This is a close up of the reed on the beater of my loom. It is a 5 dent reed, that is: there are five slots to the inch. I am ready to start sleying the reed, threading the thread ends through the slots in the reed. I am doing 24 ends (threads) per inch, which means that 4 slots get 5 threads and 1 slot gets 4 threads each. I would prefer a finer reed, but I don't have one so this will have to do..

I am about halfway done, but I had to stop and rest my back. I may be able to start the actual weaving tomorrow, most of the preweaving work is done. Only the rest of the reed is left and then tying on to the cloth beam which you can see in the lower part of the picture. Then I have to check and see that the treadles are tied onto the proper shaft. Pictures of that later.
I haven't touched my sewing machines for almost a week, time enough for that after I get the loom ready to weave, I tend to focus on a project until I get it well under way. I will have to go upstairs and tell my machines I still love them so they won't feel neglected!