Tying on a new warp

I have tied my new warp onto the warp that I left on the loom from the previous project. The last time that I did this I tied on in front of the heddles  (http://gangewifre.blogspot.com.au/2010/05/tying-on-new-warp.html). This time I followed the excellent instructions to be found on Peggy Osterkamp's Weaving Blog (http://peggyosterkamp.com/100-great-weaving-tips/)






The only deviation from the script is the lilac yoga brick with a knitting needle stuck in the side and held steady by a small weight. I used this to help me position and tension each knot. I formed the knot around the needle and then slipped it off.

• Top Left shows the set up. There are two broom sticks running from the back beam to the front beam with a plank resting on the top. My plank is a bit rough so I have put a tea towel on top. The new warp comes up over the back beam, through its lease sticks and over the plank. Each one inch bout is held taut by a small weight which dangles own from the front edge of the plank (not visible). The old black warp emerges from behind the heddles, goes through its lease sticks and rests on the plank.
• Top Right shows the two warps approaching each other through their respective sets of lease sticks and held firmly in place by a small weight attached via a snitch knot. This is the the action area where the two warps are tied together with a square knot.
• Bottom Left shows the new warp at the back beam.
• Bottom Right shows the area where the two warps have been tied together  The knots have been advanced through the heddles and reed to just behind the front beam.

I would say I spent as long as I would have done threading the warp but I took my time and checked everything very carefully. It took me a while to work out the optimal positioning for the two warps and how to secure the ends in place before tying them together. I also took a lot of photos for a record for next time. Towards the end I really speeded up and I am sure that  this it will prove to be a real time saver the next time I do it.

This is the second time hat I haveI

Tying on a new warp

My next warp on this threading (Double 2 & Stitched Double Weave) is Bendigo 2 ply wool. Having only tied on a new warp to the old once before (not a success) I did a bit of research, studied my class notes from when we had a demo and looked at this blog here; http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com/2007/08/tying-on-new-warp.html

I tried this way but could not mange to have the warp in my left hand with the cross neatly separated by my fingers  AND select the correct ends AND tie knots at the same time. I got cramps, dropped things and generally got into a right royal mess. But I persisted and as I struggled along  what Adam Smith wrote " Men are much more likely to discover easier and readier methods of attaining any object, when the whole attention of their minds is directed towards that single object, than when it is dissipated among a great variety of things" started to become true.


I gave up trying to hold the new warp but put it into open ended lease sticks made by taking the cross maker from my AVL warping wheel and attaching it to the beater arm. Picking out the next new warp thread became easy. I overcame the problem of disentangling the old warp ends as they emerged from the reed by combing them out and holding them in place with a mini reed from a tension box.


I wound little warp chains of  24 ends at a time; I wasn't that speedy but the whole operation became completely stress free.

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