Warping a Loom Back to Front

Threading the Heddles - Continued

Continue to thread the heddles and begin to sley the reed.  Click on the step links to see pictures below.

Step 25:  Here is the first repeat threaded.

Step 26:  Continue threading.  Here, I have left one end on the outside in case I decide on floating selvages.  Generally, I will tie groups of one inch sett in a bundle with half hitches shown here.

Step 27:  The heddle bars are still unclipped.  Shake ends from the front so that ends fall in natural position.

Step 28:  The heddle bars are still unclipped.  This is a wide angle of the previous picture.  

Step 29:  Yarns are lined up and ready to clip heddle bars.  Separate just a little in order to get to the clips easier.  (Correction:  see step #41.)

Step 30:  Raise shafts one at a time to reach clips easier.  Note heddle bars that need cleaning!  Clip top and bottom of each shaft.  Some looms have one on each side, top and bottom.

Step 31:  Heddle bars are clipped.  If this warp were wider, this step would have been a little early.  Really, the reed should be sleyed first.  (Yes, it was a little early.  See 41.)

Step 32:  Loom is unfolded.  Lease sticks are still in place.

Step 33:  Remove the lease sticks.  

Step 34:  Ready to sley the reed.

Step 35:  This is the same as previous but shown from the front of the loom.

Step 36:  Determine the reed size needed and place in the beater bar.  Tie the beater so that it is perpendicular to the warp.  Some looms are equipped with a pin on the side of the loom frame with a hole there that matches up with one in the beater.

The reed is almost ready to be sleyed.

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