The Impossible Warp - Weaving with Linen

[@idic.vidar.]

The towels look really nice! I would have put in a tension beam in the back with the linen threads. Just to make the shed clearer and the weaving smoother. Spraying the linen warp with water is a must in our dry nordic climate. We also put wet towels in the back on the warp, or a bucket of water underneath the loom to increase the moisture level in the air. But all that is to prevent the linen threads from snapping which is our big problem. If you do the same on the counter march, try a tension beam! Congratulations on the beautiful towels and thank you for a nice video :)

[@loopsandleather]

Hmmm that is a thought! Would be better than trying weight all the fine linen threads.

[@b2manufacturing]

I use a counter balance loom for linen because linen doesn’t stretch at all, a counter balance loom will drop all the other shafts when you lift a shaft, so all the other strings are pulled down as you lift the others. It’s just not possible on a table loom but if you release your shaft before pushing your reed back it might all work out because you’re holding your current weft pick in place while the tension balances back out, so pull your reed then drop your shaft then push the reed back. Once you use a counter balance loom on linen you understand why they exist 😂

[@loopsandleather]

Someone else made a similar comment in one of the FB groups. I do have the huge countermarch but loathe the tie up. I'm going to have to bite the bullet!

[@margiehogan5571]

Very nice towels.

[@loopsandleather]

Thank you! Despite the challenges they turned out well - and thank goodness because most were gifted at the holidays!

[@Jill4Today]

I believe your problem comes from the variety of fibers you put in the warp. Cotton, boucle, linen, etc. Linen has absolutely no stretch. You've combined it with fibers that do stretch. That's my 2 cents

[@loopsandleather]

@Jill4Today thanks for the suggestion!

[@mercemurray]

I'm right now fighting with a linen warp for the first time, and I have to say that I HATE it! 😭 I can't get the right tension, and don't know how to fix this mess...

[@loopsandleather]

I just saw your comment and hope you found some success. I will say that one I got these off the loom and washed them they turned out great but the weave was a challenge!