I get a lot of questions on warping a loom and I’ve written a lot of the topic, but this is so important and fundamental to weaving. I wanted to continue sharing as much information as I can on warping a loom so I can make sure that everyone can understand how to do it.
If I’ve missed anything that you might have a question on, then please send me an email or leave a comment below. I get the best insight into what people are having trouble with from reader’s sending me questions.
Starting and ending your warp thread
- There are a few different loom shapes, but to start your loom you’ll always tie your warp thread around a place on the loom. Here are some options:
- Tab & peg looms – If your loom has tabs or pegs, then you can start warping by tying your warp thread around one of the tabs or pegs.
- Frame looms – If you’re weaving on a frame, then start your warping by circling it around the loom and then tying it to itself. You can also do this on a tab or peg loom when you need your warp more securely tied.
- Types of knots to tie your warp thread:
- You can use a simple double knot to secure your warp threads.
- Or you can use a slip knot to secure your warp threads.I have found that sometimes a slip knot works best because I can slide the knot to make it the tightest. But there have been times where I can’t get a slip knot tight enough and a double knot works best, so be open to trying different knots when you’re having trouble getting a good tension.
Warping your loom
- When warping your loom, you want to pull your warp thread across the loom with a tight even tension.
- Your tension should be similar to how a guitar is strung, so that the warp threads are taut, but have some bounce to them. If the warp threads are dipping down, then they are too loose. If the warp threads don’t have much bounce to them then you’ll struggle with trying to weave between them.
- Here are some videos I’ve made on warping different types of looms.
General Tips
- One big tip for those using a tab or peg loom is that by tying both the start of your warp thread and the end of your warp thread at the bottom of the loom, you’ll be able to use your warp loops at the top of the loom to hang your finished weave from. Here are some posts on how to hang your weave using the warp loops.
- A tip for very large weaves (I did this with a weave that was 30 inches across the top). I found that when I warped my largest loom, I couldn’t get the warp tension perfect. I had spots in the middle that were loose, even after I tried to tighten the warp threads. Because of this, I ended up cutting my warp thread at the loom edge where it was loose and then pulled both warp threads tight and tied them together so that they sat against the loom again. This technique worked for me because I tied these warp threads at the bottom of my loom where I was going to cut the warp threads anyway, so it didn’t matter that I had cut and tied them.
- Sometimes you’ll just have an off day and your starting and/or ending warp knots will be too loose. This has happened to me before, no matter how many times I tried to tie them tighter I just couldn’t get a good tension. In these rare times, I’ll pull my warp thread tight by the knot and then using some masking tape, I’ll tape it down tightly. This is a quick fix that helps from getting stuck or really frustrated and lets you move forward with your weaving.
I hope this helps anyone who has been struggling with warping there loom. As always let me know if you have more questions, I like to help where I can.
Happy Weaving!
Kate
||Shop This Post||
For more fun, follow me here ->
