LIFE HISTORY OF A SCARF: DAY 6 - Getting Ready to Weave

​After the loom was threaded there were still 3 things that needed to be done before the real weaving could begin:

1. Tying the warp to the front apron rod
2. Tying up the treadles
3. Weaving a header

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Tying the warp to the front apron rod
Before I even began this step, I removed the raddle and lease sticks from the back of the loom, and I removed the texsolv cords that were used to support the raddle, lease sticks and reed while winding on and threading.

Next I bundled the warp into 1” bouts starting at the edges of the warp and working my way toward the center.  I tied a slipknot in each bundle.

Next I tied the bouts to the apron rod.  There are many ways to do this.

1. My favorite method: Start in the center and work out, tying with even tension for 4 to 6 1” bouts (2 or 3 on each side of center), then wind the cloth beam forward 1 click.  Continue to tie 1 bout on each side for another 2-3 bouts on each side, and wind forward another click.  Continue in this way until done.
2. My favorite tie-on knot is to split the bout, take both sides under the apron rod, and back over the apron rod, cross the two sides under the bout, come up on opposite sides of the bout, pull snugly back towards the castle to tension, pull the ends back towards you and tie in a half surgeon’s knot on top of the bout.
3. Check the tension in front of the reed and behind the reed.  Adjust if necessary.
4. When all bouts are tied and tension seems even, secure each bout with a half bow.

Tip: 
​Try to never have bouts for tying on that are larger than 1” wide, and make sure the selvedge bouts are the same size (which is why I start on the edges and work toward the middle).
 

My draft doesn’t have an even multiple of 1” bouts, so I fudged a little in the middle, making the middle 3-5 bouts a little bit smaller.

Both sides of the bout passed under the apron rod, back over the rod and down beside the bout

Crossing the end of the bout underneath

After tensioning, the two sides are being held, ready to tie the half surgeon's knot

The half surgeon's knot on the first 2 bouts

All bouts tied with half surgeon's knots

All bouts finished with a half bow

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Tying up the treadles
The treadling is a point twill treadling and the original tieup required 4 treadles.  I like “walking” my treadles. 

Option 1
Traditional walking treadles would mean that I would set up the 4 treadles like this:
Treadle          3          1         2         4
Tieup            34        12      23       41
Foot               ---Left ---     -- Right --
I would then press treadles 1,2,3,4  (left, right, left, right) for the straight twill runs and I would press treadles 1,2,3,4,3,2 (left, right, left, right, left, right) for the longer turning runs.

Option 2
For a point treadling like this I find it less confusing to add extra treadles to deal with the turning points in the treadling so I set up my treadles like this instead:
Treadle          5          3         1            2         4          6
Tieup             34       34       12          23       41       23
Foot               -------Left -------         ------ Right -----
I would then press treadles 1,2,3,4  (left, right, left, right) for the short straight twill runs and 1,2,3,4,5,6 (left, right, left, right, left, right) for the longer turning runs
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So for this project I tied up my treadles according to the Option 2, and the treadling shown on the far right. 

To be clear, both of these treadlings weave EXACTLY the same cloth, the second one simply makes it easier for me to weave efficiently.

I placed rubber bands on the center treadles (1 & 2) so I my stocking feet could find the middle treadles without peeking.  I also placed rubber bands on treadles 5 & 6 to help me distinguish them from 3 & 4.

Original treadling

Modified treadling

6 treadles marked with rubber bands, labelled and tied up for walking style treadling

​After tying up the treadles, I checked my sheds:

1. I pressed each treadle to make sure I was lifting the harnesses I intended to lift
2. I used a mirror to look at the shed – both in front of the reed and behind it – looking for any crossed threads
3. Double check that the threading and spacing through the reed look correct.

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Weaving a header

1. I wove a header with a yarn that was similar in size to the weft I would be weaving with. 
2. I chose a slippery rayon that could be easily removed when I finished the scarves.
3. I wove the header in pattern.
4. For the first few shots, I wove 2 shots at a time before beating them in to help spread the warp threads faster, and I wrapped the weft around the apron rod before throwing the next shot to help keep the selvedge from curling while I get the warp spread.
5. After the first 1/2" or so, I wove without wrapping around the apron rod, and I wove until the warp was spread evenly and I was sure the tension was even and there were no threading errors.

First 2 shots of the header wrapped around the apron rod. Both shots were thrown before beating them in.

First several shots of header all wrapped around the apron rod. Warp is nearly spread evenly.

Header complete. Last section was woven without wrapping the weft around the apron rod.

Now on to weaving some samples!  Go to Life History-Day 7

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