Sigh. I was looking through old fibernet messages to help determine how to handle the problem I am having with my warp. I am using 8/2 cotton, 443 ends. This is my first real project (maybe that is the *real* problem!) I warped my loom back-to-front as I was taught in my weaving class. I also followed along in the book "Learning to Weave" by Deborah Chandler. The book has really helped a lot, but it also said the best way to get even tension on your warp is to not apply any. Just let it be loose and comb it out as the reed gets pulled towards the back beam, then grab the warp with both hands (in two sections) and pull on it every 2-3 rotations.
I did this and the first thing I noticed is that if I didn't use paper to cover the warp continuously, some ends would pull tighter than others. When I got to the end, all seemed well, except, like the person in this thread and the thread "cleft lip AND warp woes", I have to keep tensioning my warp - it gets spongy after a few picks. I went to the back of the loom and took a look. I had not used paper to cover the warp for the last rotation and some of the underlying ends were getting pinched up into little loops by the now tensioned ends of the last rotation. This is hard to describe, but maybe (hopefully not) some of you have seen this before. So, now it seems like unwinding the warp and rebeaming might be the best thing to do. So far, the woven section looks fine, but I would hate to run into a big problem later, and I've only woven 1 inch of the sampler part. I am guessing that I really do need to apply tension as I wind on the warp, perhaps because of the smaller yarn being used? With 443 ends, it seems like it might be a good idea for me to tie the warp in more than 2 sections as I unwind it. If anyone has any more suggestions, please share them with me! By the way, I am making the Bumbaret patterned towels from Interweave's "Winning Towels", but using different colors and a slightly different warp color order: http://www.interweave.com/weave/books/web_books/winningtowels/newsted.asp Jennifer
