How do I get my warp to tension evenly?

Yay! pictures, an idea, and we have postage.

Okay, so as all experienced weavers know already, and us student weavers learn, getting your tension good on your warp is important.

I found that as I have been working on the same project for, oh, six years, I wasn't very good at this when I started (the undulating twill yardage, destined to be a charka totebag). My most recently completed icelandic wool door snake was much better, but still suffered from the Texsolv apron strings that came on my Schacht Baby Wolf. I bought some canvas thinking I'd make a cloth apron for it, and then I saw a friend's Norwood loom (very similar to the Baby Wolf). It had ribbons! Anybody need a couple yards of canvas? Because 5 yards of grosgrain ribbon and a newly warped loom later, I'm very happy with the result.

Here are the ribbons up close.
I cut them the same length as the Texsolv strings, and then folded them in half across the short length and cut a hole perpendicular to the long edges, covering a bit over half the width of the ribbons, at each end. I "finished" the ends and the edges of the holes with a match to seal them.

To put them on the loom, I made the loop for the apron rod first, then put it around the back beam and threaded the apron-rod-looped-end through the hole at the back beam end. Once they were on the back beam, I put the apron rod through all of them and snugged them up.


On my friend's Norwood, hers are staple-gunned in place. I haven't done that yet, as they don't act like they want to slip.

I've wound on a 3 yard 20 epi cottolin warp for a pair of dishtowels in huck lace -- it's all laying (lieing?) wonderfully flat, I am thrilled! I'll need to get some more grosgrain to redo the front apron rod before I tie up the front, but that's okay -- I only got about 1/4 way through sleying the reed before bedtime last night!

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Did you enjoy this weaving post? I heartily recommend these weaving blogs:

* Leigh's Fiber Journal (see this great one on coloring your heddles for easy sleying!)
* Devon Fine Fibers (who else can experiment with Cashmere warps?)
* Jane Stafford Textiles - I hope, hope hope to take a class there soon!
* Dot's Fibre to Fabric (that's English for Fiber, grin!) - she saved me with this timely post on fixing threading and treadling errors.
* Violet Rose, by Jane Patrick of Schacht fame. Very interesting read with great ideas.

And lest I forget them ... WeaveCast and WeaveZine!! Syne Mitchell's great podcast and online weaving magazine, and also her blog, WeaveGeek. Not to be missed!

Be sure to keep an eye on Weavolution too -- could it be Ravelry for weavers? Let's hope!

Do you have a favorite weaving tip or blog you follow? Let me know -- I need to learn a whole lot more about weaving! Thanks!