The Warp Helper
What it does - how to use it.
Warping a loom is half the work of making a woven piece. While most people enjoy the actual weaving process more than warping a loom, you can't do one without the other. So making the warping process easier and fool-proof is important. The Warp Helper, a simple little device, helps you do this.
This process can be used if you have created a warp on the warping board in the more traditional manner or if you are using the warping peg and creating a warp directly on the loom.
The Warp Helper slips over the side frame of the loom. Right or left, it does not matter. It depends on which side you are working from. The Warp Helper can be located up near the heddle or all the way back to the rear beam. Find a location that is comfortable for you.
Begin by sliding the wooden dowel through the hole on the clamp, from the outside in towards the loom. At first you do not want more than 3-4 inches in behind the heddle. As you progress you will push more of the dowel in as you work your way towards the opposite side.
Your next step is to slide over the end of the dowel the first extension cord from the rear beam. This and the remaining cords can simply be slipped on the dowel as you warp from one side to the other, or you can turn the cord back on itself to make a double loop and slide that on the dowel. This last method is demonstrated with the two pictures
above.
Now begin your warping from the front of the loom, bring your warp through the slots and drop each over the end of the dowel. Make sure you have calculated the location of your work on the heddle so you know which slot to begin with.
In order to know when to slip on the next extension cord, we suggest you put marks on the back of the heddle. These marks will be in line with the holes in the rear beam that secure each extension cord. See arrows on
the picture below, and the last picture on this page. As you work your way across the loom, slip on the next extension cord when you come to the next mark on the heddle. The number of extension cords varies for the size of the loom you are using.
After the second extension cord is slipped on, continue to warp across the loom. Pull the wooden dowel through the clamp as you need additional length.
As you work across the loom to the other side, finish by slipping on the last extension cord. You are now ready to wind the warp on the rear beam. The rear of your loom should look something like the picture
above. Your next step will have you tensioning the warp and winding on the back beam. As you start to apply the tension remove the rear dowel from the holder and it and the warp will be wrapped around the
rear beam.
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