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Yes I have been looking everywhere but what was under my nose...

The copper alloy neetting needles in T&C are what I speak of above with regards to the aboriginal items. Those were made in wood, so they are thicker, but still double ended. The spacer is a flat piece with rounded edges. The MoL T&C shows on page 146 using a pencil like rod to help space. I disagree with that as the flat piece will ensure more even results. The tying method shown is also the modern way of net making. I believe they have made a slight error on figure 'D' with how the free end is pulled tight. Have you attempted this and are they missing a step to get the final result in 'D'?
I need to find a medieval original picture of someone making a net with the tools used in the 14 or 15c.

Also the MoL T&C shows a card weaving loom on page 24. I don't believe their interpretation would work very well. It would very probably looked like the Anne of Cleves loom that I posted in another thread.

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The MoL T&C shows on page 146 using a pencil like rod to help space. I disagree with that as the flat piece will ensure more even results.

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I have a feeling that the use of a rod or a flat piece is one for personal taste. It may have an effect in the final piece, but not one I've noticed - having used both. As an aside, I recently purchased at auction some very simple bone net making tools (circa 1900), and the set contained both flat and rods.

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I believe they have made a slight error on figure 'D' with how the free end is pulled tight. Have you attempted this and are they missing a step to get the final result in 'D'?

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I first attempted this about 3 years ago, from this description. I'm afraid I can't remember which step didn't work, but SOMETHING didn't - I just couldn't get anything decent made. I gave up in the end and found a craft book with netting instructions! (of course, it could have been me, and I've never gone back to try those instructions again )

The use of the bar as a foundation is also something which is very difficult. A correspondent of mine tried to make a complete hairnet but found that the bar made working in the round very difficult. (Although I suspect this is how a fishing net would need to be made?)For an item such as a hairnet, a foundation loop is much easier.

I do have a medieval image of a woman netting - using a pole stand to hold the work (You can see Soper Lane's reproduction here. Because of copyright I won't post the medieval here, just in case! But I'll happily send you a scan for research purposes Unfortunately, it isn't clear enough to see her tools, just the way she's holding them. She's also obviously working on something such as a hairnet, not a fishing one!

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Also the MoL T&C shows a card weaving loom on page 24. I don't believe their interpretation would work very well. It would very probably looked like the Anne of Cleves loom that I posted in another thread.

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There are quite a number of medieval depictions of the Virgin tablet weaving on the type of loom shown in MoL. It works just fine - most tabletweavers learn between two posts, so moving on to this is quite easy. My own loom is like this, with the exception that it has a cross beam at the top (also often shown) - mainly to stablize it as I take it apart to transport to events. (this too is quite nice as I can warp up the loom before an event and simply roll the weaving up around the posts for transport!).
(Tablet weaving loom)

Another point, which I've found does make a difference, is that you will see in most of the depictions of upright post looms a warp spacer. This not only helps to keep the warp nicely speced width-wise, it has a tendency to weight the warp a bit, causing it turn into a more horizontal position. This can be further utilized by tieing one side of the space to the post, which is helpful when working brocade on this type of loom.

The Anne of Cleeves loom (yours looks very good by the way!)is I think, more of a ribbon loom - as she isn't using any tablets. Looking closely at narrow weaving depictions, those that don't use tablets tend to show the beams horizontally (keeping the weaving face up), whereas tablet weaving always seems to be uprights. Of course, there is also the obvious possibility that the artists who were doing these depictions were copying one another, not drawing from life. There is though a very nice image of an upright loom in Collingwood's technique of tablet weaving which shows Mary's hand in the proper positions for turning the tablets on this type of loom, so this probably was taken 'from life'.

I hope that helps a bit. Email me if you want that image!
Gina

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