Packing The Warp Beam

Winding your warp onto the warp beam can be a bit of a pain point for weavers. Do you need to to keep tension on the warp? How can I do this by myself? What if I see the yarn winding on at different rates?
My favorite go-to method is the crank and yank. I excerpted a recent demonstration of this method from the Winter 2021 Weave-Along. This particular warp is long and wide, so it gave me the opportunity to really dig into the nuances of the technique.
If you want to see a quick overview of the warping process, check out my Warping in Less Than 3 Minutes video here on KZbin.
I hope you will join us for a future weave-along!
RESOURCES
www.yarnworkerschool.com/cour...
Warping in Less Than 3 Minutes: • Warping in Less Than 3...

[@cindybills677]

Crank and yank is the best! Thanks for your great demonstration. :)

[@collectingscars]

Thank you so much for sharing this! I am alone when warping my loom and usually comb and tension from the front while winding - it has not been working. I found your article on Gist which led me to this video and I think this is going to save me so much frustration.

[@Yarnworker]

I 💕 Gist

[@christiannebailey6857]

That is such a great way of warping the loom when you’re on your own ❤ looks far more even than trying to roll it on the back beam from the back while trying to hold pressure on the yarn with one hand and having to add spacers with the other. Definitely going to try that for my next project!

[@briandt7383]

Only wanted to take the time to thank you for sharing this technique - new to weaving and this seems to have helped with some of my tension issues!

[@Yarnworker]

Welcome to the warped side of yarn. The crank and yank was a game changer when I learned it.

[@sandragalati6281]

I appreciate you. Thank you, Liz.

[@deborahgiuffre5494]

I’m always worried I won’t have enough tension when I’m winding. You make this look effortless!

[@diy888story9]

Wow, that's great.

[@lindanajar62]

Liz, what a difference this makes with tensioning. I have tried every technique to pack the beam that is out there. Let me just say that I followed your directions and what a difference. I didn't have to tighten knots or put the heddle in the down and re-tie, it came out perfect. Thanks for the great tutorial!!!

[@LizGipson]

Music to my ears! Glad it gave you such great results.

[@sandymorrison1400]

I've only done crank and yank with my Beka. The only difference I do is after two complete revolutions (regardless of the amount of paper left to roll onto the back beam), I stop and yank. Then I do another two revolutions. Then yank. This method might be specific to the Beka; however, I've never had tension issues (except with linen where I had a loose warp until I sprayed it with water; however, it was never uneven, just loose). Thanks for your demonstration!

[@mastinomama8939]

Dear Liz, you look terrific! Thanks for this video, helps a lot. You mentioned measuring... any chance for a video about measuring warp on the loom?

[@LizGipson]

I have covered measuring in a number of classes and weave-alongs over at the Yarnworker School, but I don't have a video here. My favorite way is to use a paper tape measure or guide and pin or clip it to the side of the cloth as I weave. I don't roll the measurer on the beam as I advance the cloth, but let it hang free. A student turned me onto quilting clips and they work really well. When advancing the tape, I take a click or two off the brake so the cloth isn't under full tension, but still taunt. This way I get a more accurate read. yarnworker.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/measuring-2IMG_7251.jpg

[@beverleylawton6899]

This looks like a good method. I still find warping really stressful🤷🏼‍♀️

[@Yarnworker]

When you are first starting out warping can be stressful because you kind of worry about all the things. Over time you learn which things are worth worrying about and which things aren’t.

[@terryduepner]

What thickness of paper do you use?

[@Yarnworker]

Somewhere along the weight of 60-70 lb weight. Think something like the weight of a paper grocery bag. The Kraft paper rolls in the big box store don't alway list the weight and they often are wrapped so you can feel them. Office supply stores are good places to look. Contractors paper found at hardware stores also works well.

[@datinyone]

I have the 16" sampleit but i cant do the crank and yank...if i try, the back roller disengages and my tension drops...i cant figure out how to lock my cogs.. they dont lock.. ive taken this thing apart like 4 times and its frustrating.

[@Yarnworker]

This is silly question, but is the pawl on the right way, teeth facing down? Ashford has a tutorial on their website that might be helpful. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eGHEd599bJdsatksi=S84lJRgOlKngX1xa Note: They use a different packing method, that works pretty well for narrow, short warps, but if you are packing a wide warp I prefer the crank and yank.

[@datinyone]

@Yarnworker it is.. yep... but I think when I was winding, I went under the back bar rather than over.. I've redone it, and it's much better! Thanks for replying, though. I really appreciate it

[@Yarnworker]

@@datinyone Should have though of that. Just last week I was helping a weaver who did the same thing and couldn't get a shed. You are in good company.

[@debbierini3257]

Why wouldn’t you just tie your warp onto the front beam?

[@Yarnworker]

I used the direct method to warp this loom. When you do so, you only have ends in your slots. I need to move one end to the hole before tying on.

[@debbierini3257]

@@Yarnworker I see... I was taught when I bought my loom(Ashford) to wrap around the peg , tie off yarn, pull off peg and then slowly wind onto back warp beam.. this method would be better for tension?do you just cut the ends of yarn off warping peg and let them dangle( for lack of a better word)?.. and then continue with crank&yank? Thank you so much

[@Yarnworker]

@@debbierini3257 I cut the loops at the peg and then tie a loose overhand knot and let the warp drape down without chaining although you can do that if you wish. In general, it is a good idea to take up the slack on the beam from time to time as you crank rather than just winding on. This is just an excerpt of this particular step. I share a link in the notes to an earlier video where I demonstrate the process very quickly and you can see the steps before and after this one. I also have an online class Weaving 101 that works through the process step-by-step. There are a lot of ways to get the word done and trying different methods will determine what works best for you.

[@debbierini3257]

@@Yarnworker thank you so much for the information.. much appreciated