Learning Curve

Boy, do I have a lot to learn!  That's why I'm doing this project, though, right?  By the time I've fought my way through this, I should have a pretty good handle on using a Navajo style loom.  The first piece on it is presenting problems that tempt me to toss the whole kit and caboodle right out the front door, but I WANT this; I want it badly enough to stick with it.

Issue number one is the design of the loom frame.  We placed the bars to hold the weaving in the center of the loom, which makes getting a shed stick in and out a problem.  I fixed that by using a wooden yard stick because it's flexible.

I was inexperienced in winding the warp on the warping sticks and used thinner dowels than I should have, which caused them to bow resulting in uneven tension in the warp.  This has caused trouble throughout the whole process and is now resulting in the weft on each end to ride higher than the center.  Not sure how to fix that problem.

The book I have mentioned using floating selvedge yarns, but suggested not trying it as a beginner.  I think that would have helped me keep the piece from having the draw in I am experiencing. (see photo above)

I am now at the point of deciding whether to carry on and finish this piece, or start over using all that I've learned so far and do it right.  On the one hand, I know I'll learn even more as I go if I stay with this piece and I hate to waste the time I've invested.  On the other hand, the materials are expensive.  If I use the beautiful yarn I've bought up in a piece that's not going to be something to keep, I'll kick myself.  

Whichever way this goes, I'll post about it when it's worked out.  In the meantime, posting will be sporadic again as summer is NOT the easy, slow time I've been telling myself it was going to be.  Surprise!