My mistakes:
1. The warp was too long, I cut it in half, have the rest chained up don't know if I can use it later but that's fine I can always knit it into something.
2. The warp is not wide just 48 picks, I didn't want it too wide just so I wouldn't give up, but I think I played it too safe.
3. I had no way of weighing down the front of the warp and tying it to the front beam was awkward.
My questions:
1. Does the picture below look right? (I used my knitting board as a raddle)
2. What do I use to keep the warp taut as I wind back?
3. Can I do this alone or do I need another body holding the warp?
4. If I center the warp and start in the middle, how the heck do I follow the damn draft? I reread the book twice still not clear.
5. Should I take off the extra harnesses I will not be using to thread the heddles?
6. Is warping front to back easier? (read the instruction there and wasn't really clear on that either.
Theresa, I was going to call you, but I left your number at work. I have it in my wallet now and may bother you later this week.
Definately not your average warping session, I was trained improperly with the RH and am going to need to break myself of the desire to return the buyer's money and unpack it, I confess I was really tempted yesterday to do so. My hubby has taken it to work and will UPS it tomorrow, there will be no going back once it's gone so, I guess that will be a good way to force me to learn and adapt to my Macomber and not long for the simplicity of the RH.
11 comments:
Okay, deep breath. Double your warp width, you can easily add another 48 ends. Take the raddle off and put it in front of the lease sticks. Pulling the correct epi into the raddle is MUCH easier off the lease cross.
Take your warp and wrap it around the front beam and let it pool into a basket or two on the floor.
Lastly send me your address and I will mail a copy of Louets warping BTF DVD. It's VERY helpful, but we'll walk you through this one. Honestly, you don't need much tension on the warp ends. I just routinely go back and forth, give it a tug, strum across it while taunt and then wind on a turn or two. Lots of people insist on high tension, but neither I nor Cindie, nor Jane Stafford are a slave to that. Call me if you need to and I'll stay on the phone with you while you wind it on. :)
I think Theresa just about covered everything, but I thought I'd add that warping ftb or btf is a personal choice. Some weavers feel strongly about one way being the *correct* way, but I've done both, and use either way. On my smaller looms I warp ftb and on my large Glimakra, I warp btf as it just seems easier for me.
Learning a new way to set up a loom is tough and it takes many times of doing it before it feels easier. I guess that doesn't sound encouraging, but I just wanted to be realistic? It will feel natural to you after a few projects.
Another thought, I usually thread the heddles starting at the right side and working my way across. I just count the heddles before starting to make sure there's enough on each shaft. I've learned the hard way to count heddles after I threaded almost all of the heddles on one project and then ran out before the warp was done-not a pretty moment!! On a jack loom, which I think you said this was, you just push the heddles to the sides of the shafts that you aren't using, so that opens up the space for threading and it's as if the extra shafts aren't there.
I hope that this helps. I've been there with weaving frustrations-it took me a long, long time before I liked my Glimakra countermarch loom, and it almost ended up in the fireplace several times :-)
Oh don't give up! You will get it. I agree with the comment above that you don't have to worry about high tension. It doesn't have to be tight...the tension just has to be even. The same across the warp. If you are warping by yourself, try to get a copy of Cay Garrett's Warping all by yourself. I swear by this book and she walks you through it like she's explaining it to a 4 year old...which works out really well for me, lol! Hey, if you're in South Florida let me know. So am I and I don't run into too many weavers down here.
I can't help with technical advice but I'll be here cheering you on. You can do it! :-D
Wow, I just relived my first warping and I had taken a class. Don't give up!!!!
You are going to be fine, take it one step at a time and follow Theresa's advice.
I almost never weight a warp when winding on, just do exactly what Theresa does and walk to the other side of the loom and give a tug every few cranks. The ONE time I had help, the person helping (Mr.LadyotheLoom who thought he knew best) tugged too hard and broke some threads at the edges.
To me, warping front to back is a pain because I feel I have to finish with the whole sleying at one time. Back to front I can take breaks. The one exception might be with stripes where it would be harder to wind the stripes on the warping board because you have to cut a lot of threads and tie knots where you change colors.
I thread the heddles from the right like Judy does. I push all of the heddles to the left before I start and use the ones I need.
And I take breaks because my body likes breaks. I have even left the warp raddled and waiting for weeks before I wound it on.
One thing I would add is that when you get your loom warped and the weaving started is to release the warp tension a little when you get up and leave it. That way the warp does not stretch.
Theresa is so nice to be first to explain this so well!
referring to #4
Measure the width of your warp. 48 ends divided by 15epi = 3.2" wide. Subtract 3.2 from the width of your reed, say 30". 30 - 3.2 =26.8.
26.8 divided by 2 =13.4"
Start threading your warp 13.4" from the right side of your loom.
Now you read the draft from one side to the other.
Yes, it does get easier! With some practice, all of it will "click". Breathe deeply, and have fun!
Yes, it does get easier with experience. And faster. It still isn't fun, but it does get better. :)
Oooooh, I disagree Leigh. Warping is fun. It's one of the best steps. It's so exciting and full of anticipation.
It will all fall into place with practice.
Hi, I'm the Cindie Theresa referenced. I own 2 Macombers, my first bought in '86. Personally I think back to front is easier but on this loom especially because when it comes to threading your heddles you can put the front beam down to the floor and sit right in there on a stool at eye level, no back breaking job. You do not need another person to help you beam. Going through the lease sticks give you some tension, I wind a few turns (depends on how sticky the warp is) go to the front of the loom and start pulling in bundles across the front - each time I do this I start pulling at the other side - you'll be able to feel the warp tighten up on the beam. No, don't take extra harnesses off, just slide those heddles to the sides. Don't start threading in the center, start at one side, depends on if you're left-handed or right-handed which feels more natural for you. Picture looks ok, I hang my lease sticks off the castle, works very well, loops hang there all the time, I just slide the lease sticks in. I love warping, it shouldn't be stressful, just take a deep breath.
I realize I'm late in responding, but better late than never.
I agree with most of the comments above. I almost always warp btf, just because I do. I've done ftb, but it seems clumsy to me. Or maybe I'm just clumsy.
Unlike Theresa, I have my raddle exactly where yours is (I assume I'm looking at the back beam, yes?). Although yours looks much fancier than mine, with 2 rows of separators instead of one.
Like Cindie, I hang my lease sticks from the castle, and find it much easier and less time consuming than tying them in place each time. In fact, I hang them with Texsolv, so I can easily have them up high when I'm beaming the warp and down lower when I'm threading heddles simply by moving the Texsolv pegs.
I have never had the luxury of anyone helping me in the beaming process, and I've been hundreds of times. Some fibers are much more challenging than others to work with (anything with little hairs), some very easy (like bamboo). I don't have that book mentioned by Spinning Out Of Control -- sounds like it would have helped.
One thing no one else mentioned was combing. I comb, comb, comb the warp as I'm winding it on. So turn a few cranks, walk to front of loom, and comb out the warp in sections. Turn a few cranks and repeat. Some fibers I can turn many cranks, some only 1-2. I use a standard hair comb, usually one with wide teeth (unless I'm beaming a very fine thread).
It DOES get easier. When I started, I, too, hated the process, and now I, too, like it.
Hang in there, and keep us posted on your progress!
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