If you use a paddle to warp with, can you get away with smaller gaps between the pegs? I only mean the main pegs, not the ones for the crosses, there's too much fiddling needs to be done there. ;)
I dont use a paddle, to warp on the board
I use my fingers and it works
Just did this during this past weekend and handle 4 threads at one time.
I also warped up and down (instead of side by side) easier on my shoulders
You still need room for your hands regardless if you use a paddle or carry the threads in your hands, I think.
cheers,
Laura
for your hands to move in between the pegs. Plus, one does not use a paddle for winding 2, 3 or 4 threads. And when you use your hand, you can detect knots or flaws in the warp. You will miss them when using a paddle. So, for most warps, you will wind just with your hands.
Joanne
and I concur. You need the peg space. The paddle has to wind around those pegs and keep the threads in order, even if you are not at the cross. In fact, my paddle may require a bit more space between the pegs than my hands, because my hands are flexible, a paddle is rigid.
I have two paddles. A commercial one made from a piece of plastic rigid heddle (with slots and holes) mounted in a wood handle, and a home made one of all wood with holes. (The wood one with the holes lives in the loom bench and gathers dust!)
When I use the paddle, I am typically winding more than 4 threads in a variety of materials. (If 4 or less, I can do it in my hand.) Daryl Lancaster gives great workshops in a variety of warping techniques, so this is where I first learned how to use a paddle.
If it is efficiency you are seeking, give both a try, and you might find 4 in your hand are easier than 8 or 12 through a paddle, because it CAN get fiddly at the cross the more threads you are manipulating.
Thanks everyone. I'll stick with the standard spacing then, at least until I've had plenty of practice with the crosses.
