I have been researching historic occupations trying to figure out what skills a homesteading community would need to survive with the technology found in certain periods of time in the past.

I found several genealogical websites that have lists of occupations.  I think about 1/3 of the listed occupations have to do with the textile industry.  This has lead me to research weaving technology so I could better understand the various jobs involved.

Now I am thinking about trying to build a weaving loom so I can get an even better understanding of the technology.  But, from what I’ve read and what I have seen online I don’t think I will ever understand how to install the warp on a loom.

So I am trying to design a loom with a simpler warping method.

I want to be able to produce cloth of any length so I will have a roller mechanism of some sort to wind up the finished cloth.  But, can anyone suggest a minimum width for the loom?  What’s the smallest width a piece of cloth can be and still be useable to make a piece of clothing from?

Also, I want to use separate spools for each strand of warp rather than using a warping board.  Would individual separate warp strands be feasible, or does the warp have to be a continuous strand of yarn/thread to be useable?

And how do you keep a finished piece of cloth from unraveling?  Do you tie the weft to the warp at any time?  How do you deal with the loose ends?

Comments

Sun, 05/18/2014 - 14:43

ReedGuy

Loose ends are sewed or fringed/knotted. Then it is washed (wet finished) to help make the threads more stable and to "full" the cloth. Warp can be individual strands of yarn, but it's more efficient to take 2 or 4 ends of yarn (2-4 spools/cones) and wind on a mill. These would be held in a spool rack. An old book by Ed Worst shows a loom and some things used to warp it with. Some building plans are shown as well. The loom in it is old fashioned, but if you want old fashioned this is where you can start. The tools are still used today, I have built many of them shown in the book using his plans.

Foot Powered Loom Weaving

Special care is taken to spread the warp threads evenly and to wind the warp onto the warp beam of the loom with even tension.   'Warp sticks' or other packing material keep the layers of yarn from cutting into layers below and from slipping out the edges, both which can cause uneven tension troubles. Your warp threads need tension to make sturdy cloth. Other aids are the lease sticks while warping and weaving and the temple/stretcher when weaving a wide piece. I have recently woven 30 yards of chair webbing (2" wide) on a 60" wide loom. So, weave as wide as the loom will hold if you want and if you want wider, there is always 'double weave' technic that creats two layers, with a fold on one side.

Warping is the process of measuring the yarn and setting it up on the loom ready to weave.

 

Oh, you have lots to learn, grasshopper. :)

Sun, 05/18/2014 - 15:13

sandra.eberhar…

If you don't understand how a loom works, and have nerver used one, it will be difficult to make a working loom (unless you have a good set of plans and the tools to make it).  To understand the whole process, you want to follow the fiber from its source, animal or vegetal, to the finished cloth.  You may be more successful to find a guild or a store that sells spinning and weaving equipment than trying to reinvent the craft yourself.  People all over the world warp looms and weave with very simple and primitive to complex and modern equipment.  You tube has a lot of videos of people weaving on all types of looms that may be usefull to you.