Ask Madelyn: Best Way to Warp

Hi Madelyn! I read all the reasons people gave in the Warping War Forum for warping back to front, front to back, or sectionally. But I wasn’t able to figure out which one was best from all the reasons they gave. So which one IS best?

––Sarah C.

Hi Sarah!

Probably the best answer in the Warping War Forum was: the one that works for you. But there are reasons that make one method work better for you than another. The two methods most used by weavers (both receiving strong support in the forum) were front to back and the traditional back-to-front method. In front to back, the warp goes through the reed, through the heddles, and on the beam. In traditional back to front, the warp goes through a cross on lease sticks, through the spaces of a raddle, on the beam and then is threaded through the heddles. Some people argue that back to front is easier on the warp because it doesn’t have to go through the heddles twice. This reason doesn’t really hold water, since passing through a cross at the lease sticks is as hard on the warp, if not harder, than passing through heddles. The best reason to pick one of these two methods is WHERE it is most comfortable to thread the shafts on your loom. If it’s easiest to sit at the front of the loom to thread, you’ll probably be happiest warping back to front. If it’s easiest to sit at the back of your loom, you’ll like front to back best. Whichever of those two methods you choose, the steps are very similar, especially the important ones for controlling even tension.

––Madelyn