What is this strange device?

July 1, 2007 5:49 PM

What is this device? Some sort of sewing gadget? We found it at a dump, and my girlfriend was intrigued, so we bought it (for ten cents), but want to know what it is! It seems to have some sort of fibrous strands on some of the metal loops, but otherwise, we have no idea. Any input would be appreciated!
posted by rawredmeat to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (8 answers total)

Hmm...the only thing I can think of is that it looks like a fixed heddle from a floor loom. That might account for the fibrous strands, too.
posted by kalimac at 5:52 PM on July 1, 2007

The NPO I used to work for had a program that taught ladies how to turn old fabrics into hand-woven purses and rugs. It looks very much like some of the associated stuff for the looms.

If I had to guess it looks like the warp-threader thinger, which are the strands that run perpendicular to the colored pieces in a woven item.

It could also be the whatsit to help you organize your color/pattern scheme.

As you can tell, I know the lingo very specifically. /cough
posted by TomMelee at 6:05 PM on July 1, 2007

It's actually a shaft. The wires with loops are the heddles.
posted by flabdablet at 6:14 PM on July 1, 2007

I'd have said it was a CD tower, myself!
posted by Addlepated at 6:25 PM on July 1, 2007

It looks a little bit like a tie-rack of some sort. If it wasn't, it certainly could be used as one.
posted by ktrey at 7:00 PM on July 1, 2007

Yep, it's a heddle.
posted by miss lynnster at 7:04 PM on July 1, 2007

Not heddle, reed.
The heddle lifts the reeds, the reed holds the warp.
posted by Floydd at 6:30 AM on July 2, 2007

I'm pretty sure it's a heddle from a weaving loom. Reeds are the wires (or threads) inside the wood frame that you put yarn/string/etc. through for the warp. (And I really liked TomMelee's explanation, as warped as it was.)
posted by Smalltown Girl at 9:25 AM on July 2, 2007