Warping Jane's Way - Making the Warp

Note: this document includes Jane’s tips and “best practices” for making and beaming warps only. The remaining steps for dressing your loom are covered in the School of Weaving videos.

Warping Mill - Wind in whichever direction feels most comfortable

Tie the Cross in 4 places

Prepping Your Loom

There’s a couple of things you can do ahead of time to get your loom ready for warping back to front.

Cut two cords approximately 2 yards long, fold them in half and half hitch them to the sides of your castle.

Undo the lashing cord on your apron rod. Cut two pieces of strong cord about 12” long, fold them in half and half hitch them to the apron rod at both ends. You will use these cords to attach the apron rod. We have one end of the apron rod attached in the photo.

Prepping Your Loom

Clamping the raddle.

Here are two possible locations where you can clamp your raddle onto your loom:

Dressing the Loom with a Raddle

Threading Back to Front

1. The cross end of the warp forms a loop. Slide a rod through this loop. Attach the warp rod to the apron rod at their ends leaving a one inch space between them. (Half-hitches)

2. Insert the lease sticks into the warp.

2. Cont’d. Secure the lease sticks between the castle posts and back beam using cords attached to the castle uprights (down & down, up & up). Undo the ties that are securing the cross in the warp.

4. Spread your warp to the desired weaving width, distributing your warp threads evenly across the raddle. IMPORTANT: If you have warped with more than one thread, never split the thread groups going through the raddle!

5. Place an elastic band or tie string over the ends of the pegs or nails to prevent the threads from escaping. The warp should now run from the raddle to the rear of the loom in a straight line.

6. Before rolling your warp on, it will be necessary to lash the warp rod to the apron rod to prevent the rods from bowing.

7. Move to the front of the loom where the warp chain is lying. Find a spot in the chain where no threads have been disturbed. Give the warp chain a good tug from this point as it will realign the warp displacement that may have occurred when spreading the warp across the raddle.

8. Undo the warp chain. If you have a helper, get them to hold on to the warp,maintaining some tension. If you are warping alone, let your warp lie across the floor and weight it down with some books (or anything else handy).

9. Roll the warp onto the back beam feeding paper between the layers of warp. (For fine threads, the paper provides a more even bed between the layers than warp sticks). Keep an eye on the paper, making sure it is rolling on evenly and adjusting it if needed.

10. If warping alone, move your books (weights) as needed to ensure that the warp stays weighted and that the threads are in line. REPEAT UNTIL WARP IS WOUND ON LEAVING ENOUGH TO THREAD AND SLEY.

11. Holy Shit Batman. Can you believe it?