Warping the Loom

Heavy snow storms delayed our lessons for a few weeks, but my teacher Dianne and I were back in action today and I got to warp a loom for the first time.

First we determined how many reeds would need to threaded for the width of my piece, plus the number of warp threads to slide through each reed. Next we took our measured and cut warp sections, wrapped them around the edge of the loom for tension, then began sliding each one through the reeds.

And for a close up look:

Next we moved to the other side of the loom and picked up the warp thread from the other end to thread through the heddles, which are the long hanging metal slats with a hole in the middle.

Next the ends were tied off.

And then we used loops tied to the end of the loom to hold the tied back warp thread taught.

Next we untied the warp strings that had been wound around the front of the loom and began pulling the them through the reeds and the heddles, winding them around a turning bar on the back of the loom as we went.

Once the warp was completely pulled through and taught with no snags or twists, we tied off the ends.

And there you have it for this week. Next Tuesday we will start weaving in the weft (aka crosswise) yarn through the warp. The whole process is still a bit confusing to me, this being the first time for everything, but it feels really good to be learning something new. I'm sure I'll need to weave a number of pieces before I really understand what is going on and why things are done the way they are, but for now I am happy taking it one step at a time. Stay tuned for wefting next week!