Ask Madelyn: Cutting a Warp Off the Warping Board

Dear Madelyn,

In your video Warping Your Loom, you show how to prepare a multicolored warp without having to tie, cut, and re-tie the different colored yarns. Instead, you wrap the original color round the starting peg and then start the next color, winding sufficient ends and then winding that thread around the starting peg, and so on until the warp is completed.  In the video, you then say "When finished, just cut through the loops and the extra ends will drop away."

My question is, wouldn't you have to use a craft knife and cut through all the threads on the outer face of the starting peg, rather than putting your hand through the loop on the starting peg and then cutting through that loop?  Otherwise, you are going to end up with some threads longer than others.

Could I just finish by saying that I think Warping Your Loom is absolutely excellent. Thank you!

—Mike Schofield

Hi Mike!

I just slide the scissors along the outside of the peg the loops are around and cut. I don't do that cut until I've chained up to the choke, when I sort of hang the chain on a nearby peg. At this point, there isn't any tension on the loops around the starting peg so it's easy to stick the scissors under the threads (no need to use a craft knife). When I cut, the ends are all the same length because the first turn around the peg is where all the warp threads are cut (any remaining turns are cut away). I hope that makes sense!

And thanks so much for your comment.

—Madelyn