I am a new weaver with limited rigid heddle experience. I've acquired a Dorset 4-shaft loom and would like to learn how to use it by making a plain weave scarf. I do I go about warping the loom? Thank you so much for your help!!!

Comments

Tue, 12/27/2011 - 22:33

Joanne Hall

Hi minnimom,

You might want to join a local weaving guild.  If you go to the website of the Handweavers Guild of America, click on about HGA, you will find a list of guilds.  There should be one near you.

You may also want to get a copy of my book, Learning to Warp your Loom.  It has planning projects as well as warping instructions.

[email protected]

Tue, 12/27/2011 - 23:04

sarahnopp (not verified)

To warp for tabby, ignore two of the shafts, threading only those heddles in the other two.
But to learn a bit more of the functionaltiy and pattern making potential, perhaps you should do a simple threading of 1-2-3-4? Then you can add pattern as you go along, and back to plain as you feel a need. 

Tue, 12/27/2011 - 23:20

laurafry

Even for plain weave I will thread all four shafts.  I thread from the back of the loom towards the front, so the first thread would be on shaft 4, then 3, then 2, then 1.  I find this a much more efficient order to thread than 1,2,3,4.

In addition to Joanne's book you might find my You Tube videos helpful - I have one on winding a warp on a warping board, and quite a few others, such as winding bobbins/pirns/paper quills, holding and throwing the shuttle and so on.

Welcome to the wonderful world of weaving.

Laura

Fri, 12/30/2011 - 02:56

Loom_a_tic (not verified)

Looks like Minimom and I are in the same boat, or warp here.  I can do a rigid heddle.  Now i want to go to my structo or floor loom which both have four harnesses.  I was wondering the same thing about plain weave.  So warping the loom at 1-2-3-4 etc, would you then use shafts 1&3 then 2&4 for the plain weave to work right?  I was going to just do a sample gamp to see what happens with warping pattern and threading pattern, and or maybe a color sample gamp.  Pardon the newbieness! :-)

Fri, 12/30/2011 - 03:33

lkautio (not verified)

Threading 1234 (straight draw) is a great way to start.  Plain weave (over one, under one) will then be 13 vs 24.  I gave my advanced/master level  students the first assignment of discovering how many different ways they could treadle a loom threaded this way.  We came up with well over 2000 - so there is a lot you can try!  Have fun,

Laurie Autio

Sat, 01/07/2012 - 18:04

Loom_a_tic (not verified)

Thanks for the info.  I am pretty sure I can get the Structo threaded that way, but I have another question.  Can you thread a 1234 on a counter balance loom, or do the shafts need to be threaded in pairs?

Thanks in advance!

 

Sat, 01/07/2012 - 19:26

laurafry

I don't know what you mean by 'pairs' but yes, you can thread any loom in a straight draw (1,2,3,4 or 4,3,2,1)

cheers,

Laura