Threading

One of the fun things about travelling and meeting other weavers is that we can have conversations about things like techniques and preferences.

Some weavers really dislike TexSolv heddles. I like them, but part of why I like them is due to the way I thread.

I thread in groups, not one thread at a time, so I actually like the fact that TexSolv heddles don't move around very easily. :)

I have also numbered the tops of the bottom heddle bars to make it easier to find the shafts I want to work with.





This photo shows the stick I tape all the warp bouts to in order to bring them all forward so that I can easily reach them. It also shows the numbers (in red) on the top part of the shafts. In this photo I am 2/3's of the way through a one inch section of warp ends, just ready to thread the last 8 ends (taped to shaft 16).

The heddles have been brought forward from the left hand side and stacked - in order - from shafts 16 through 9.

Below I am about to thread ends 8-1.



Unfortunately I didn't have anyone handy to run the camera so I can't show my threading method, but I've covered that elsewhere. What I wanted to show here was that rather than thread my fingers through the individual ends, I pinch them between my index and middle finger at the top, and my thumb and ring finger at the bottom. This allows me to either hold the ends under tension or apply some slack to allow the ends to bow outwards just a little. This makes getting the hook around the end I want easier.

The photo also shows that I am supporting the the heddle that I will thread next by placing my ring finger on the heddle just below the eye (I know it looks like my finger is on the eye, but really it's just below.

As I thread each heddle, my ring finger moves to the next heddle in line to support it until all 8 ends are threaded and then I pull all 8 through their respective heddles in one motion.

Once that is done, I tie a slip knot, move the heddles to the right, and begin the next group by pulling the heddles from the left. In this repeat (which is a straight draw over 16 shafts) I'm threading 8 ends per group. How many ends I do at once will depend on the repeat - it may be 4, 6, or 8.

I don't put a cross into the sections - just tape the bout. Generally I am threading a solid coloured warp, or a random coloured warp, so preserving a strict warp end order isn't a priority for me. It is for others and they have come up with various ways of preserving a cross while beaming sectionally.