My Handwoven Thoughts

With the exception of warping a loom sectionally, we are taught a heavy paper or slats of some kind must be wound along with the warp to insure an even tension throughout the weaving process. Picture wrapping thread around a tube. No matter how careful you are, the thread forms a hump in the middle of your tube. The thread travels farther when it winds around the center, built up section than it does on the edges. If you wound your warp around the beam without heavy paper or slats, some threads would fall off the edge of the pile on each end and those threads would be shorter than the threads in the middle of the warp. You can imagine the problems the shorter threads would cause as you tried to weave. (more…)

Not too long ago my husband and I made a few adjustments to my loom. I have a 24shaft AVL. When I bought it used, it came with two one-yard warp beams even though it is not set up to handle two beams that size. Minor details like that do not slow down my creative husband. He modified the second beam to fit on the loom in the second position. We hooked up the break system for the second beam and I decided I needed to do a couple of test warps before tackling the project I had in mind that required both beams at the same time. (more…)

Have you ever put off warping your loom when you are warping front to back because you don’t have time to sley the warp through the reed in one sitting? I have a very easy solution for the next time you find yourself in that situation. All you need are a couple of dowels (or pencils, knitting needles, shish kebab skewers or anything long and narrow) and a couple pieces of yarn.

Take your warp and place one of your sticks in each side of the cross. Lay the warp on the breast beam of your loom with the sticks running parallel to the beam. (more…)