Direct warping a floor loom. Yes, that sounds crazy, but necessity is the mother of invention. Here are my two main issues; no warping board and a huge 5 dent reed. After warping my newly acquired floor loom twice, taking the warp chains to the reed, then sleying the reed then threading the heddles, I thought there must be an easier way. Then I thought I could double my epi to 10 by sleying two threads per slot. Why not combine both steps at once?
I pulled out my cricket loom and put the 25" 5 dent reed in the rear slot. Then I literally warped my dining room, going from the counter, around my son's high chair, around another chair then to the loom. I pulled a loop through and placed it on a wooden dowel at the rear of the reed.
I took the pre-threaded reed to the loom and secured it. I guess I should have mentioned that I was warping front to back. Sorry ;) Working in small groups, I took loops off the dowel and cut them, then threaded the heddles. For this pattern I threaded 1,2,3,4 across the warp.
Here is the warp in 3 stages; threaded, cut & ready the thread, uncut loops still on the dowel.
Though quite ridiculous in its execution, this idea did work and I had no threading errors. I will direct warp my reed again, I'll just make sure to watch the tension on the warp more carefully.
Here is the weaving in progress .......
Clever. Could you have used the reed as a raddle and wound directly into warp beam, then cut warp at what was end peg and then threaded back to front?
ReplyDeleteGood article...not at all crazy...VERY clever
Hahaha. It's been a while since I posted that one. My son has since outgrown the high hair and I now own a warping board. I like your reed for raddle idea. I will definitely try that!!!
DeleteBrilliant!
ReplyDeleteThis is freaking BRILLIANT! I've woven on my RH for YEARS (with a 6 year hiatus) and recently "graduated" to multi-shaft floor and table looms.
ReplyDeleteI KNEW there had to be a better way and seeing your reed with the dowel just made the lightbulb go off. I wish I'd seen this post last night but since my warp is still in lease sticks and not cut yet (but crappily beamed), I'm going to see if I can salvage it and rethread and beam it again.
Great idea. Do you remember how you secured the warp threads while pulling each loop through the reed? Did you weigh it down to the table near the choke to prevent the whole lot from sliding to the floor? I am facinated!
ReplyDeleteThank you, going to try this today. Very clever!
ReplyDelete