A few weeks ago I posted here about trying to use bubble wrap as warp packing material. While it started out fine it ended up being far from ideal.

I just am finishing up a 12-yard warp and have made a switch to bamboo blinds as packing material. This was suggested by Laura Fry. The bamboo is wonderful! I wish I had switched to it years ago. It's so easy to wind on with and holds the yarn tight. I will never go back to using kraft paper.

And FYI, just yesterday I noticed my local Bed Bath and Beyond is selling 13 x 72 bamboo table runners for around five bucks. Much cheaper than what Home Depot is selling their 15 x 72 blinds for. 13 x 72 isn't wide but if you only need it for scarves and such these would work. A plus is that you don't have to remove any hardware from the table runners. 

Comments

Sat, 07/04/2015 - 13:44

Joanne Hall

I can understand your desire to find something that is very inexpensive.  When you have many looms, you can easily run out of whatever you are using on the warp beam.  But some weavers will purchase a variety of things and invest in some that do not work so well.  One criteria for long warps is that what you use not be bulky.  Weaving warp sticks, made for beaming warps, are used intermittently so there is little build up.

The main criteria for something to place on a warp beam as you wind on is that it be perfectly flat.  It also needs to not bend sideways.  If the blinds have any bumps, even very small, it will change the circumference of the warp beam.  And if they bend down at the selvages, even just a little, it makes the circumference smaller at the selvages. 

If you purchase something which can bend or is not perfectly flat, it will not work very well for non-stretchy warps, which require more perfect beaming to maintain equal tension.

If you purchase something, why not check The Woolery, Yarn Barn or any supplier and get warp sticks, made for the purpose.  They work on all warps and they last for generations.  As a supplier, we send a lot of them to shops, so we know that many weavers find them very affordable and a good investment.

Joanne

Wed, 07/08/2015 - 00:56

GiaG

My local Ace Hardware suggested yardsticks.  I don't know if warp sticks should be hardwood - the yardsticks aren't, but they worked pretty well.  They were a little over $1.00 each so it wasn't much of an investment and they are handy when you need a measuring instrument.  There wasn't a problem with them bending.