Yesterday I managed to get the latest warp threaded and sleyed. I could have easily tied on before stopping for dinner, but instead I left it for the Zoom presentation this morning.
No matter how much I tell people that tying on isn't something that particularly needs to be fussed over, some people just don't realize that I don't. Fuss, that it.
All things being equal, if I have beamed with tension, tying on should take a matter of moments, not many minutes of fussing, painfully trying to get it 'perfect', for the warp to be ready to weave.
In fact, I have begun to think that the more the tying on is fussed over, the worse it can get. Kind of like selvedges.
So generally speaking - beam with tension (however you achieve that - a short warp need not be tensioned as much as a longer one - it depends) and the warp sleyed, I have about 24 bouts (groups) of thread tied in a slip knot. (24 inches in the reed, one bout per inch.)
See the tail hanging down, especially on the group to the far left? All I have to do is pick up the group that is to be tied - by the tail - give it a gentle pull and the knot will slip right out.
I then split that group into two and tie it around the bar. Then, pick up the next group, rinse repeat until all of them are done.
The Megado has a breast beam that moves slightly so the first knot pulls tension on the group, bringing the breast beam into place.
I don't alternate right/left, I don't begin in the middle, alternating towards the selvedges. I start at the right hand side and methodically work to the left.
Once all groups are tied, I test the tension, then beginning roughly in the middle of the warp I pick up the tails of the group, pull them towards the beater, tighten. I continue this from the middle to the right hand side.
Generally that is sufficient to begin weaving.
I will demo how I do this for the group and if they wish I can even throw the first few picks to show how I deal with beginning.
A warp is a consensus with all the threads working together.
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1 comment:
Your approach to "not fussing" was one of the most valuable lessons I took home from MW1. Before seeing how well your method worked, I was a confirmed "fusser." Glad to have left that behind.
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