Warping a Loom Back to Front

Threading the Heddles

Threading the heddles is the next step in preparing your warp to weave.

Step 13:  Remove the raddle at this point.

Step 14:  Find the end loop in front of the loom.  See my left thumb underneath the choke?  My right hand is through the loop.

Step 15:  See how the cross followed through?

Step 16:  Keep the loop in one hand and pull small sections at a time, holding the tension and cut the loop.  Continue across the warp. 

Step 17:  When you've finished cutting, drop the ends over behind the shafts.

Step 18:  Fold up the loom, if possible, if your breast beam is not removable.  I should have removed the Wolf Trap but did that later.  The point is to make the loom as comfortable as you can for your body.  Make it work for your body, not the opposite, body working for the loom.  Some shafts are hard to reach.  You can raise them underneath with dowels.

Step 19:  In this picture, the reed is now removed.  I should have done that earlier too but no problem to remove it with the Baby Wolf.

Step 20:  Note that the heddle bars are clipped to the shafts here.  Also note the dye of a warp I painted *on* my loom several years ago.  It hurt at the time but it is an old friend now and a piece of equipment.

Step 21:  Now, you can sit in a shorter chair and see the heddles easily.  

Step 22:  Find the center of the heddles.  My heddles are marked in the center with red thread.  Some weavers use nail polish.  Depending on the pattern you are using, figure the number of heddles required per shaft and pull half from the right side.  You would want to work these spare heddles in with ones you are threading if you were weaving the full width of the loom as they would rub the selvages.  Some weavers like to add a few extra between ones that are threaded in the event a repair heddle is needed.  I find it confusing and easier to tie a repair heddle if needed.

Step 23:  Push all of the heddles just pulled to the left after unclipping the heddle bars from shafts.

Step 24:  One pattern repeat is pulled forward here.  In this case, it is plain weave.  See the heddles on shafts one through four? 

I will continue to thread the heddles on the next page.

Click on the pictures below to see a larger view in a different window.  Click on numbers to return to written descriptions.