When I built my draw loom over the summer and warped it, I only put a short warp on - 5 yards. Well, I've been playing with it and weaving little things, but the rod on the warp beam has just made it's way over the back beam. That means that the distance left on the warp (from the back beam to the end of the last weaving) is still about 2 yards. On a regular loom that would leave a good distance yet to weave, but this is a draw loom.
My plan all along has been to tie on the next warp to save all the work of threading it through two sets of heddles.
So, my first question is, do I tie on now, or can I keep weaving until the warp is up to the back set of shafts? When ever I do it, I'll have to cut off the last weaving and re-beam because the tension will need to be equalized across the warp.
My second question is, where is the best place to tie on? I can beam the new warp on at the back, and then tie on at the back. I'd cut the last weaving off at the front, pull the tension to make it even again, and get some more weaving out of that last piece of warp. Or, I could cut the last piece off now and tie on at the front. Then I'd beam it front to back. This way the last two yards of the first warp would be back onto the warp beam again. I prefer back to front beaming if that makes any difference.
And third, if I plan to add pattern shafts when I add the new warp, does that make any difference for how I do it? (I haven't decided whether I will add any yet. I'm currently using 21, but the loom will hold 50.)
Thanks!