Warping the Loom Front to Back : Day 2

I did it!  I did it!  With a minimum of swearing and frustration.  It's done!
This is a 10-yard warp which will be set up for weaving rugs. 

This is the first time I've ever been able to successfully warp a loom by myself.  I'd taken a live class 10 years ago after I first acquired a tiny little table loom.  Back then, I had a teacher who lead me through every step of the way.  I bought books which are nice references once you know what you're doing, but not so helpful if you can't remember what comes next.   Since then, usually I've enlisted the help of my friend Lynda to get me through the dreaded warping process.    She's had a very busy 6 months and  is traveling this week again.  Time for me to dig in and try it on my own -- after 10 years of training.

The online videos are a complete game-changer!  Thank you Tom Knisely at Interweave and Janet Dawson at Craftsy!  The classes make it so easy to watch a section (or re-watch it) and then go do that part of the process on my own schedule.  Tom K. is so calm and encouraging -- It's like listening to Bob Ross giving painting lessons.   

The warping mill is also a vast improvement over the too-big and unwieldy warping board that came with my loom.   Glad that's gone onto a new home -- someone who will properly appreciate it as I never could.  Equipment makes a huge difference -- whether it's figure skating or weaving!

If you recall, yesterday, I got the reed threaded, according to Tom Knisely's instructions.  One step at a time ...  Save the heddles for another day.

View from the backside of the loom.
Someone on one of the 4-shaft loom or rug weaving Facebook groups suggested color coding the heddles on each shaft, which can make a huge difference in preventing threading errors.  In other words, all the heddles on
     Shaft 1 are clear (not colored);
     Shaft 2 are Blue;
     Shaft 3 are Green;
     Shaft 4 heddles are Red.

I used Sharpie Markers.  If I ever want to remove the colors just above the heddle eyes, it's easy enough to do with a little rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball.  I colored only as many heddles as I needed for the standard set-up for rugs, which will make it easier next time.  There are more heddles on each shaft than I'm using currently, and more can be added or removed in future.

As I was threading the heddles, I knew I had to have 1 of each color for each set of 4 that I was doing.
This worked very well! No threading errors -- that I can tell so far.

 Let the threading commence!

This was another thing I don't recall doing solo in the past.  Lynda was usually there and one of us would hold the next thread for the other to pull through with a heddle hook.

Tom K. made it look so easy on his video.  Although he seemed to have heddles with nice big eyes, I think I have the flat steel ones, with a smaller eye, making the heddle hook indispensible.

I got half-way through this set on Sunday -- with a fan at my back to keep me cool on this 90-degree F day.   No aching back.  No aching neck.  No headaches.   I was really surprised.  

Finished threading the heddles this morning.

These are all tied off in bundles of 16 or 4 sets of heddles.

 The next task was tying onto the back beam.  Alright : That's easy enough to do by myself.

The next task was winding on the warp.  I had some concerns because of the way Tom K. recommended running warp threads in color blocks, rather than exactly as written in your pattern. Hence this is the view from the front side of the loom, with those crossed strings, I was worried there would be some tangles that would not be recoverable.  But Tom K. said it would be ok, and I decided to trust him.

The simple act of snapping the warp chain did wonders to straighten out the errant strings.

And pulling down on the warp periodically helped to even out the tension as it wound on.  

Tom K. was right!  Everything wound on just fine.  The reed and heddles managed to comb out any tangles, and even out the tension.  It all worked so remarkably well, I think I've found my preferred way to warp a loom front to back!

I also had some concerns about not using a home-made tension device -- basically 4 wooden dowels on the back side to even tension before the wound onto the back beam.  Or the issue of not having any regular tention pulling on the warp as it wound on.  But again, I think having it run through the reed and heddles did a lot of that work for me. 

 Another shot of the warp on the back side - 10 yards -- the longest warp I've ever dealt with.

 The next step was tying onto the front apron rod.  This has always been one of the most frustrating parts of the process, as it's always been difficult to get the tension right.  Also this is when threading errors show up ...  But all went remarkably well, even for this step of the process.

Again, it helps to watch the video, take notes, and then go and do the next task.  The online videos are a true game changer for me!

 

And here it is ready to run through the first picks of waste material to even out the threads.  

But I'll leave that for another day.  The battery in the old drill needs to be charged, so I can't wind the bobbins until that gets charged up.

Whew!  I can't believe I did it!  I finally warped the loom all by myself! 

And it went well!

Now what to weave up first?  I have some wool weft balls from Pendleton Woolen Mill, but I think that might have to wait for a cooler day!  I think it may be time to sit and read a novel and sip an ice cold home brewed kombucha to celebrate this success!

Hurray!