How to Lash On a Warp

By Leigh

So here I am, warping my jack loom once again, after months of abandoning it for my new countermarche. Why am I doing this after all my praises for the countermarche system? Well, I am wanting to see if I can get a better warp, better shed, and better weaving, incorporating everything I've learned about looms lately.

Several weeks ago, I discussed the pros and cons of lashing versus tying a new warp onto the front apron rod. With this next warp, I'm going to use the lashing on method. I thought I might show you step by step how I do this. It can be done with either a b2f or f2b warp.

After the warp in wound on and threaded, I go to the front of the loom and trim the warp so that it is fairly even. I know that some weavers can measure their warps so that they are perfectly even, but I'm not one of those weavers.

The warp is knotted in one inch groups. I use a slip knot to do this. I have read that this is not a good idea as the slip knot can slip, but I haven't had any problems with it. I reckon if I ever do, then I'll use a different knot.

Before I begin lashing, I do two things.

First I support the front apron rod as shown on the left, using two 12 inch rulers. I place one on each side of the warp, resting them between the breast beam and the beater. The front apron rod is laid across those two rulers. This supports it for lashing.

The second thing I do is to make sure that the apron cords are centered in relation to how they wind onto the cloth beam. On the left, you can see the cloth beam with the black apron cord wound around it (near the top of the photo). The cord then travels over the breast beam (at the bottom of the photo) and is looped over the apron rod (resting on top of the ruler in the photo's center.) The apron cord forms V shapes. I try to center each point (where the cord loops over the apron rod), in the middle of the V. The one pictured on the left (to the right of the ruler) isn't centered, so I moved it on the apron rod a bit to the left.

The lashing cord needs to be about 9 to 10 times the width of the warp. It also needs to be very smooth, so that it can slide easily through the warp bundles. Mine is a smooth braided cord. It is tied to the front apron rod with a double half hitch.

Next, I lace the cord through each warp bundle. I go through the center of each bundle, threading the lace from the top down.

The lashing cord then goes under the apron rod, and then up and over it. (See photo at right.) The effect is that the lashing cord is being spiraled around the apron rod, through each group of warp ends. I aim to keep about three inches between the warp knots and the apron rod.

I continue threading the lashing cord through each group of warp ends. I pause occasionally, to tighten up the cord. Once it's laced through all the warp bundles, I tie it on the other side of the apron rod with another double half hitch.

The next step is to begin to even out the tension across the warp. To do this, I go to the back of the loom and push down on the warp......

... focusing especially on the sections that are tautest. Since the warp bundles can slide easily on the lashing cord, the tension begins to even itself out.

To test how even the tension is across the warp, I go to the front of the loom again, and check it behind the reed.....

I repeat this process until there are no obvious taut or loose sections. Then I can fine tune the tension from the front.

Since the lashing cord slips easily through the warp bundles, fine adjustments of the tension are fairly easy. The tension of indivudual bundles can be adjusted by either pulling on the cord, or by pressing down on the knots. Either way works.

I used to fret over getting the tension perfect. I felt quite inadequate because I wasn't always sure how even the tension was. Then I read "Lacing On" in Peggy Osterkamp's second volume. On page 65 she says,

"Don't agonize. If you can feel a tight or loose bundle, adjust it, but if you can't tell, then the tension must be even."

If I have any further doubts about the tension, then I use a two stick header. This always seems to even the entire thing out. It entails using two smooth sticks or dowel rods.

To make a two stick header, I first throw three shots without beating, then beat them all together. After about one inch of plain weave, I place a stick in each of the next two sheds.

This evens it all out like a dream. Then I weave another inch of plain weave, and I'm ready to begin on my project.

© 14 Oct. 2007 at http://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com

Related Post:
Comparing Looms: Jack & Countermarche
Jack Loom Revisited

"Fiber In The Mountains" Show

The Western North Carolina Fibers/Handweavers Guild fiber show opened over the weekend. This show was the deadline I used for a couple of projects awhile back. I attended the opening reception and was very impressed with the entries. 59 guild members entered 104 items.

My photo taking was pretty sporadic, but here are a few that turned out. Remember my zig zag twill lap robe? You can see it in the display below.

This display features the small cushion I made from one of my S&W Fibonacci dishtowels:

I also have a couple of photos of entries by friends in my spinning group. The next two below are by Mary Nichols, who is a member of the Southern Highland Craft Guild. Mary is a weaver, spinner, and dyer, but her specialty is lace knitting. She can knit out of her head, what I have to painstakingly labor over (with a pattern) for just a few rows.

This beaded scarf and tam is knitted from one of her handspun merino/silk blends. She does her own dyeing as well. You can see some of her gorgeous dyeing below...

This is a close-up of another of her beaded scarves, of handspun angora, merino, and silk.

The next scarf is handwoven by Eva Thatcher from her handspun, hand dyed silk.

My close-up shot didn't turn out so well, but I love the interplay of color and texture. I'm definitely going to have to try some of these.

The show runs from October 6th to November 3rd.

© 2007 at Leigh's Fiber Journal

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Done!
From Dishtowel to Cushion

Jack Loom Revisited

After all the research I did when I first got my countermarche loom, I decided that I wanted to take another look at my jack loom to see how well I could apply some of the things I learned. To do that, I needed to warp it again.

The project I decided on for this warp is a set of eight placemats. I wanted to match the motif pictured on the left. Happily I have all the colors in my stash: red, orange, yellow, green, light blue, medium blue, lavender, and pink. I also have plenty of natural cotton, all of these in 8/2.

After doing my preliminary calculations, I measured a six yard warp and began to warp the loom, back to front.

One of the first ideas I was able to apply, was a way to support the apron rod as I loaded the raddle. Prior to this, it was quite a balancing act; one at which I was usually pretty unsuccessful.

I used two apron rods from my 59 inch wide Glimakra, running them from the front to back beams on my Schacht Mighty Wolf. Onto these, I balanced the Schacht apron rod, with the warp on it, ready to load into the raddle.


To keep the apron rod from sliding around, I used the same handy dandy little clamps that I found for 68 cents at Advanced Auto Parts last spring.

Although not pictured above, I finally figured out to use elastic pony tail holders to secure the raddle groups instead of rubber bands. My rubber bands are pretty old and tended to break easily.

So far so good.

© 2007 Leigh's Fiber Journal

Related Posts:

Comparing Looms: Jack & Countermarche

Jack Loom Diagnostics

Why A Countermarche?

An Interesting Shetland Fleece

This next Shetland fleece sample caught my eye as soon as I first saw it. It was sent to me by Cathy as a part of this batch.

It is an adult fleece, and is the coarsest to touch so far. It is a dual coated fleece, with the typical triangular shaped staples of such a fleece. The fiber length ranged from three to six inches, and this fleece was full of VM (vegetable matter.) As you can see, the crimp is too disorganized to count!

At first glance, the word "black" comes to mind to describe the color. Not unsurprisingly, the tips are sunbleached, anywhere from blond to brown. A closer examination however, shows white fibers mixed in throughout the fleece. The amount of white varied throughout the sample, but it was there nonetheless. In fact, it is the white fibers that contribute to it's coarseness. The bits with less white, are softer. This coloration got me curious about the various Shetland sheep colors.

Shetland sheep are recognized to have eleven distinct colors, and 30 color patterns, but I was at a loss to figure out which one this fleece was. After a chat with Tina from Marietta Shetlands, I determined that this fleece must be from a sheep which has what is called the iset pattern. This refers to a dark colored fleece with many white fibers giving it a bluish cast from a distance. I also learned from Tina, that Shetlands can change their color over the years! What a versatile breed for a spinner's flock, eh?

One thing that I had to deal with before spinning was all the VM. It was loaded with it. I know some spinners who refuse to deal with such a fleece, but the color was too lovely to not spin it. I was able to get a lot of it out with a vigorous shaking before washing. I knew from experience that more would come out in processing and spinning.

Now, I'm going to take a little side trip here, because I learned something when I washed my sample. Back in the day, when I first learned to spin, I read somewhere that fleece washing temperature must be kept very hot, to keep the lanolin melted. The rational was that if the temperature dropped too low, the lanolin would begin to re-solidify on the fiber.

Well, with this sample I set it to soaking in hot, hot water and a large squirt of Dawn dish liquid as usual. Then I went to do something else, got distracted, and forgot about the fleece. In fact, I forgot about it so completely that by the time I got back to it, the initial soaking water was barely lukewarm. This dismayed me because I'm not real keen on exposing wool fibers to an extreme temperature change (as in an immediate second very hot soak), as I want to avoid the possibility of felting. So I continued rinsing with cool water and spread it out on a towel to dry.

When I went back later to turn the fleece, I was delighted to discover that the it was wonderfully clean and not greasy! The fear of the grease reforming on the fibers is evidently unfounded. What a happy revelation. This will make my fleece washing much more relaxed in the future. (And speaking of lanolin, for a very interesting article on it, click here.)

Anyway, here's the yarn. It doesn't look bluish close up, but it is a lovely color of grey.

The particulars:
* Preparation - drumcarded to blend colors
* Spinning ratio - 8.5 to 1
* Singles - 28 WPI
* 2-ply - 14 WPI
* Washed weight - 50 grams
(I forgot to weight it before washing :o
* Yardage - almost 93

© 2007 Leigh's Fiber Journal

Summer Socks Finished!

This year's summer sock knitting has come to an end and just in time for cooler weather too. These are knitted from a 50/50 wool/nylon blend that I found in my stash. The brand name escapes me at the moment, probably because they weren't specifically sock yarns. I used US1 double pointed needles.

As you can see, my favorite toe-up sock toe fits me very well. This may have more to do with the shape of my toes than the pattern, but either way is fine with me.

Also, the short row heel I'm not too sure about fits nicely too, when all is said and done. You can also see that I put my yarn changes on the bottom. Some may argue that this isn't the most comfortable option, but I like it because it puts the most unsightly part of the sock out of sight.

I did receive a lot of helpful comments and suggestions about sock heels in my last post. Thank you all! I definitely plan to try some of these out, though it may not be until next summer.

Now all I have left is to weave in the squillion or so yarn ends!

© 2007 https://leighsfiberjournal.blogspot.com/

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Gallery Photos: Socks
What I Did With All Those Yarn Ends