I have been researching historic occupations trying to figure out what skills a homesteading community would need to survive with the technology found in certain periods of time in the past.
I found several genealogical websites that have lists of occupations. I think about 1/3 of the listed occupations have to do with the textile industry. This has lead me to research weaving technology so I could better understand the various jobs involved.
Now I am thinking about trying to build a weaving loom so I can get an even better understanding of the technology. But, from what I’ve read and what I have seen online I don’t think I will ever understand how to install the warp on a loom.
So I am trying to design a loom with a simpler warping method.
I want to be able to produce cloth of any length so I will have a roller mechanism of some sort to wind up the finished cloth. But, can anyone suggest a minimum width for the loom? What’s the smallest width a piece of cloth can be and still be useable to make a piece of clothing from?
Also, I want to use separate spools for each strand of warp rather than using a warping board. Would individual separate warp strands be feasible, or does the warp have to be a continuous strand of yarn/thread to be useable?
And how do you keep a finished piece of cloth from unraveling? Do you tie the weft to the warp at any time? How do you deal with the loose ends?