Cretan Weaving 3

From Warp to Loom.
Having wound the warp onto the board, and marked off each group of 20, the next step was taking it off in a way to make sure it could be put on the loom in the correct order.

Producing the warp on the warping board is craft in itself. Not simply a matter of winding metres of wool yarn around pegs (nails in my first attempt) until you have the required length. There are several steps to winding the wool onto the warping board so that the correct lengths sit correctly, but there is the then no small matter of moving the warp from the warping board to the loom - a time consuming skill and progressively demanding skill.

Through the raddle....
Each bundle of threads (ends) with 10 groups of 20 threads was taken off and made into a skein with the cross end being last. The skeins were then attached to a warp stick attached to the warp beam (at the back of the loom) and hung over the raddle. This is a wooden bar with spaced divisions and a top on.

Dressing the loom...
Each 20 group was put in order through a section of the raddle and the top secured. A tension stick was placed through crossed warps at the beam end and another one placed through the other side of the cross. This helps to create tension, keep the ends in order and it is easier to continue the threading through the heddles and reed.

And a little 'Tension'...
Weights were attached to the end of each skein of warp to add tension, after which...

Before fixing to the warp beam...
...the warp was wound onto the warp beam over layers of brown paper. The beam was turned by a strong pole through a hole in the end of the beam - no cogs here.. Sophisticated!

There is still a very long way to go from this stage before you will be able to 'beat' your first woven row. Some serious thinking and even a few headaches. Nothing is certain if you have no experience, don't know suppliers or others who can perhaps help when you get stuck. Playing the piano was never as simple as it looked!

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