Tip of the Month - January

There are some times when the quick warping method just doesn't cut the mustard - when you want a long warp or when you have some complex colour changes, for example.

First make a warp using the normal method on a warping board or warping mill and secure the cross as you usually would, then chain.

As well as your threading/fish hook and rigid heddle, you will need and extra stick.
You will also need to mark the width of your warp on the rigid heddle with a couple of bits of spare thread tied at the bottom of the appropriate slits.
All the loops will be dented in the rigid heddle on a table to prevent the spare stick from falling out of the loops.

Instead of using cross sticks, insert a loop of thread either side of the cross.

Place your index finger through the loom at the end of the warp.

 Ensure you can see the cross by spreading the warp within the loop.

 You should be able to see the the first thread, which may or may not be a single thread with a loop at the end.

Whether it's a singe thread or a double thread, pull it through the first slit and place on the spare stick.

As you get used to this method you will see the colour changes emerge in the correct order ready for denting in the rigid heddle.

You will usually have loops to put over the spare stick.

 But sometimes there will be knotted threads, where the colours were changed, you just have to be careful pulling these through the slits.

Keep going sliding the spare stick through all the loops as you go.

Once all the loops are through the slits they need to be secured to the spare stick.

 Sorry this is a rather blurred image, but hopefully you can see that I've cut a long length of thread and doubled it.
Pass the two ends through the loop at the other end and put the spare stick through it, pulling tight.

Take the two ends and tie them at the opposite end of the stick.  If you've a stick with a hole at either end you can tie this string through the holes to secure the loops on the stick.

 If you don't have holes, ensure that the string is very secure by tying a number of times round the end of the spare stick.

Place the rigid heddle into the loom and the spare stick will need to be tied to the back warp stick.

You will need to loop several small pieces of string evenly across the the back warp stick.

Tie each one to the spare stick, either side of the loops and evenly across the warp.

All you need to do now is wind onto the back beam as usual.

Now you've wound onto the back beam, use your threading hook to transfer one the threads in the slit into it's adjacent hole, ensuring you keep the correct colour sequence.
In this picture the first colour sequence, on the right is one light, one dark, followed by two threads of a completely different colour.  The next sequence is three dark and one light.

Attaching your warp bouts to your back beam!

Hi all

At last I've time to post the image of how I tie my warp bouts to my back beam.

First of all, those of you who asked for information on how your smooth back beam could be made to take the ties. Well, here is how it's done on my loom, a Louet Octado. You see the stainless steel rod that is loosely attached to my back beam by Texolv cord. The cord is cut into small sections which are screwed to the back beam and the rod is then threaded through these tapes across the back beam.

You will notice that I've attached a very long loop of strong yarn to the rod opposite each section of the beam. All I did was cut a length of thread twice the length from the bar on the back beam to the back of the heddles. I tied it the ends together, threaded each one over the rod and put the loop end through the knot end to secure it to the rod.

Now I make my bouts and secure the cross with bag twist ties and thread the long loop through the end of the bout near the cross. Here you can see the loop through the bout.



I now let the bout drop, but keep hold of the loop and, putting my hand through the loop, I pull the the bout right through the loop. The bout is now trapped in the loop and you can wind it onto the beam as you can see in my post on warping.








This image shows the bout trapped at the end of the loop, just before I put the "cross keeper" round the cross and spread it on the mini raddle.

Sectional Warping

Hi all,

At the end of last year someone on the Weave Tech Group was asking about sectional warping and I said I didn't use a bobbin rack, but made small warps on my warping mill. I thought it might be a good idea to show everyone how I do it.

First of all I make small 2" warps on my warping mill which a tie with freezer bag ties to secure the cross and keep the loop open at the beginning.

Bag ties are easy to attach and remove and are re-usable. I cut some of them into two before I start to make the warp as they can be too big.

I then have my loops ready at the back of the loom and attach one to the sectional warp beam and the other end to loop at the end of the warp near the cross. If your not sure how to do this post a comment and I will show you have it's done in another post.



Now I put this little devise into the cross and weight the warp at the front of the loom with a loop of loom cord, a butchers hook and a bottle of wash detergent!

Once the section of warp has been weighted I spread it over a small raddle, that came with my Louet Octado, which is secured to the back beam.

Move the cross to the front of the loom, near the cord and weight, and wind the warp onto the sectional beam until the cross is next to the raddle again. Continue winding the warp and moving the cross until the section is wound onto the beam.

On the left you will see the front cloth beam of my loom with all that is left of the warp where it is being weighted. Once the cord that is attached to the weight gets to this point, I remove the weight and cord then loop an elastic band round the warp end in it's place.

All I do now is wind this last section onto the sectional warp beam and loop the elastic band round the section separator next to the previously wound section.

I do hope this has been of help.