Ask Madelyn: Warping Stripes With a Paddle

Hi Madelyn

I am planning a project that has regularly repeating stripes in the warp. There are three colors. and their order repeats after every 7 ends. What is the most efficient way to wind this warp?

Mavis

Warping stripes

Hi Mavis!

The most efficient way to warp a repeating stripe sequence of not very many ends (you’ll need a cone or other yarn package for each end in the stripe) is to use a paddle; see photo a. I’ve used three ends in these photos, each in a different color, so you can track the behavior of each of the three. (The paddle I’m showing is a piece of a raddle; most available paddles are just like this except they have handles.) You’ll need a cone stand to direct the threads upward from the cones (photo b) or you can use a plastic file box with holes in it; turn it upside down and place it over the cones, bringing the threads up through the holes.

Pegs 1 & 2 up & down

One-and-one cross

Thread the ends into the paddle (seven ends for your stripes) alternating slot/hole/slot/hole, etc., and tie the threads to the starting peg on the warping board. We’ll call the pegs that make the cross peg 1 (the first peg) and peg 2 (the second peg). The paddle will allow opening a shed just past the warping peg so you can slide the ends onto the peg: Hold the raddle up just past peg 1 (photo c) and then down just past peg 2 (photo d). Then continue winding until you come back up to the cross pegs. (I hold the paddle out to the right with my right hand and pull the threads to the left pegs on the warping board with my left hand.) When you come back up to peg 2, take the paddle up (photo e) just past peg 2, and then just past peg 1, take the paddle down. Always keep the same edge of the paddle closest to the wall and pull the threads ahead of the paddle with the hand that is not holding the paddle.

These paddle positions (up/down/up/down) will make a one-and-one cross for an uneven number of warp threads in the raddle (3 here); see photo g. If you have an even number of threads, the positions will be down/up/up/down (for peg 1, peg 2, peg 2, peg 1).

—Madelyn

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