Soy Silk Scarf Warp - Threading the Loom!

This is turning into a mini demonstration of how I warp, and that's fine. Over the years I've developed my own idiosyncratic methods, and they seem to work just fine for me. They certainly aren't main stream! I always, always, always warp front to back. From the very beginning of my weaving career I found that warping back to front was just incredibly awkward and fraught with problems. I was learning everything on my own. There weren't any angel wings or other handy aids. I basically had to figure everything out from the photos and drawings in Step by Step Weaving and Mary Black's New Key to Weaving. I never could get the hang of putting the wound warp onto the back warp rod, evenly spaced, and at the same time, hanging the lease sticks in back of the harnesses. After I'd been weaving about 2 or 3 years, I started doing my degree in Art History, and I took a studio course in weaving from a woman who had her graduate degree from Cranbrook. She swore by the front to back method of warping. I adopted her view on the matter and never looked back!

My warping proceeds thusly: I wind the warp, tie it securely every yard or so, secure the lease, and make chains. I hang the lease sticks in front of the reed, then slide the warp onto them. I tie the beater to the lease sticks, and position it so that it is standing away from the harnesses. Then, I thread the warp from the lease sticks, in order, through the reed.

(My floor loom is an 8 harness Schacht and I have a lot more room in which to work on that loom. I use shoelaces to tie stuff on the Schacht. This is a Leclerc Dorothy and I'm not used to the tiny spaces on this table loom, so I'm making it up as I go with bits of string.)

Next I will go through the heddles, tie the warp in groups every inch or so, and then tie on to the warp rod in back. This method helps ensure that the warp will be wound on to the back beam at the correct width and in the correct order. Also, this process ensures enough "drag" on the warp chains for adequate tension going around the back beam. I monitor the winding on very closely, testing for warp ends that are getting caught up or tangled, and straightening them out. Every yard or so I go back to the front and give the chains a good strong tug and snap.

I've gone through half of the heddles now, so I'd better get back to it. I've got a Weavecast podcast to listen to, much better than the debates! ;)