Simple Measuring Tool to Aid in Winding a Sectional Warp

The Royal Hand Weavers of Nigeria demonstrate an ingenious tool to track how much warp is being wound on.  This is simply a pre-measured string wound onto a separate spool.  This is the guide string that keeps track of how much warp they are winding onto their warping drum, so that all sections have the same amount. 

I thought this would be a good way to keep track of how much I am winding on.  I know you can count the turns, but it seems something always happens to interrupt that process -- a tangle, the dog wants to go out, or whatever-- and you lose track of where you were in the counting.  I also purchased a gadget that will measure the string as it passes through (something fisherman use), but that seems to be unreliable--and I don't have the right sized batteries for it.  This analog way of tracking the length of the warp should be fool proof! 

Without having to re-invent the wheel, I tried using my ball'n winder because it's already designed to easily wind and unwind yarn.  I also considered using my skein winder, but it takes up a lot of space ... 

Very simply, I attached the ball'n winder to the top of my spool rack.  It has a pre-measured guide string in a neon yellow color that will stand out from the natural cotton.  I attached it to an empty section on the warp beam (It does not go through the tension box), and let it roll on with the 24 yarns for the "real" section.  When it runs out, I know I've wound on the required amount of yarn.  

This system worked like 2 charms!  

 

 

Cardboard guides to keep the guide thread winding onto the correct section. 

The only caution is that the section used for the guide string should also have the little metal pieces that make sure the string winds onto the right section.  Sometimes, it missed and wound around the rod instead of the section.  Honestly, I had to watch that guide string winding on more than the section with 24 threads!  Because I did not have a 2nd set of the little metal guides that slip onto the section separators, I made some out of cardboard.  Very make-shift.  I'll have to order another set for that very important section! 

Thinking Out Loud: Planning a DIY Spool Rack for Sectional Warping

 Finished Spool Rack / Creel

Someone gave me a tapestry weaving loom (Thank you Jean P.), but I decided that I don't need yet another new hobby at this point (Maybe someday when I have to downsize to a quieter smaller loom, but not now.)  If I want to do tapestry, I'd probably work that out on one of the floor looms --I'd just be working horizontally vs. vertically, and not using the treadles.   

My husband helped me re-work this Navajo frame loom into a spool rack [Sorry -- I don't have a before picture.  Just imagine the frame above without the spools.]  These racks are ridiculously expensive to purchase already made, but they look simple enough to make at home -- or to adapt from existing items.   Bonus: My Dear Husband has agreed to help with this project.

 

Here's another shot, so you can see the 24 threads being fed into the tension device.  Order from chaos!  It just amazes me that this can work at all. 

Would the plastic bobbins work better with my bobbin winder?  It looks like I'm going to be spending a lot of time winding bobbins from large spools of cotton. Another option is to just buy the spools of cotton.  Captain Yarn has about the best price for 10/2 cotton.   I wound up buying 30 1/2-pound spools of 10/2 cotton from Captain Yarn in Canada, as he had the best price (plus $36 shipping)--before Bump's tarriffs kicked in a few years ago.  I will need 24 spools to wind a sectional warp for a coverlet.  I got the extras for the tabby weft.  

I cut some lime green rounds off of a pool noodle to act as spacers between the spools.  I was worried about runaway spools, but once I started filling the sectional beam, that was not a problem.  The tension box keeps things under tension and rolls out the yarn at a nice pace -- however fast you roll it on.  

Here is some of the research I did before making my DIY spool rack, just in case it might help someone else out there: 

There are multiple options for the 4-inch spools, too.  Cardboard or plastic.     The plastic spools sell for  $3 or $4 each.  [Rosie's Plastic Spool for $3 each or Leclerc's Plastic Spools for $4 each.  The cardboard ones from Schacht are $3.75, although you can get them cheaper on Amazon -- but I suspect you get what you pay for there-- They are also smaller.  So it may be worth the investment to get the good ones from The Woolery.  The official Spools for weaving hold 8 oz. of yarn.  That seems like a good benchmark for loading the bobbins.  

It sounds like I'd need to amend my DIY electric bobbin winder to use the Schacht cardboard bobbins so that it would be secured on both ends.  Not sure if it would work for the plastic bobbins.  I suspect it's a balance thing?  Since I am using the pre-wound spools, I don't need to waste time winding my own, and since my anticipated long-warp projects will be for coverlets, I can go with the standard white cotton spools.

More thinking out loud:

Here are a few spool racks currently on the market to give you an idea of what I'm talking about --along with the crazy high prices:

Folding 24-in. Spool Rack from Ability Weavers in MI 

• It folds up flat for easy storage.
• It also has the thread guides.
• Made for 4-inch 1/2-pound thread spools.
• Holds 24 spools.
  
• $165   
• Sales at Ability Weavers go to hiring more weavers.  They really do give back to the world.  It's a good cause.
  

Here's the Schacht Spool Rack

• Holds 40 4-inch spools.
• $377 at The Woolery.
• It doesn't seem to have the thread guides. 

 

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I found this one on Pinterest, but the follow-up link did not lead to more details.

I like how the centers turn for installing/swapping out the spools.  I wonder how hard that would be to replicate?  Hubby says KISS, so I guess that's a no.

 

 

Leclerc Bobbin Stand with Thread Guide (photo from The Woolery)  which sells for $213

This DIY version is from one of the weaving groups.  They added the thread guides to hold the thread up and keep the thread from slipping off the ends.  Yes, I think we can do that!

 

Will I need the thread guides, too?  Yes-- We added them. 

Setting up a Sectional Warp Beam--Like Real Weavers Do!

 

Don't those sections look lovely! 

[Later edit: I realize now that I will need to re-work some of these sections as they did not all wind on in even and flat ribbons, which will cause tension problems later on, so I need to deal with that issue BEFORE I thread heddles.  Still--It was a good 1st run! and good practice.] 

24 lines coming into wind on a section.

I love the way this looks -- kind of like a spider web. 

Now that I have the "little loom" (Not so little really: It's a Kessenich 30 -inch 4-shaft floor loom) newly set up with a sectional warp beam, I am planning to have it perpetually set up to weave coverlets for the for see-able future.  I don't mind weaving multiple panels -- It just makes the joy of weaving last longer with a little less time on the set-up side. 

Warping and Starting a Loom Using the Sectional Warp Beam System [Vimeo video] by LeClerc Looms 

Since this is the first time I was winding the sectional beam with a spool rack /creel and the tension box, I wanted to review the process.  Lucky for me: LeClerc created this little video [above] as a reference.  Last time I did it, I did not have the spool rack, and ran the warp chains for each section on my vertical warping mill.  It took about 2 months to get it all done!  I'm hoping this more direct method will be quicker with fewer places to make mistakes.  

It took about 8 hours to wind on 29 sections; About 10 minutes per section, once I got the hang of it towards the end.  Much less time than running a separate warp chain for each section, and much less frustration that trying to wind on a 16-yard warp all at once!

I'll make a separate post about my DIY creel rack.  I want to make sure it works and doesn't need any modifications before I post it. [It worked out surprisingly well!  And easy enough to make.]

I bought the 10/2 cotton thread from Captain Yarn in Canada. 

 

I measured off a neon yellow guide string so that I knew how long to wind each section.  I have a fishing line counter, but I've heard those are not as accurate as you might expect them to be, and I didn't have the right size batteries to see if it worked -- Also, no way to attach it to the tension box.  The guide string worked very well attached to the ball'n winder at the top of the spool rack/creel.

The guide line winding on.    This section could have benefited from those nifty little metal guides that keep the line winding into the right section.  I only had 1 set which I used for the cotton.  I made a DIY cardboard set as shown above.  It worked but the metal ones would have worked better.  I'll have to purchase another set for this purpose.

  

Here are the metal ones that worked so well for the actual sections, along with the yellow guide wire at the end of the beam. 

 

  

Things worked pretty well, but there is always a learning curve when trying new things.

Although I wound on the first section correctly, I realized I'd wound on the next 4 sections in the wrong direction.  So I had to make myself a note to make sure I pushed the beam down as I was winding on.  I'll have to pull those 4 sections off and re-wind them in the correct direction.  Fortunately, they are already pre-measured, so it should not be too much trouble to run it through the tension box again.

 

 Special THANKS to my Dear Husband who helps with the additional tools I require for this weaving journey.  He built the sectional warp beam and modified the frame loom into a spool rack.  

Squirrel Cage Swift

This is a squirrel cage swift.   

It's used to wind skeins of yarn into balls or cakes.  

I didn't think I needed one of these, but this one fell into my hands this weekend.   An older quilter friend had an estate sale this weekend, and this was one of the pieces in the sale.  She had wanted to get into spinning in her craft life.  He daughter said that a friend in Ohio made this for her out of oak.  It is a very solid and substantial piece!  Although she didn't get around to using it, she had it sitting in her living room as a piece of furniture.

I have a bale singles still in skeins  [See the bag of blue and red yarn above.] that I purchased for upcoming coverlet projects.  This squirrel cage swift will make it much easier and quicker to get them onto the bobbins for weaving. Yahoo!  I wonder if I can go directly from the skeins to bobbins?

Thank you, Universe, and Marilyn C.  You knew I needed this!   And now I have something that belonged to you, a thing I will use and cherish!

Here's a video demonstrating how this type of swift works. 

I think this one would need some slight amendments in order to wind a skein onto it, as from a spinning wheel bobbin.  I'd have to add a crank, or turning handle to the upper squirrel cage.  It's do-able. 

Arcane Fiber Works - Gorgeous Hand Dyed Yarn

Arcane Fiber Works - Driftwood

 

Have you seen these?  Arcane Fiber Works is a dye shop in Canada that uses photos to inspire the colors of their dye combinations on yarn.   

I ordered 2 skeins of Driftwood for my next pair of socks on the knitting looms.  I used one of my retirement gift certificates to pay for it. Huzzah!

I also wanted to get a closer look, with the intention of dying some of my own in this style.  The owner has a keen eye for color!

Arcane Fiber Works - My Guide to Hand-Dyed Yarn - Pumpkin Spice 

They have a number of videos showing their methods.   The real trick is to figure out what dye colors to mix up and in what proportions.  I think I can use my Periodic Table of Colors to figure out the dye mixes.

This is what it looks like balled up.

 

I already turned the skeins into balls and  loaded them up on my 64-peg oval sock knitting looms from CinDWood.  This will be the handwork project for the next year or so ...  Here I've already worked up the toe box with a kitchener cast for one of the socks. 

Cascade Wool Socks Finished on the Oval Knitting Loom

Wool Socks

I think I started this pair of socks around Christmas time (?)  I worked on them during down time while traveling, and also during my Quilting get-togethers so I would have some handwork to do.  I don't do much hand stitching.

I used the 64-peg 1/4-inch oval knitting loom by CinDWood.    The yarn was Paton's Kroy sock yarn in cascade colors, which is wool, but quite thin.  I should be able to wear these socks in shoes, rather than relegating them to be winter bed socks.

I was wondering how these would turn out on the larger loom.  Looks like a perfect fit!

Quilt Guild Rummage Sale 2026 - My Haul

$3 Fabric Bundle

I was not going to buy anything at the Quilt Guild Rummage Sale this week, but then I saw a couple of fabric bundles that were too good to pass up!  I spent a grand total of $7.  What a deal!

I think these will work well with the silk pack I picked up on the free table a few months ago.  

 

 

This could be a good quilt back. 

Entries for the Fly-In Quilt Show 2026

LSQG Fly In Quilt Show 2026

When: Thursday, July 23, 2026   8 am - 4pm

Where: Lourdes High School, 110 N Sawyer St Oshkosh WI

 

* Vendors, Bed Turning, Door Prizes, Raffle Quilt, Sale Items, Lunch served.

 

FREE ADMISSION 

What is a Bed Turning?   This is a special collection of old, antique quilts or other items with a special story behind them.  They are laid out on tables in the shape of a bed, and one-by-one, each item is lifted up and shown while the story is shared.  There will be 3 bed turnings during the day.  The bed turning is in addition to all the quilts that will be on display throughout the day.

Here are my entries for the 2026 Fly In Quilt Show.  It's been a productive year!  All of these were finished within the last year.    These are all bed quilts or Challenge Quilts.  No bed turning entries this year for me, although I signed up to help hold up the quilts as the stories are being read.

I am once again doing the registrations for the show entries, keeping track of the quilts and their paperwork to make sure they get hung with accurate documentation, and then get returned to the makers after the show.   It's kind of fun -- in an order from chaps kind of way.

 Koi Pond Scrappy Duckworth 

 

Raspberries & Cream Manx Log Cabin

 

Seaside Wedding Double Wedding Ring Quilt

 

 

Stained Glass Quilt 

 

Challenge Quilts - Based on a favorite song or lyric

 Moonlight Sleeping on a Midnight Lake 

Inspired by the song Homeless by Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Paul Simon 

 

 

Red-Tailed Hawk Sailing Down the Canyon ...

Inspired by John Hiatt's song, "Before I Go." 

 

Here's a detail shot of the hawk.

You might also see some of the Lone Star Tote Bags for sale in the boutique:

I hope to see you there!

The Little 4-Shaft Kessenich Loom Gets a DIY Sectional Warp Upgrade

My Dear Husband (DH) with the sectional warp he made for my 4-shaft Kessenich Floor Loom

I was so pleased with the sectional warp added to the BIG loom last summer, that I decided to buy another set for the little loom way back in January 2025 [I think I'd gotten a bonus at work at the time].  The sectional warp worked so well to mitigate tension problems on the big 8-shaft loom that I thought it was worth it to set up the smaller 4-shaft loom, too.  I am thinking the little loom may be the better one for coverlet panels -- Make the joy last, put on a longer warp and do 3 or 4 panels instead of just 2 wider panels. 

Mary Meigs Atwater told new weavers they would save a lot of grief in tension issues if they used a sectional warp.  She's right!  I am a believer now! 

I ordered the LeClerc rails from The Woolery, again.  Although they are built and shipped from the LeClerc factory in Canada.   Shorter rails for my shorter loom.  Since Bruce at Kessenich Looms is pretty much retired, I couldn't get the official sectional warp beam built for these looms.

My husband figured out how to set it up again, similar to how he did it on the big loom.  I won't need the angel wings if I use the little tension box as I'm winding on section-by-section. Although, some shorter warps would still be wound on the old way, front-to-back.

I am grateful that his woodworking skills are sufficient enough to help build weaving tools for me.  His grandfather and other family members in France worked in woolen weaving mills back in the day, so he gets some satisfaction out of it, too.

 

DIY / Home-made Ratchet and Pawl 

The main obstacle this time was where to get a suitable ratchet and pawl.  Last time, there was a guy on etsy who sold them, made of wood.  He seems to no longer be in business.  You can't really find them anywhere (Someone told me to go down to the local hardware store -- Ha!  They don't have 'em!) -- which is so odd, because it's such a practical and elemental thing for machines.  Metal ones are super expensive.  In the end, he drafted one (AI was useless for this purpose -- You should see some of the dumb designs it came up with!) and cut it out himself.  I'm glad he did it because I would much rather weave than do wood working!

My husband may do a guest post about how he built this sectional warp, for any of you out there who may be interested in doing the same.    He had to add some extra wood to the legs to attach the sectional warp.  It is removable if I need to fold it up and store it for a while.  

 

1 time around = 1/2 yard.   Although, I may not need to worry about that so much, as I think I will be using a guide string to tell me when I've wound on enough yarn for any given section ...  More on that later.  Now I'll have to figure out how to use my creel to wind on like normal sectional warp users do!

 Who-hooh!  I've waited a long time for this!  Thank you, Sweetie! 

 

There's still some warp left from the Mountain Cucumber Coverlet Project.  I may weave that off as towels -- It's such a pleasing pattern, and I have not put away the 300+ treadle beads for that project yet, either!  I've been busy with the "big" loom since that project finished a few years ago.  

Weaving the Blazing Shuttles Sherwood Forest Warp

Weaving The Sherwood Forest Warp from Blazing Shuttles

OMG - It is such a JOY to be weaving again!  

I am thrilled with the way this is starting out!  Why did I wait so long to get started?

 

Here's another section showing the color changes in this warp.  I love it! 

 

From the top, the thinner black weft thread is the focus here. 

From the bottom, the hand-dyed warp is the star.

 

 

 

Why is the real show underneath?  Because I have an 8-shaft jack loom with rising sheds.  I could have set it up to show this side on top, but I'd be raising too many sheds with each treadle.  The way it's set up now, I raise 3 sheds with each treadling.  

I can be patient and wait to see this when it's all done. 

 

Here's a shot from when I was just getting started, testing different colored weft yarns.  

I know it looks kind of clumsy.

From the bottom (after the white), is charcoal (kind of a light gray, hematite color), forest green, quarry, and navy blue. 

I went with the Navy 10/2 Perl Cotton. 

This also gives me a chance to practice the treadling sequence before I start on the actual piece.  I learned not to slam the beater down for this project, or the pattern gets too squashed.  It's enough to lightly set the weft in place. 

I can do the whole 104 treadle sequence in about 20 minutes which results in about 4 inches of woven fabric, under tension. 

The plan is to work up a 72-inch scarf with fringe, then work up the rest as yardage.  It's too narrow for towels, but I'm thinking of patching a section onto a tote bag or a jean jacket or vest. 

Getting Ready to Weave Again: Sherwood Forest Hand-Dyed Warp by Blazing Shuttles

Sherwood Forest Hand-Dyed Warp by Blazing Shuttles in 3/2 Cotton 

 

I have been missing the physical motion and the clack-clack sounds of weaving.  It will be good to be back at it again.  Soon ...

I admit to weaving paralysis when it comes to this gorgeous hand-dyed warp by Blazing Shuttles because I didn't want to ruin it.   I've had this warp since 2022!  To me, these are the colors of Scotland in early spring.  Before things turn that luscious green, they are red ...

• 2 3/2-cotton warps in Sherwood Forest 
• 100 ends each = 200 ends total 
• 4.5 yards 

This weight of yarn is said to be suitable for towels or heavier outdoor fabrics.   So perhaps, I will get some towels out of it, or a scarf, but also have some left to patch into a jean jacket, or some other wearable.  

I plan to use this twill draft for 8 shafts as shown here.  

I can tie on to the ends of the last warp, as it is already threaded in a point twill.  That should save me oodles of time threading heddles.

• 16 ends-per-inch for a twill  
• 15-dent Reed with 1 thread per dent 
• or 8-dent reed with 2 threads per dent [This is the one I went with ...]
• or the 10-dent reed with 1-2-1-2-1-2 threading
• 12.5 inches wide in the reed 

 

 

I combined / split the warps like so:

        Warp 1 50 ends | Warp 2 100 ends  | Warp 1 50 ends 

 

There are multiple steps to getting set up this time around, though fewer than if I had to thread heddles, and run a warp myself.

Step 1: Swap out the reed and re-thread 200 ends.  

Step 2: Work out the treadling.  

Step 3: Program the draft into iWeaveIt to make sure there are no mistakes in it.  Make adjustments as needed.
Step 4: Tie the new warp onto the old strings.  Gently pop the knots through the reed and heddles, then wind on as normal.  [I learned the hard way NOT to wind on before the knots have passed through the tight spots.  Too many strings break that way!]
Step 5.  Tie onto the front beam.
Step 6: Set the treadles to the shafts.
Step 7: Set up Treadle Beads.
Step 8: Do a test weave to check threading, treadles, etc.   

Step 9: Decide on a weft color / thread.  What will work with this gorgeous warp? [I'll have to order this and then wait a week to actually weave ... Sigh!]

Step 10: Begin weaving cloth again! 

 

Here are the initial test weaves.  Only 1 set of crossed threads in the reed.  Easy enough to fix!

Ignore the color, I am just trying to ascertain the right yarn size for the weft.  

10/2 top white

3/2 middle white (same as warp, though it looks much thicker)

or a very fine black at the bottom.

 

I have not been able to get a good look at how it comes out on the other side.

I put in an order at Yarn Barn of Kansas for 4 mini-spools of 10/2 cotton in dark colors:

 

Evergreen - Quarry - Navy - Charcoal

 

Something from that list should work.