Questions and Answers

In a comment on the previous post, Deanna asked "Do you put tape all around each section? And are the strings holding a cross?"

Yes to both questions.

I use the 1/4-inch-wide quilter's masking tape to hold the tag end of each section in place while I wind the rest of the sections. Otherwise, the tag ends would wander all over the place and/or twist themselves into a tight coil (in the case of any slightly unbalanced yarn). Presumably the tape is intended to be used to mark stitching lines - at least, that's my guess.

I'm finding that the 1/4-inch tape dries out pretty quickly, so I never manage to use up the whole roll before it becomes useless, even though I store it in a tightly sealed ziplock bag between uses. I'm thinking of trying the blue painter's tape, in whatever the narrowest available size is. The quilter's tape comes from the fabric store; painter's tape comes from Home Depot or any other big-box DIY store, so I'm betting I can buy several rolls of the latter for the price of one roll of the former!

Because mine is a 24-shaft loom, the distance from the front beam to the cross (which is going to be suspended on lease sticks hung right behind the rear-most shaft) is pretty long. In order to have enough length on the threaded yarn that I don't have to worry about it sliding back out of the heddles if the shafts are jostled, I put the cross nearly a yard from the tag end of the section. The string ties you see down below the taped sections are holding the cross. I leave these in place until I've got the warp threaded and sleyed, and cut them just before tying the warp onto the apron rod.