is so small - it was all I could stand to do.  It was SO inefficient!  Completely 'ruined' my weaving rhythm, slowing me down enormously.

Once you have it 'right', doing it 'wrong' feels bad.

There is another effect that is more subtle and doesn't really show well on this particular sample, and that is the warp begins to look different at the selvedge.  The ratio of warp to weft changes with the 'extra' draw in at the selvedge and the cloth can begin to have a 'taped' appearance, as some of the older weavers used to say.  In the purple area of the sample you might be able to see that the blue warp begins to look more blue just at the selvedge, especially on the face where the weft is more prominent.

While it was in the loom the distortion wasn't very obvious, but once it was cut off the loom the whole thing curved - the 'fell' had a very distinct 'smile' to it.  However, that did resolve after wet finishing.  It might not have, if the web had been larger.

So, better to practice doing it 'right'.  Attune yourself to getting an appropriate amount of tension on the warp, learning how to advance the fell and re-tension (and *don't* weave right up to the beater - I talk about these things in more detail in Stories from the Matrix), and become proficient in throwing and catching the shuttle.  It's well worth it, IMHO.

Painful

 

Minimum input, maximum output.  

Coming to weaving with a background in movement (ballet, hap ki do, aerobics, track and field, etc.) weaving became an exercise in figuring how to do it with the least possible wear and tear on my body.

Over the years I fine tuned my movements, checked with professionals (physio, massage, dance instructors, etc.) to make sure I wasn't inadvertently causing myself an injury.  And then I began including ergonomic hints and tips during workshops when I would see people doing things that would lead to injury if continued over time.

I also listened to people talking at conferences.  Like the person who was about 20 years older than me, explaining that she had been on a tight deadline and had woven for hours and hours to get her project done in time and caused so much damage to her feet that she hadn't been able to walk properly for 6 weeks (never mind weave).  Carpal tunnel surgeries were another risk factor.  

When I hosted a well known weaver during her tour around BC I explained I had an early morning physio appointment and showed her the coffee and told her to make herself at home.  She asked if I had a bad back and I said yes.  She said every weaver has a bad back.

Given I was young (at the time) and wanted to weave for many more years, I began to really study ergonomics related to weaving in a more serious manner.

But not everyone wants my input on what they are doing.  There are times when my suggestions, such as sitting on a taller bench/stool, or encouraging people to thread/sley the way I do now (thanks to Norman Kennedy's workshop, and watching Syne Mitchell sley - which she learned from Peggy Ostercamp), or suggesting that people wear some kind of footwear, especially if they weave on a loom that requires a larger foot/pound pressure than a Scandinavian style loom, some people shrug and continue to do what they have always been doing.  "I learned to do it this way" they will sometimes say. 

Well, so did I, but I learned a way that was easier on the body and took the time to learn how to do it that way.

Not only it is friendlier to the body, but it's more efficient.  And I can do more with less effort.  Seems like a win-win to me, and well worth the awkward slippery slope at the bottom of the learning curve.

Now we have the internet and sites like Facebook and I see photos of weavers sitting at their looms.  And all too frequently I cringe.

Poor posture seems to be a continuous problem.  Backs curved, sitting on the coccyx instead of the sitz bone, shoulders hiked up around their ears, holding the shuttle overhand, thumb pointing downwards - the accepted symbol for 'bad'.  One weaver didn't seem able to throw their shuttle and it was entering the shed every which way, including upside down on one toss.

I asked if she would like to see how I threw the shuttle, explained what I was doing and why.  As I walked away I heard her grumble that she didn't know there was a 'right' way to hold the shuttle.

Eventually I stopped commenting on people's photos, or offering to demonstrate - unless I was being paid to do so.  Free advice is worth what you pay for it, right?

So I document what I do in The Intentional Weaver, which I hope will be around for a while so that newer weavers can find the information.  

The weaver who commented that 'all weavers have bad backs' is now in the weaving studio in the sky, along with many others.  Norman Kennedy is still around, but not teaching weaving much, as I understand it.  However his students continue to share the information (I count myself among them, even if it was only that one workshop I took with him).  Peggy Ostercamp has her series of books with all sorts of great hints, tips and information.

And I guess I will keep banging the drum for as long as I can.

If something you are doing hurts, stop doing it.  If you can't figure out a way to do it that doesn't hurt, then only do it *until* you hurt, don't push until that hurt turns into injury.  Much better to prevent injury than heal from it.

Just saying...

Instant Gratification

 

Warp #18

Warp #19

NA society (maybe more than that but since I live in NA it's my point of reference) seems to have been duped into expecting instant results.  Many of us are no longer willing to invest in the time, effort and, yes, money, to learn a craft.

People take one class (of whatever) and assume they will make 'perfect' things immediately.  The term 'labour intensive' has taken on a negative connotation, as if taking the time to learn, then craft things from raw materials, is somehow demeaning.  Or, 'too hard', or 'takes too long, I don't have the patience'.

And then, when the student messes up, they throw their efforts away, declare that they just don't have the talent, and move on to the next 'instant' bit of gratification.

(Not all, of course not.)

Over the decades I have been a weaver there has been a pretty constant litany of 'oh you are so patient, I could never do *that*'.  Or the more subtle 'oh, are you still weaving?' as if they can't imagine that there is something beyond the simple 'making' involved in my interest in continuing to learn about and explore the possibilities. (I write about this in A Thread Runs Through It.)

I'm wrapping up the shifted twill blocks series I have been doing for over a year.  Not that there isn't more I could do, but I'm getting restless and feeling the pressure to make other things, use up different bits of my stash.

Yesterday I cut off the rest of the warp from warp #19 and began beaming #20.  There will be one more warp after the one going into the loom now - to use up as much of the blues as I can.  And then I will switch my approach and go 'back' to using 'fancy' twills.

I'm looking forward to weaving with the very fine singles linen, and who knows, I may purchase more of that yarn in the future.  

But I still have way too much rayon in my stash, and zero shawls in inventory.  So I will be scheduling some shawl warps this year.

Part of the reason I've dragged my feet doing more shawls is that I will be fringe twisting them, and that isn't a job I particularly enjoy doing.

Mostly I've been working with finer yarns, but in digging through my stash I 'found' some thicker linen yarns.  So I've pulled some 2/8 cotton and will do a warp for tea towels using the 2/8 for warp and the thicker linen and some blends for weft (hemp/cotton, for example) and see how much of those I can get used up.  I'm looking forward to something that will go a little faster than the finer threads I have been working with.

But here's the thing.  While you *can* make thin fabric from thick yarns, it's not easy.  In order to get the quality of cloth I want, my preference is to use thinner yarns.  If you make tea towels from 4/8 cotton, you are going to wind up with really thick fabric.  The fabric won't fit easily into small spaces (small glasses, corners) and generally the cloth won't be quite as absorbent as a thinner fabric made with thinner yarn.

People tell me they love my tea towels 'because they work'.  Well, that's the whole point.  I want the cloth I create to do the job they were intended to do.

When weaving with 2/16 cotton for warp, the density is between 32 and 36 epi and the ppi is about the same.  When weaving with 2/8 cotton for warp, the density is between 20 and 24 for warp.

It takes longer to thread, sley and then weave the finer cloth.  

I do it because I want *that* quality of cloth.  It takes the time it takes to make it.  Granted I'm pretty fast, but it still takes time.  

I use weaving as a working meditation.  As an aerobic activity.  One that helps my body because aerobic activity generates endorphins.  Being at the loom is supposed to be my happy place.  When I'm weaving I block out what is happening in the broken world we live in and I focus on being in the here and now.  I may think about the next warp and let myself poke at the idea, testing it to see if it will produce the quality of cloth I want.  But at that point, it's still just a mind exercise.  It isn't until I get the warp into the loom and then wet finish the results, that I will know if I have thought through the design process enough in order to achieve the quality of cloth that I want.

There is nothing 'instant' about weaving.  If you want thinner cloth, you might accept that you need to spend more time on the warp set up (32 epi instead of 12 or 15, ditto weft).  Using 4/8 cotton for baby blankets or placemats/table runners is a good choice (imho), but not particularly good for tea towels.

But you get to choose.  Maybe spend a little more time in the making and wind up with the quality of cloth you want/need.  

Hone your skills so that it doesn't take days and days to get your loom set up.  Practice efficient techniques so that you don't spend days crouched up trying to thread your warp.  Be willing to spend some time becoming skilled.  (Plenty of hits and tips about working more ergonomically in The Intentional Weaver - or here on this blog for free - although you might have to dig a little harder to find it.  Or take the classes at School of Sweet Georgia or Handwoven...)

Save 'instant' gratification for other things.  There is a enormous satisfaction for taking a deep dive into something, learn the ins and outs, develop skill.  It's also good for your health - both physical and mental - as long as you work ergonomically.

Just saying...

Influence

 

shuttle held 'under' hand

A while ago someone contacted me indicating that since I was an 'influencer' they would like to give me the opportunity to present their products to my 'base' - for payment.

I declined.

This summer I was contacted by someone who wanted me to arrange for them to post content to someone else's blog.  Yes, I knew that person, but I have NO control over what they post on their blog!  They were persistent enough I blocked them.

Earlier this month that same person contacted a friend of mine (how they got my friend's contact info I have ZERO idea) asking them to arrange to get their product mentioned on MY blog.  (!)

First of all, I'm not an influencer.  I don't have thousands of people who follow my blog, and even if I did, I would not be hawking someone else's MLM products on MY blog.  I don't really care how much they are willing to pay me.

If I were an influencer, the entire weaving community would be sitting at their loom ergonomically, holding their shuttle 'under' hand, and wet finishing their textiles.

But they aren't.

I can't even get the entire weaving community to accept the term 'wet finishing' to apply to the process the web goes through the first time it hits the water.  

The weaving community is small, and it doesn't take long for the opinions of one person to percolate down to another.  So it was with a conversation on social media where a 'name' person was asked about the term 'wet finishing', and what was that all about anyway?  

The answer?  The 'name' person mused that they thought it was pretentious.

So, ok, I'll own that.  I'm pretentious.

I'm an advocate for people to understand what wet finishing *is*, why it is necessary, and how to do it.

Do I care that some people consider me 'pretentious' for using the term, for advocating for people to recognize that the process isn't just 'washing' it?  Nope.  Obviously *they* aren't going to be swayed by my opinion.

But neither am I going to be swayed by theirs!

Ditto weavers being aware of working ergonomically.  I've had people flat out tell me that the way they hold the shuttle hasn't injured them.  But here's the thing.  Some people DO get injured, and for them, it matters how they hold the shuttle, how they sit at the loom, that their bench is too low and invites lower back pain.

I hope the nay-sayers appreciate that they have healthy bodies because people like me?  Don't.

I am currently dealing with back issues, not particularly caused by weaving, but by injury.  They are interfering in my ability to weave, and I am hoping the new meds and injection will allow me to keep weaving for a few more years.

But I am firmly of the opinion that had I *not* been weaving ergonomically I would have run into injury long before 40+ years of weaving.

So I will say it again.  It isn't finished until it's wet finished.  If you feel pain while weaving, stop.  Rest.  Stretch.  Do something else that requires different muscles.  Analyze your process, check the bench height, make sure you are sitting hips higher than knees, back straight, up on your sitz bones, not on your coccyx (if you can, not everyone can do a pelvic tilt), and hold your shuttle 'under' hand.  Make your motions small, not large, reduce the wear and tear on your muscles, and if you feel pain...stop.

I will bang these drums, pretentiously, for as long as I can...

Stay safe, healthy and well so you can keep weaving for as long as you want to do so.

Magic in the Water, The Intentional Weaver and Stories from the Matrix  all available here  

Classes online at School of Sweet Georgia and Handwoven

Labour Day

 

anatomy

I confess that over the years I have learned way more about my body's anatomy than I ever expected.

But working at a labour intensive job that required the consistent use (overuse?) of groups of muscles meant that over time those muscles became weary.  I did the best I could to take care of my body, but I arrived at the loom bench with pre-existing injuries, and at times those injured muscles simply gave up and then I would have to rest.  Or at least dial back on the labour I was doing.

A number of health care therapists have commented that I have excellent proprioception - that is, an acute awareness of my body in space and in relation to my tools.  With my history of injury recovery, I became ever more of an advocate for weavers to use ergonomic processes, equipment and techniques.

At times I offended people.  They bristled at being told they were 'wrong'.  One weaver who didn't seem to know that their shuttle had a 'right' side (as in not on it's back or even upside down) grumbled that they didn't know there *was* a right side to their shuttle.

As if it were the shuttle's fault and not their own for not realizing that perhaps what they were doing wasn't 'best' practice.  Instead of them using 'bad' technique, I guess it was a poorly designed shuttle.  Or something.

But they were sitting 'poorly' as well and between sitting low enough to invite injury to their back, and then fumbling with the shuttle not gliding through the shed (because it wasn't on its nice smooth bottom) I felt I could not stand by and watch.  So I said something.

After a number of negative interactions with some weavers I backed off from voluntarily 'helping' with suggestions.  At times people would flat out argue with me saying that what I was proposing was pointless, that what *they* were doing wasn't hurting *them*, ergo, it wasn't going to hurt anyone else.

All I can think of when I hear that response is to think how lucky they are to NOT have issues with inflammation and/or injuries.  Yet.

Even with all my studies into working at the loom and in the studio ergonomically, I could not prevent injury.  Not from weaving, but from falling.  And two whiplash injuries from MVAs.

And now, here I am, having woven for nearly 50 years, dealing with a crumbling body.  The weaving hasn't helped, of course not.  But the injuries sustained throughout my life make the likelihood of further injury *from* weaving higher.

And so, I have to dial back what I'm doing.  I am now down to two 30 minute sessions a day as I recover from a massive muscle spasm in my lower back.  At this point I have no idea if I can increase that or if this will become my new 'normal'.

However, I have a new doctor - a pain specialist.  He has an idea he wants to confirm, so I will be getting a diagnostic injection into the SI joint on Wednesday.  If there is an injury to that joint, there is a way forward.  That doesn't mean I don't still have a bulging disc, but if there is further injury to the SI joint, that could explain the levels of pain I have been living with.  And perhaps the possibility of not one but *two* injuries means that *both* need to be treated before I can have less pain.

At this point I don't know exactly what will happen if that is the case, but perhaps, just perhaps, I can have less pain in my life.  And who knows, I may be able to go back to two 60 minute sessions a day?

Or I will have to accept and get comfortable with a new 'normal' of doing much less than I would like to do.

Acceptance is not giving up.  It is taking a rational look at what my situation is, what I can safely do - or not - and working within those boundaries.  Then working towards healing as much as I can, maintaining some sort of creative activity every day.  Perhaps more writing?  Perhaps switching to crafts that require less physical effort - line spinning, knitting or bobbin lace.  TBD.

What I will not do is give up.  Because my stash isn't going to weave itself!

Wrestling with Decisions

 

I spend a fair bit of time wrestling with decisions, of one sort or another.  Once I have thought things through, I then make a plan and march forward.

Turns out, Life frequently has Other Plans.

Over the winter I wrestle with deciding what I should do for the coming year, winter being the usual time I think about the future.

Having lived a reasonably long life, I have realities that I must face and deal with - like a body that is slowly breaking down.

But I also still have dreams - things I want to do, things I want to make, things I want to promote.  And so on.

What I am wrestling with now is the reality of this breaking down body and what I might actually, physically, be able to do over the coming months and - hopefully - years.

Reality bites, as they say.

I had really hoped (really hard) that the last injection (one week ago now) would bring me back to a more functional body.  A less pain filled body.  But the injections are not a guarantee, and so it appears to not be - so far, at least.  Plus eventually even the temporary relief the injections provide will stop being any kind of effective.  However, it is less than before and I am able to function without the heavy duty pain killers and that alone is worth the trip to Vancouver to get the jab.

My course forward is to delay the deterioration as much as possible.  But my desire to prevent further degradation of my damaged disc and my desire to Get Stuff Done are at odds with each other.

In many ways the only reason I am still able to weave is because I spent so many years weaving ergonomically.

So when I see yet another photo online of someone weaving on a loom, sitting too low (no it really is NOT a good idea to sit on an ordinary chair at a loom), elbows below the breast beam, shoulders hunched, back curved...well, I wince.

It may not hurt today.  It may not hurt tomorrow.  But if someone does that long enough it *will* hurt.

But people will do as they please and I no longer comment or offer any kind of suggestions randomly to people I don't know (even sometimes to people I *do* know) because these days 'you do you' seems to be the guiding principle of personal interaction.  Even when I *know* that person is going to be hurting - if not today, soon enough.  Sometimes, people just do not want to know.  They may already have ingrained habits that will create discomfort if they try to change.  So they donwanna hear about doing anything differently.  More ergonomically.

In the meantime, I continue to wrestle with what the future holds for me.  I had thought that getting these shots would make it possible to continue teaching remotely, but now?  Now I'm not so sure.

So what is left?

Well, writing.  Writing can be done at my own pace, when I'm feeling 'better' and the brain fog isn't too great.  I can ask others to proof read and make sure that what I am saying makes any kind of sense.

So I'm going to talk to a friend today about various options (she may be blindsided by this, but she's pretty helpful and supportive) and explore some things that I might be able to do - with technology and potentially with writing.

Because I've already self-published two books.  After declaring that I was written out, there was no 3rd book in me, I find that perhaps there might be.  A very niche book for a niche market, truth be told, but if I self-publish I can invest what I need to invest and publish online like I did for The Intentional Weaver and the costs are pretty minimal.

In the meantime, it may take another full week for the jab to take full effect, so I will try to keep my hope alive that better days may yet be in the offing.  And if not, well, I'm an introvert so I can pretty much keep my own company and if I need personal interaction, I have a couple of local friends I can visit with and blow off some steam.

Tomorrow I have an all day (pretty much) Zoom appointment with the weavers of St. Louis, MO.  And then it will be back to the loom.  Looks like four more towels to weave on the current warp, then get #3 into the loom.  Yesterday I wrestled #4 into shape and while it didn't go where I was expecting it to go, and I wasn't sure at first if I liked it because it was so very different from what I had been planning or expecting, I decided that it was just one warp in a series and the towels will still dry dishes.

So I think I will keep that draft, too.

Then a week Saturday I have 3 beginning weaving students to indoctrinate - er, teach.  And I WILL be monitoring their posture and position at the loom and try to keep them from hurting their bodies.

Frost

We have been having a cold 'snap'.  Usually when the temps go low, we are blessed with clear skies and brilliant sunshine.  Not so much today.  

But the fact is, the sun IS still shining.  That is not something I believe, or have faith in - it is a fact.  It is also a fact that there is enough overcast that the sunlight is weak, and the day is dreary.

I am currently writing an article about weaving ergonomically.  Again.  You'd think by now everyone would be aware of how a body works, which movements are not efficient, which ones are actually harmful.  The body works best in certain ways and if you try to make them work in ways that are not good for it, injury *can* result.

Sometimes people are lucky and they push their bodies to the limit again and again and have no consequence, so they keep doing what they have always done.  And they are fine.  

They are the lucky ones.

Others?  Not so much.

The weaver who refused to wear anything but socks on her feet, and only on cold days, weaving too many hours without breaks to meet a deadline, winding up with inflammation in her feet so that she could barely walk.

The weaver who had been weaving for decades, suddenly having a 'frozen' shoulder, then going back to the same way of doing what she had been doing and having further injury.

The weaver who refused to get a 'proper' bench but wove sitting 'too low' on an ordinary chair now with low back pain.  Or neck pain.  Or shoulder pain.

The list goes on.  I hear from a lot of them.  

The biggest reason I hear from people who aren't interested in working more efficiently?  They don't want to hurry.  They want to take their time, enjoy the process.  As if I don't?  What I especially enjoy is getting a warp into the loom as efficiently as possible, to reduce the amount of time I am sitting in a cramped position to thread, and getting to the 'fun' part - the actual weaving.

Working ergonomically isn't hurrying.  Working ergonomically is working with the least amount of strain on the body, with the fewest extraneous movements.   

Hurrying is most definitely NOT working efficiently.

It is not up to me to tell someone they *must* do something in a particular way.  What I am *trying* to do is give people the information they need to work more comfortably for more years.  That by reducing the repetitive stress to a body, the body doesn't rebel and break down, preventing not just weaving, but other aspects of living, too.  

It's a message I've been delivering for quite literally decades, but there are always new weavers entering the craft, and so I keep on.  And I will keep on for as long as I can.

For more on this, use the 'ergonomics' tag to the right - check out my You Tube videos, take my online classes, buy my book.  Then decide what is 'right' for you.  

All Things End

 

warping board with warp ready to be removed

How long is a piece of string?

A warp?

One of the huge roadblocks to people enjoying weaving is the investment of time, effort and energy it takes to get the loom dressed.

Sometimes I see people musing about how to create a 'never ending' warp so they don't have to do that.  They come up with all sorts of 'solutions', most of them requiring huge amounts of yarn (a yarn package for every warp end) and floor space (to put all those yarn packages).  And so on.

Thing, is - all things end.  Every string has a beginning - and an ending.  The only thing that doesn't end (so far) is the passage of time.

So what do we want to do with our time?  That is the choice we have.

Our society is so used to instant gratification that we forget that sometimes?  Things just take time to come to fruition.  Gardeners know this and do craftspeople, because they are confronted daily with the effort it takes to create something from raw materials.  There are others - creative folk - musicians, authors, scientists...

But to anyone outside of those activities, all they see is the end result, not the blood, sweat and, yes, tears, it may have taken to bring something out of 'nothing'.

But all things end.

Rather than get upset about that, I encourage my students to embrace it.  Work to make the process more ergonomic, less 'painful', be more mindful about what is happening in the now and here, not champ at the bit wanting to instantly get to the fun part.

We can partially ease our 'separation' angst by making longer warps.  I know I do.  But that doesn't mean I don't also do shorter warps - samples, or two scarves instead of a warp for 8, for example.

Because All Things End.  At some point, sooner or later, the warp will be used up, and the loom will sit empty again.

But here's the thing.  With each new warp, I get to try something different.  It might be a different yarn, a different threading, a different yarn combination.  

Having 'perfected' my processes, I can focus on the here and now and use the actual shuttle throwing as a working meditation.  And when the end of the warp comes up and over the back beam, I get to begin again.

Proprioception

 Proprioception, or kinesthesia, is the sense that lets us perceive the location, movement, and action of parts of the body. It encompasses a complex of sensations, including perception of joint position and movement, muscle force, and effort.

I didn't know what the word proprioception was until someone said I had it.  It's a 'fancy' word for body awareness, but not just being aware of one's body, but how it fits into the world, how it interacts with tools.

I came to weaving having been coached in various activities, and perhaps that stimulated my awareness.  Or perhaps I always had it and the coaching just enhanced it.  But regardless, I came to weaving with that awareness already fine tuned and when I began weaving with the express purpose of earning an income I realized very quickly that I needed to fine tune my movements.

So I analyzed what I was doing and constantly made tweaks in things.  I was fortunate in that I'd had a good introduction to ergonomic practices, so I didn't have to unlearn too many 'bad' habits.

Over the years I paid attention to how other people did things and when I saw techniques or tools that I felt would be 'better' than what I was doing, I took the time and effort to adopt the new information, tools, motions into my own practice.

At the same time I was trying to protect my body from repetitive stress injury because I also came to weaving with pre-existing conditions - injuries sustained before I began weaving, then another whiplash injury when I was in my 40s.

I've mentioned all this previously, but new readers don't necessarily have the time to go back in the archive, hence the quick recap now.

When I teach I try to convey to students how they must pay attention to their bodies.  But I also now know that not everyone has my level of proprioception.  So I explain, as best I can, how and why it is a good idea to work *with* one's body instead of against it.  

People also tell me I have a way with words, so I use my words to paint pictures while I do the motions, explaining what is going on in my body as I hold the shuttle cradled in my fingers, as opposed to holding it 'overhand'.    And so on.

Recently I saw someone comment, with photo showing what they were talking about, that when they weave they get blisters on the first knuckle of their finger.  I thought about that for a while wondering how on earth they could get a blister in that location, then realized they must be holding their shuttle overhand.  Because when I hold my shuttle underhand, by knuckles are rarely in contact with the reed.  Another argument for cradled in the hand, not held overhand?

Just this week, two people complained about how awkward and uncomfortable dressing the loom is.  Yes, it can be!  Especially if you are dealing with a 'broken' body.  

Try to find a loom that 'fits' you.  Not all looms are 'equal' - some are more accommodating than others.  Some are taller or shorter, with more room between the breast beam and shafts, harder or easier to treadle.  The 'best' thing to do is try before you buy, but that isn't always possible.  My next best advice is to buy second hand, and give it an honest trial, then sell it if it isn't working in a way that is going to be acceptable for you.

Take breaks.  I know people like me say this over and over again.  We say it because it is true.  It is much easier to prevent repetitive motion injury than recover from it.  Once inflammation has set into the soft tissue it can take weeks, months, even, to heal.  

Part of why I harp on this so much is that I hate to see people in pain.  I hate to hear that people cannot weave because of the pain.  

Check out the tag 'ergonomics' on this blog.  Check out my You Tube channel.  Check out the class on Long Thread Media, or my class at School of Sweet Georgia, or my book.  I harp on this all the time because I so frequently see people struggling.

The word 'efficiency' has a bad connotation when all it means is doing something with the least amount of effort or excess motion.  

In this day and age with personal time so scarce, it feels nice to go to the loom and walk away 45 minutes or an hour later, having made progress.  All I can say is, if you feel like weaving is just too complicated, too uncomfortable, too awkward, maybe it isn't weaving, but the particular processes you might be using.  There might be a better tool, a better process, a different way to do what you are trying to do.  

MY way may not be your way.  But maybe you can find a better way for YOU.  

Ergonomics

" Keep in mind, however, that frequent repetitive bending or twisting beyond what is comfortable can lead to discomfort, which in turn interferes with weaving"

The photo is of me, showing how I hold the shuttle to 'throw' it.  The quote is pulled from the latest Handwoven which is running an article on ergonomics.

Twisting or torqueing the body leads to fatigue and can bring on pain.  The authors talk about good posture and proper bench height as well, taking micro and mini breaks and so on.

All things I have been advocating for, so I'm pleased to see them presented within the pages of Handwoven.  I'd also like to remind people that I cover a lot of these things in the class that Handwoven (Long Threads Media) offers as an on line course.

If you are interested in more interaction with me, I'm currently presenting this and much more via the School of Sweet Georgia.  

My goal has always been to help people prevent pain and injury.  It is a lot easier to prevent injury than it is to recover from it.

Pay attention to your body.  If you are experiencing discomfort, fatigue or pain, immediately stop what you are doing.  Stretch.  Rest.  Do something that requires a different position or posture or different muscles.

Weaving is a physical activity.  When I get into my zone, my Fitbit thinks I am swimming (guess they don't know about weaving!) and records that as aerobic activity - because it is!

I try to get to the loom for at least 90 minutes every day (broken up into two sessions).  If I'm away from the loom for lengthy periods, I begin to miss it and look forward to getting home and being able to weave again.  Because for me, weaving isn't just physical activity, it is also good for my mental health.  I shut out the cares and woes of the world and just be for a while. I come back refreshed mentally, able to deal with the vicissitudes of life more easily.

Weaving can be good for the entire body - if it is done ergonomically.  

As always, if you have questions, you can email me.  Or sign up for my class on SOS and ask in the forums.  If you have the question, no doubt others may have as well.

Weaving is a community in so many ways.  I am privileged to be part of it and very happy to help people if they are having difficulties, if I can.

Weaver's Bottom

"Nick Bottom is a character in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream who provides comic relief throughout the play. A weaver by trade..."

It has been said that Nick Bottom got his name as a play on words because so  many weaver's had 'weaver's bottoms'.  It was a known work related injury.

  "Ischial bursitis (weaver's bottom or tailor's bottom) can result from sitting for long periods on a hard surface..."

Over the years I have sat on a number of different kinds of benches/stools etc.  Since I started weaving with the express purpose of making an income by doing the craft, I spent hours every day at the loom.  It didn't take me long to realize that loom benches are *hard*.  I have had a variety of cushions or pads at the various looms I work at and recommend that people consider such for themselves if they intend to do more than a session or two a day.

The bursa can become irritated and then inflamed.  Once inflammation sets in, it can take weeks rather than days for it to clear up again.  So I always took care to pay attention and use some kind of padding on my loom bench or stool.

I can say that I have never had weaver's bottom, nor have I had carpal tunnel - both things that I knew were an occupational hazard.  

During my years of production weaving I have had other injuries, usually outside of the studio (whiplash, twice, for example) but by and large I've managed the repetitive stresses of weaving reasonably well.

But do something long enough and a body can begin to wear out.  And of course just living takes a toll as well.

In the end, the current 'injury' I am dealing with was not caused by the weaving itself, but associated tasks required in running a studio.  Hefting 40-50 pound boxes of yarn, dragging 50-75 pound suitcases around, getting into and out of cars at the airport, thumping them up and down stairs at my hosts or at the guild rooms, up a set of stairs.  The years I spent dyeing yarn, moving *large* pots of water and large skeins of fully saturated water around.  Not much wonder my back would ache at the end of the day.

It is one reason I advocate for people to understand the processes and how their body functions and to work ergonomically - so that they reduce the chance of developing repetitive motion injuries.  So much better to avoid them than take the weeks/months to heal from them.  Because the older I get, the longer it takes to heal.  And sometimes now, I never do get back to where I was.  

So I cut back on doing the heavy lifting I used to do without a second thought.  I make sure I take rest breaks (which have gotten longer, meaning fewer sessions at the loom per day).  I have a massage therapist and a chiropractor (one for my lower back, one for my upper, because each end of my spine has something different 'wrong' with it.)

I keep weaving because the weaving itself doesn't seem to make anything particularly worse and I weave not just for the physical exercise, but for the mental health.  And because I have so damn much yarn!

Working ergonomically is one of the things I will discuss in the SOS class launching next week.

Let's keep in mind that weaver's bottom is no joke, even though Nick Bottom, the weaver, might have been a bit of a joker.

Posture and Position

 

Over the weekend, I did two Zoom meetings focusing on ergonomics and efficiency in weaving.

One of the things I see on line is photos of people sitting in ordinary kitchen chairs at a loom.  This is not a great idea.

Ordinary chairs for sitting on are usually raked towards the back of the chair.  This tends to position one's bottom slightly lower than the knees.

Then people have a tendency to slouch into the chair and sit more on their coccyx than more upright.  This is a 'bad' position for doing something like treadling a loom.  There is a reason loom benches are flat or have a slight incline towards the loom.

As we get older and our bodies begin to age and take longer to heal from physical exertion, we need to pay attention to our position and posture before we injure ourselves by doing repetitive motions to the point of setting up inflammation in our muscles.  

Once we have chronic inflammation in our body, we take even longer to heal, not to mention the lingering pain we experience.

I am not a medical professional so I strongly suggest if you are having physical injuries that seem to be made worse by your weaving (or any other) practice, see a professional.  A physiotherapist, one who specializes in sports injuries, or has a degree in body mechanics, might be a good possibility.  Then explain to them what it is you are doing and how you do it.  Let them see the motions you do, over and over again, and the posture you use while doing it.  Then listen to them, work with them by doing the exercises and stretches they recommend.

We only get one body.  Take care of it.  

Currently reading No Time Like the Future by Michael J. Fox

YMMV

Yes, I wear out ballet slippers when I weave.

People are always looking for definitive answers when weaving is full of variables.

My goal is to help people prevent injury.  I cite principles.  People hear firm statements.

Yes, I recommend people not go barefoot to weave.  With these caveats:

Weaving on a Scandinavian style loom that is easy to treadle probably doesn't require footwear.  Unless the weaver is weaving for long periods of time.

Weaving on a jack type loom that is heavy to treadle/lift the shafts?  I highly recommend some kind of foot protection, especially if they are weaving for lengthy periods of time.

When I started weaving I did not wear anything but socks.  But my goal was to production weave/earn an income, and I was spending 5-6 hours a day at the loom.  At the time I was weaving on Leclerc jack type looms.  Very quickly I became aware of growing tenderness in the soles of my feet from the repeated treadling.

Since I was, at the time, an adult ballet student I grabbed my leather slippers with the heavier, thicker sole, close fitting to my feet, and started wearing them to weave.

The reduction in tenderness was quick and I was able to meet my daily goals of weaving without further problems.

When I got the AVL, the loom was rising shed and 16 shafts.  It was also 60" weaving width and very heavy to lift.  At the time I was taking aerobics classes and quickly became aware that my feet were going to have problems if I didn't do something to protect them.  So I grabbed a pair of the shoes I was wearing for aerobics class and again, the improvement to my feet was immediate.

So I share my story of my feet (and another weaver, who upon weaving for many hours over the course of a short period of time wound up barely able to walk until the inflammation in her feet settled) and give the conditions under which I chose to wear foot protection and why I think it is a good idea generally.

Because I don't want people to wind up with repetitive injury to their bodies.

But then I hear of people saying "Laura says you must..."

What Laura actually says is - given these circumstances X is a good idea.  Y is a bad idea.  And then I say why.  What happens is that the ''why" seems to get lost along the way.

Choose an expert.  Learn as much as you can from them.  Then find out what a different expert says.  Learn as much as you can from them.  Adopt what seems appropriate to you.  Ignore the rest.  But please, be aware of the principles, the variables.

We are all different.  We come to the craft with different underlying health issues, different injuries, different physical abilities and disabilities.  We have to find our own best practice.  Understand the ergonomics.  Understand the physical toll weaving for hours a day can take, especially with the different types of equipment.  Understand that there is no gain from weaving in pain.

People susceptible to inflammation need to be particularly careful with repetitive motion injury.  If a weaver is only ever weaving for a few minutes a day there is probably little risk.  YMMV.

Stay well.  

Ergonomics

holding the shuttle thumbs up

There has been discussion on a group about developing pain during weaving.

For me it has always been about working as ergonomically as possible.

Physical ailments can prevent a weaver from weaving in many ways.  We deal with repetitive motions constantly, to the point of wearing down our bodies.  Some of us have actual injuries we need to work around.

So I try to explain the principles and then let the individual figure out how to make those principles work within their own particular circumstance.

Generally speaking, the thumbs up position is better than thumbs down.  

At the loom, sit with hips higher than knees.  Sit high enough shoulders do not have to hunch up to prevent elbows from banging into the breast beam.  Sit perched on the edge of the bench to prevent circulation from being cut off in your legs.  Sit on your sitz bones, not rotated back on your coccyx  Sit with abdominal muscles engaged.  Sit with straight back, no hunching of the shoulders across your back.

Wear some kind of protection on your feet.  At the very least socks, preferable a light shoe with some kind of protective sole.  On one loom I wear ballet slippers with the firm leather down the centre of the sole.  On the Megado I wear Merrells with a firm sole.

A few years ago (quite a few now) I did video clips and loaded them to You Tube.  They are amateur in terms of production and may not show the precise angle you would like to see.  We did a better job with the DVD where a professional photographer used three cameras to get different points of view.  (I was in no way responsible for the editing but I did the best I could to inform them of what I felt needed to be in the frame.)

That DVD has been turned into an on-line 'class' The Efficient Weaver

I also discuss a lot of the principles in The Intentional Weaver.

Or click on the ergonomic link to the right.

Take breaks.  Rest.  If you feel pain, stop.

Covid Challenges

My You Tube Channel

Workshop via Handwoven (Long Thread Media)

With the stay at home orders and businesses being closed, many people are experiencing hardship in terms of income.  Events are being cancelled.  People are disappointed that their long awaited chance to meet with others is being thwarted or that they can't afford to purchase things.

This tightening of belts also affects the teachers, the event planners, the businesses that supply craftspeople.

I am seeing more and more comments from people involved in the business of crafts that customers are asking for things that simply cannot be provided.  Free patterns from people who make a significant portion of their income from designing and selling patterns, either one at a time or in books.  Teachers being asked to suddenly tool up and start providing on line classes.  For lower fees because of course they don't have to travel and the student doesn't have the interaction with the instructors for feed back.  Ergo, the student shouldn't have to pay as much as for a live event.

The instructors are agonizing over these requests (in some cases, demands).  They want to oblige but they, too, are suffering economically.  With society in economic lock down, they don't have an income either.

There have been several people advocating for events to go on line without having any understanding of what it would take to get there.  Most on line classes are months in the making, not days.  Every successful (and by that I mean a good experience for the student) on line class has had a team of people making what you see on the screen happen.

I have uploaded a number of video clips to You Tube.  A recent comment highlights that not all video experiences are 'good' for everyone.  Under my winding a warp video, someone commented that I worked too fast, they couldn't see what I was doing, not useful for a beginner.

All valid points.  But my video clip wasn't meant for a 'beginner' but someone who had an idea of what warp winding was all about, and showing how to wind a warp on a warping board more ergonomically.

While there may be dozens of videos on You Tube, few of them are very good. (Not even mine.) The quality of video camera available to most people is not great for clarity.  The clip is a single point of view - and it may not be the point of view someone needs/wants to see.

Editing is a skill and most people don't have that.

Most people don't have space in which to set up filming.  Space to set up cameras.  Good lighting.  Good acoustics!

When we filmed The Efficient Weaver, we did the sequences out of order and by the end of day three we thought we'd got everything and wrapped up filming.  It was only after driving the crew to the airport and dropping them off that I suddenly remembered we had not filmed the rough sleying part.

What can I say?  Three days of intensive filming from 9 am to 5 or 6 pm, setting up shots, filming, reviewing the results, re-doing, moving along to the next.

I felt a certain amount of satisfaction that the crew complimented me on how well prepared I was and that they had feared the filming schedule was too ambitious - two different topics, two different locations, all wrapped up in three days.  But the thing is, I had done some camera work for the local volunteer tv station, plus I've been involved in theatre and dance as well as teaching for about 30 years at the time the taping was done.

Generally getting good video of things that are meant to convey information, especially that of physical skills, cannot be banged out in a matter of days.  I spent months doing the preparation work that allowed the filming to be accomplished in three.

One event has cancelled this years in person event and immediately there were calls for it to go on line.  They have called for volunteers to investigate doing on line events in the future.  Two years is enough time to investigate the possibility of doing an on line event.  But it would mean completely revamping what they offer and how.

This is not a bad thing.  But it won't be the in person event people are used to and it won't necessarily be much cheaper as each presenter will have to have a crew to do the production work.

In the meantime, Rule#303.  If you have the means, you have the obligation.  Help organizations to stay alive.  Throw some cash at independent instructors - many have Patreon accounts (I have ko-fi).  Buy their books.  For those who already have on line classes, maybe now is the time to sign up.  If you have skills to put classes on line, you could maybe help with that, too.  The only way we are all going to survive this is to help each other as much as we are able.

Three already existing on line classes:  Janet Dawson's on bluprint, Jane Stafford's on-line guild and Tien Chiu's on colour. 

Making Changes

Since Life Goes On, one way or another, so changes continue in the studio.

For decades, I wound bobbins by standing up at a counter.  Unfortunately that wasn't the best posture and with my current body issues, I was finding standing to wind bobbins less and less comfortable.

The other day Doug cleared the cone winder out of the other end of the studio and I had a chance to do some rearranging.  Again.

Last night I moved a small folding wooden table into that corner and set up the bobbin winder and a chair so that I could sit while winding.  The table is not very large, but big enough I can put a small box with the pirns that needed emptying, plus the small plastic box with the empty plastic bobbins.  There is an overhead lamp (out of frame) so the fact I am sitting with my back to the window and the room's central light means I still get good light in the work area.

Since I sit so much at the looms, I have always tried to do other tasks standing.  More and more, my body is objecting to standing for any length of time, especially in awkward postures.  So far warp winding is ok, but standing to serge things and wind bobbins was really beginning to hurt. 

With the goal of being able to continue weaving for as long as possible, I need to start thinking about ergonomics, more than ever. 

If it means sitting more?  I can do that.  If I have to stand, I will have to do those jobs in smaller chunks.

'Acceptance' does not mean capitulation.  It means figuring out what my new 'normal' is and working within that.  Sometimes you can't fix what is wrong, you just have to figure out work arounds.

And onwards we go...

More on Ergonomics

catching the shuttle - shuttle tip slides between index and middle finger, thumb can provide braking action to the bobbin.  Index finger than moves to the point to return the shuttle the other direction

ready to throw the shuttle from right to left.  I have large hands but some shuttles have 'points' that are too long even for my fingers.  If you have small hands, some shuttle makers produce smaller shuttles with quite 'blunt' points that may fit your hand 'better' than this standard Leclerc in the photo.  Most of the motion of the throw comes from the push of my index finger with a small flick of the wrist.  The wider the warp, the more 'flick' may be required.  But I can easily throw a shuttle across a 60" wide warp using this motion.

Brief look at wrist positions

Almost all on line references about 'neutral' hand positions are in relation to computers - keyboard and mouse use.

So instead I am going to elaborate a bit on general ergonomics.

Generally speaking, the muscles work better when they are straight, so a straight line from joint to joint is the recommendation.  I just watched a video that talked about being able to use 100% of ones strength in the 'neutral' alignment and how strength drops off when that straight alignment is not used.

(Want to Google yourself?  I found the 'best' results by using the key words 'neutral hand position')

The lower arm has two bones, which are parallel.  The body is wonderfully flexible (when it is healthy) and part of our range of motion comes from being able to rotate our arm between the elbow and the hand.  The thing is, as we rotate our hand from a thumbs up to a thumbs down position, we do that by twisting those two bones and the muscles are no longer in straight alignment from elbow to wrist.  The more extreme the rotation, the more muscles, from neck/shoulder to hand, are used.

(Remember the children's song - about how every joint is connected to the next joint.)

The twisting means that muscles that were relaxed are now engaged.  How much will depend on how far the rotation goes, and how much strength one needs to use to do the task.

Once all of the muscles from neck, through shoulder, upper arm, lower arm - plus the small hand muscles - are engaged, we are working under load.  When we then do the same motions, over and over and over again?  Muscles tire.  If they get really tired, inflammation may begin and if that inflammation lasts for any length of time (how much depends on the particular body), muscle tissue can become damaged.

This is referred to as 'repetitive stress injury'.

This principle applies to all of the muscles in our body, not just the shuttle throwing ones.

Things to watch for are turning your body at the waist repeatedly, using your right hand stretched out to your far left (like in winding a warp on a warping board - one reason so many people recommend a mill or other warp winding device.  Of course each of those tools comes with caveats.)

Working with your hands over shoulder height (for example a warping board that is mounted too high).  This becomes very tiring.  I have linked to a rock climbers blog with more info on this in a previous post on ergonomics.  He makes the case that when the hand is held above the head for a lengthy amount of time, it becomes harder for the heart to pump blood upwards to the hands, causing muscle fatigue.

Working with your hands stretched out in front of you.  This is a huge no-no for me with my whiplash injuries.  It only takes a couple of minutes of using a loom with levers arrayed across the castle of a loom for my neck to begin objecting.  If I don't stop, the objections become louder and louder (as in increased pain).  Or using a lever loom with levers at the side of the castle.  Same thing.

I've talked at length elsewhere about sitting 'properly'.  My teeth gnash when I see weavers sitting in chairs (ordinary chairs are generally 'raked' - as in your bottom tends to be somewhat lower than level - which is fine for ordinary sitting, not good for weaving.)

Recap on sitting - elbows higher than the breast beam to prevent lifting shoulders, hips higher than knees, sit on sitz bones, not coccyx, engage abdominal muscles.  Exactly how you sit will depend on the loom.  Front hinged treadles and back hinged treadles will take slightly different positions.

Now all of these recommendations are based on the assumption that a person is able to do them.  Not everyone comes to the craft in the peak of health.  Some people use weaving as physical therapy.  (My physiotherapist was delighted with my recovery from a badly broken ankle because I had begun weaving even before I was given the green light to put my full weight on it.  Which broke most of the adhesions, giving me better range of motion than most people who don't have a floor loom to force them to do that.)

Not everyone comes to the craft uninjured.  Like with my whiplash injuries.  Some people are more prone to inflammation than others and need to be very careful they don't set off a chain of events that can become debilitating.

Everyone must work within the limits of their body.  As we age, things like inflammation can crop up more quickly.  Or we acquire yet more injuries.  Or like me, an adverse drug effect that attacked my muscles and joints.  Kept me alive, but...

Bottom line?  If you feel pain, STOP!  Yes, I'm yelling.  Weaving is not a 'no pain, no gain' activity.  It is a 'stop before you hurt yourself'.  Go do something that requires different muscles.  Or just plain rest.

My recommendation is this - if there is a more ergonomic way of doing something, start doing that before you set habits that will be extremely difficult to break if such time comes that you do have an injury or need to change from that habit to something friendlier to the body.  You may be young and uninjured now.  That may not last.  Or it may.  We don't know what the future holds.

As always, YMMV.

Free Advice

Is worth what you paid for it.

Over the years, I have woven a lot.  Dealt with physical injuries and ailments, but had to weave anyway so needed to work with a variety of health professionals to keep me going.  I talked to them, listened to their advice, learned how the body works.

Since the rise of the internet I have belonged to many different groups, heard the complaints from dozens of people about pain, discomfort, frustration.  Having addressed many of these problems in my own studio, I had advice to give.  And I have given it on groups and now mainly here, for years.

Having taught all over the place, I have seen hundreds of weavers trying to weave using 'bad' ergonomics.  There is nothing quite like seeing someone from all angles to see how they are using their body and knowing the potential for damage they are courting.

Not everyone agrees with what I have to say - about anything, apparently.  And that is fine.  We all must come to our own best practice.

All I can do is offer facts and principles.  How anyone else applies them - or not - will be up to them.  Everyone needs to find their own way.

If you (general you, not you specific, but whatever) have found my free advice helpful, you can do me a favour by recommending the things that I do expect to be paid for - i.e. my books and DVDs as offered now as on-line workshops via Handwoven

I frequently see people recommending 'just toss it in the washer/dryer' as the 'best' approach to wet finishing.  Which is fine as far as it goes.  It's free advice. 

I frequently see people recommending particular processes in weaving as the 'best' approach.  Which is fine, as long as they are getting the results they desire.

I frequently see people saying they don't want to work 'fast' when all I recommend is working ergonomically.  Work at your own pace, but please, be aware of body mechanics and try to not damage your body in the process.

You may never cause yourself injury doing what you are doing.  But some of us come to the craft already injured.  We need to work with our bodies, the way they are, and not damage them further.

Don't just take my word for it.  Consult a medical professional.  Make sure you are working in a way that promotes a long time in the craft, not a painful one.

Ergonomics

shuttle held 'overhand' sometimes referred to as The Claw

shuttle held from below or under hand

There are several 'hot' topics in the weaving world.  They come round, regular as clockwork.  People give their opinions.  No minds are changed.

So I offer this simply as information.  Do with it as you will.

When I started weaving, I recognized that some positions and postures were more ergonomic than others.  Over the years I have consulted with physiotherapists, massage therapists, people who have degrees in body mechanics.  All confirm - the thumbs down position is 'bad' for the body.

Maybe not today.  Maybe not tomorrow or next week.  Maybe not even in a year or 10.  But it puts additional stress on shoulder, neck, pectoral muscles, to repeatedly make a motion with the thumb in the downward position.

Now, it all depends on when or even IF someone might develop physical issues.  Your genetics for one.  Previous injuries for another.  A person also has to take into consideration their own physical limitations, whatever they might be.

But the principle remains.  Thumbs down is generally not recommended.  

The two photos above kind of illustrate the point.  Thumbs down, the lower arm is rotated, the elbow raised and away from the body, shoulder raised.

The thumbs or palm up position, the shoulder is in more neutral  position, the elbow closer to the body, the lower arm is not rotated.

Which way someone holds their shuttle is a matter of personal preference.  All I can do is state the principle and let people choose which method they will use.

On The Other Hand...again just a month ago I had a weaver approach me in my booth in Calgary to thank me for my videos and all the preaching I do here about using 'good' processes.  Seems she had been plagued with chronic severe neck/shoulder pain for two years, trekking from doctor to doctor, taking copious pain killers, unable to weave.  She finally got to a specialist who frowned and said the only time he had seen such injury was in people who (and made the motion of throwing a shuttle).

She told me she said, 'you mean like throwing a shuttle?'  "Yes!" 

"I'm a weaver."

After that the doctor was able to zoom in on the muscles that were injured, recommend exercises, and she bought my DVD, which she said fit right in with her treatment.  After several months she was once again able to weave.

Other people have contacted me to let me know that once they adopted the palm/thumb up way of holding the shuttle, their selvedges improved and their weaving rhythm became more efficient.  It was not what they had expected, but they felt that was a positive outcome.

So for anyone contemplating how they hold/throw the shuttle, think about the effect the thumbs down position has on your body.

We only get one.  Let's take care of it.

(And if you choose to continue with thumbs down?  Take frequent rest breaks, massage your lower arms, shoulder and neck.  Apply heat/ice as required.)

While I'm on my soapbox...sit high enough - hips higher than knees.  Sit up on your sitz bones, not rotated onto your coccyx.  Engage your abdominal muscles to protect your lower back.  Sit up straight, not hunched over.  Sit perched on the edge of your bench so that you don't cut off the circulation to your legs.  Bend from the hips.  Again, as your ability to do so allows.  Not everyone has good range of motion for whatever reason.