The Weaver's Path: Finishing Off

As you near the end of a continuous warp weaving, things change:

The shed sticks become progressively thinner, until you remove them all together.  You lay aside your large comb:

You move to smaller tools:

Mickey stands guard (yes, he really is that big-all 20 pounds of him):

That small line to the right?  That's the Weaver's Path.  Depending upon your tradition, it's there to allow the bad spirits to escape or to provide a path to the next weaving:

You weave warp by warp, until you are certain you can't pack in another row.  Then, you weave in several more rows:

When the work is finished, you release the tension on the loom to let the weaving relax before you cut it from the frame.  While you're waiting, you chill a bottle of wine for the traditional cutting off ceremony.  You remove the cords, tidy the weaving and inspect the work.  That thing which appeared large during the process now seems rather small (9.5 inches at bottom/9 inches at top x 15.5 inches before finishing):

The weaving will spend the night soaking in a warm, soapy bath before I block it.  I may have a soak myself.

Namaste.