In the past, when I wanted to warp multiple colours and textures changes, I knotted the threads together as I changed colours. This could result in knotting every thread. This made for a lot of knots and time, especially if the changes are frequent. Are there other ways of warping to accommodate mixing multiple colour and or texture changes other than using a sectional beam with tension box? Thanks, Cindy

Comments

Wed, 03/15/2017 - 15:32

danteen (not verified)

If you are warping on a warping board with more than one thread and if you make all the color changes at the beginning peg on the warping board, you can just drop a color by winding it a few times around that peg. Leave it and start another color, then when you need it again, pick up the first one again. Then you can eliminate the knotting step and those longer ends can just be cut off when you remove the warp from the warping board. I have an AVL warping wheel that I use with my sectional beam. It allows changing colors every end, if you are so inclined, though you have to buy the wheel. You can use it for making multiple warp chains and then put them on the loom as you usually would. I've heard of warping front to back and "designing in the reed" Multiple small warps are made of a single yarn each and then distributed throughout the reed as you wish. I don't like warping from front to back any more, so do not do that. You may be able to get some info about front to back warping from interweave.com. This is the website for the publisher of Handwoven and they have some instructions on that site under the Weaving heading for this type of warping. You may have to sign in to access the instructions. Even if you warp sectionally, all your color/texture changes would need to be repeated in all of the sections to make it the most efficient, anyway. I got the Warping Wheel when I was doing lots of color changes and most sections on the sectional beam had a different arrangement so I was re-threading the tension box for each section. Was like threading the loom twice.
Thu, 03/16/2017 - 09:44

Toronto

If there is some repeat pattern in colours, you can try using a paddle and wind as many threads at once as are in a section that would be repeated. If it is all random, then Danteen's suggestion works well.