Ask Madelyn: Warp Chaining Direction

Hi Madelyn,

When you are warping from back to front, is it better to chain from the end of the warp or from the front of the warp?

Appreciate your reply,

Richard Schenkman

Hi Richard! It all depends on where the cross is and which back-to-front method you are using. If you are going to beam the warp through lease sticks, then you want the cross at the end of the chain. So you’ll chain from whichever end of the warping board the cross is not on. (Note that if you do not cut the cross-end loops, through which you plan to insert the apron rod, you should start winding the warp from the opposite end of the warping board from the cross, so that only loops occur at the cross end.) Most weavers make the cross at the top of the warping board because access is usually a little better there, but most warping boards have cross pegs at both top and bottom, so you can make the cross at either position.

If you are using the back-to-front method with two crosses, a raddle cross and a threading cross, you want to chain from the threading cross to the raddle cross (and you want all loops at the raddle-cross end if you plan to insert the apron rod through the loops).

For front-to-back warping, since the reed is sleyed using the threading cross, you’ll chain from the opposite end from the threading cross and cut the loops at both ends of the warp.
Thanks for writing,
Madelyn