I think I've warped and dressed the rh correctly.  All tension seemed even when I began.  Now, a yard into the weaving, the threads on the selvedges are quite loose.  This has happened with each of my projects since I got the loom 3 months ago. I know how to add some tension mid-project.  But is there a trick to getting those threads to keep their tension.  Here are some things I've tried/considered:

1.  Could it be that pulling the shuttle through with a mop yarn as weft is yanking the tension out of the 3/2 cotton warp?  It seems particularly bad on this project.

2.  Tried tying smaller groups when tying to apron.  Tried making the tension a bit more on the edge than the middle threads.

3.  I've tried direct warping and warping on a board then transferring to the loom.

Any ideas or commiseration are welcome. Thanks.

 

Comments

Karren K. Brito

I suspect that the edge warp threads  are falling off the bundle of the warp on the beam making them looser. 

The warp threads wound on the back beam should look like a cylinder with flat ends, not tapered ends.  In my crude drawings the top one is good and the bottom one will cause you problems.

These drawing omit the paper or sticks that separate the layers.  One way to get loose  threads at the edges is to wind like the top drawing and now as you weave the threads at the ends have slipped off the bundle (look like the bottom drawing) and are going around a smaller diameter hence are looser.  Sometimes  you can slip them back on top of the bundle. 

The longer the warp, the fatter the warp bundle, the more chance that the end threads will fall off.  When you wind on the warp beam next, pay a lot of attention to the selevage threads as you wind on.  Paper can hide what is going on, somethimes sticks or slats give you more chance to see what is happening as you wind on.

Weavolutionary

Karren's suggestions are very good.  The only thing I might add to is purchase Joanne Hall's Learn to Warp your loom book.  I learned a lot about warping any loom from that book but mostly how to have even tension beaming the warp on the back.  The book can be found HERE.  I do not get any compensation from this suggestion, it's a good resource. 

Claudia