Wound?
I just finished winding 15 warps to send out for a June workshop (please don’t notice the chaos of the studio . . . I’m getting to it . . . somehow yarn/book/equipment capacity has been exceeded), and I have been so thrilled by excellent information that I have received from my weaving questions that I have to throw out a few more. These came up while I wound and wound . . . and wound.
First – full disclosure – I use a reel, and am too lazy/set in my ways/something to use a paddle, and I both don’t have enough cones/tubes of each color and am too scared to do what Becky does and wind 30 threads at a time . . . yipes! I also dress back to front – so there may be issues I am creating for the front to backers that I am unaware of and would love to hear about.
So, I was winding deflected double weave warps with color changes at block changes. Some were very easy – large blocks with an even number of threads for which I wound 2 threads at a time of each color. I held two threads together and didn’t make a 1-1 cross. But then there were the warps with one set of blocks with an even number of threads, and one set with an odd number. A couple of those I wound holding two threads together but making a 1-1 cross. Here’s the issue: if you do it the way I did it, you get a double cross between the final peg and the cross pegs and if you don’t make sure to put your tie-on rod in the same space as the last peg (as opposed to the same space as one of your lease sticks) the loops will separate and create a big mess that you have to sort out loop by loop (ask me how I know). This is not a problem when i am just working on something myself, but I don’t want to confuse the students who are receiving the warps. 
So, the questions are: how do you wind your warps? How do you handle multiple color changes? Do you use a reel or a board? What about a paddle? I know that Madelyn vd H uses a board, and doesn’t cut and tie at color changes, but lets the last color thread dangle as she winds the next stripe. Any other advice, information, wisdom will be much appreciated.
Dianne
I’m drooling over the cones and cones of colour and the sheen – so jealous I’m turning a subtle shade of green on this grey wet morning!
Can’t comment on warp winding. I use a reel and a paddle if more than two threads but I thread front to back and do things differently to most.
Elisabeth Hill
Hi Dianne,
Sorry to hear that the weather is gloomy. We are having our first little taste of joyous relief from the polar vortex, and I think the lifting gloom may have sparked some color adventure in the warps:) We’ll see how much the students enjoy them . . .
Claire
ohhh pretty!
I warp ftb with one cross. I use a warping frame holding up to 4 threads in my hand separated by my fingers and I ‘drop and dangle’ rather than cut. I reserve the right to change my methods at any time as I’ve only been weaving for 1.5years 😀
Sandy
Believe it or not I am doing a rep weave project from a Swedish book and using the 16/2 cotton for the first time in a table runner. I had the false cross as I am winding four threads on at a time and splitting them at the cross. The first bout I did not put the tie in the end and had the two sets of loops also. I could not find any reference to this in any of my many books. You would think we weren’t the only ones to do this. Should be a big Warning! Never do this somewhere. Wish I could take your workshop.
Elisabeth Hill
Hi Sandy, Whoa – synchronicity! I know I have seen in in a weaving book – Peggy Osterkamp? But I can’t find it again. Wish you could too! I think we are going to have a ball.
marlene toerien
I f i have regular colour intervals I will warp with 2 crosses and 2 threads till the colour change, cut first colour at beginning or end of the warp, tie next colour to first colour yarn, as I have a co-ordination problem I prefer this rather than leaving a strand or two, it keeps my yarn secure and in place, then wind till my 3rd colour change, this I beam from back to front. If I have irregular colour changes, I make a chain for each colour warp, and them beam ftb. For random colour changes I use Schacht’s rigid heddle warping tool.
Elisabeth Hill
Thanks for the comment Marlene – what is Schacht’s rigid heddle warping tool?
marlene toerien
It is a piece of rigid heddle attached to a handle, you thread your warp threads through the hole and slit, just like with a normal rigid heddle, so that when you warp you automatically can get your crosses by lifting or dropping the tool. I use it instead of a paddle.
Elisabeth Hill
Thanks Marlene – cool!