Hybrid warping on a rigid heddle loom
There are several ways to warp your rigid heddle loom, the two most common methods are direct warping and indirect warping. Direct warping is fast and easy and is the method we teach in our videos and Learn To booklets. Indirect warping uses a warping frame to wind the warp and then the warp is taken to the loom, threaded and wound on. There is also the hybrid method – which is as it sounds – a combination of the two methods. It is particularly good if you have limited space or mobility.
Happy weaving,
You will need a warping frame – we have two sizes available small and large.
Clamp your loom to a table and clamp your warping frame in front of it. Or you can do as we did and place the warping frame up against the loom frame.
Take a piece of scrap yarn the length you wish to make your project (remembering to add in enough for loom waste and fringes) and place as a guide on your warping frame. **Note: we skipped this step in our photos below.
Tie your yarn to the back stick and take a loop through the first slot as you normally would when direct warping. Follow your guide yarn and when you get to the end peg go around it and back the same way.
You will have two threads in the slot that go to the end peg.
As in direct warping, take the thread (looped) through the next slot and repeat the process the width of your project.
Secure the warp with some tight ties along the length and at the end.
Remove the warp from the warping frame.
Wind on to the back roller. Remember to use warp separators and to keep your tension even.
Cut the loops at the end and thread the eyes, leash on and spread the warp as normal.
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- Tie yarn to back stick
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- Take a loop through the slot
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- Pull gently on the loose end
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- Take the yarn to the end peg and back
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- Take your next loop to the end peg and back
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- Continue
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- across the
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- width of your loom or project
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- Secure the warp
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- Remove from the warping frame
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- Wind on to the back roller
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- Thread the eyes
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- Tie ends
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- Leash on (see video link below)
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- Advance warp
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- Spread warp (see video link below)
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- Begin weaving
Hints
- When warping wider projects do not try to fit the whole project on the frame at once. Wind the first section, secure the warp and remove from the warping frame. Then repeat the process again so you end up with two or three “chains” of warp.
- When winding you do not need to have tight tension – you only need even tension. Keeping consistent tension is very important.
- Use cardboard warp sticks to separate the warp as you wind it on to the back roller. This will keep the tension even.
