The development of weaving
The earliest looms had the warp threads suspended from a tree branch and weighted or attached to the ground. The weft threads would be pushed into place by hand or with a stick (that would eventually become the shuttle).
At first, it was necessary to raise and lower every warp thread one at a time, which was a time-consuming and laborious process. Basic techniques, such as the insertion of a rod, were developed to produce a shed (the space between warp threads), so that the shuttle could pass through the entire warp at once.
On a horizontal ground loom, the warp would be strung between two rows of pegs. The weaver would have to lean over in order to work, so pit looms were developed, with the warp strung over a pit, so the weaver could sit with his or her legs underneath and would then be on a level with the loom.
Frame looms followed the same principles as ground looms. The loom was constructed out of sticks and boards attached at right angles. Frame looms are still in use today, usually as a portable, less expensive, and compact alternative to a table or floor loom.
Handweavers today tend to use looms with at least four shafts or harnesses. Each shaft contains a set of heddles through which yarn can be threaded and, by raising the harnesses in different combinations, a variety of patterns can be achieved.
The first completely automated loom was made by Jacques Vaucanson in 1745. A different power loom was built by Edmund Cartwright in 1785. Originally, powered looms were shuttle-operated but in the early part of the 20th century the faster and more efficient shuttleless loom came into use.
Today, advances in technology have produced a variety of looms designed to maximize production for specific types of material. The most common of these are air- and water-jet looms.
