Hi! Well, I'm halfway through a four towel warp and have my first real tension problem. left side from selvedges in for about three inches is way less tensioned than right. As a result, second towel weaving has been slow because I'm doing every step slowly to adjust to try to keep things square and right. Then I went to old posts you've all made from weavers with tension problems and took the advice of finishing the piece I'm on, cutting the project off, re beam the last two towels, and start over. What a great learning experience! I began weaving this morning with no tension issue at all. I wish I knew what caused it though, so I can avoid a reoccurrence. The only culprit I can think of, since this hasn't happened before is that I didn't count heddles before I threaded the loom and as a result, ended up with lots of extras on the left side of two shafts. I know that if I'd counted first, I would have divided extras between two sides for balance. Seems like those shafts lift with a "tip" because weight isn't balanced. Hoping this doesn't mess me up for these next two towels. Or do you think I should get them off? HATE this job but know how to do it with threading top and bottom on yarns. Has this ever happened to you?

Comments

Sun, 04/19/2015 - 19:41

Sara von Tresckow

If your heddles are divided rather evenly in the center of your shafts, begin threading from the center of the warp going both right and left to the outside. This will leave even numbers of heddles on each side - you do need to learn how to thread in both directions.

Sun, 04/19/2015 - 20:13

Sue in VT

This is a procedure I've never read about, but it makes so much sense. It seems easy when it's an easy threading....that's probably when I'll try it. Sara, do you think the unbalanced heddles issue could cause tension issues?
Sun, 04/19/2015 - 22:24

ReedGuy

I don't know what kind of loom you have Sue. I'm on a countermarch here. But If I know I will have lots of Texsolv heddles, I routinely leave a few at the beginning not threaded on each shaft and put them out near the ends.  I don't count them. When my warp is centred in the loom I don't worry unless I am weaving nearly full width and the extras might crowd the warp. But if I weave a 40" piece and I have 62" wide loom it's not an issue for me to weave. I have some heddles on each end of the shafts not threaded and doesn't have to be an even distribution, never been a problem. I don't get the tipping issue. Now this may not even apply to your loom, there may be other things unique to your loom.

Mon, 04/20/2015 - 01:26

Sara von Tresckow

If your loom is a jack with metal heddles and the shaft is lifting unevenly, yes, there could be a problem with the tension.

Tue, 04/21/2015 - 15:41

alene

I have a Baby Wolf, and extra heddles on one side can cause tension issues. I know how many heddles I have on each shaft. If I move heddles I keep a record of how many and between each shaft and put the back after the piece is finished. When I am not using all the heddles on a shaft I count out a little less than half the number of heddles I wil not be using on that shaft and push them to the right. I thread right to left. If I threaded left to right I would push them to the left. I count out less than half in case I make an error in counting. I have threaded straight draw twill from the center, but I like to put the complex parts of my patterns in the threading and the tieup, not the treadling. I do the treadling many times, and the threading once. I do change tieups to get different patterns on the same threading.

Tue, 04/21/2015 - 16:13

Artistry

Hi Sue in Vt. I've got 2 baby wolfs, I've never had tipping issues from having too many heddles on one side, though this is a practice I do not recommend. You are more likely to get abrasion on your warp ends on the side with too many heddles. The baby wolf shafts are frames and are solid , lined up in metal groves when raised then let down, it would be hard for them for them to become unbalanced as other jack looms. ( my AVL is very sensitive to how many heddles on the sides). I would say since you cut off then tied on again and everything is fine, the tension issue is in your warp. Perhaps how you tied on. Do you have big knots at the front of the loom where you tied on? Try putting sticks over the knots so they don't distort your fell and subsequent weaving. It maybe in re beaming you've corrected the tension issue:) As far as heddles. Sara is absolutely right. One can start from the centre work right and left, one can work left to right, or right to left, suit yourself. Extra heddles, do try to divide them evenly from side to side. Some loom shafts will tip, abrasion can be an issue, it's been mentioned tension. Or take them off. Run a string thru the eye at the top of the heddle and another string at the bottom and tie them. They will stay orderly for you. Hope this helps, Good luck Cathie