Is there a good way to wind silk? I use a swift and ball winder, but have trouble with silk. Thanks, Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth - I use an Umbrella Swift, my Double Ended Bobbin Winders and Leclerc Styrene Spools Each spool will hold 100 g of silk. I love to dye my own silk, so I find this a really fast and efficient way to store my silk.
Hi Sandra,
Thanks for this information. I think I'll be investing in the same.
Hello again,
I have another question about winding. When Jane demonstrated beaming a long, long warp onto the loom, she had no trouble with lease sticks buckling or with threads sort of knotting up/catching at the lease sticks. How does one prevent those problems? I just wound a 13-yard cotton warp and it took forever to beam it because the threads were so twisty so I had to untwist smallish sections first. Before I noticed that they were catching at the lease sticks, I broke a couple of warp ends. So then I had to watch the reed and the lease sticks very carefully. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Elizabeth
I can't help you too much on this one Elizabeth - I don't have the physical space to put books on the warp and slowly wind it onto the beam. Instead, I move between the front and the back of the loom, checking to make sure that any errant threads are not being caught in the lease sticks, the raddle or anywhere else as I wind. I also keep watch on the paper on the warp beam, to make sure it's staying straight as it goes on. When you have threads catching in the lease sticks or the raddle, it's likely caused by slightly uneven tension on the threads as you wound your warp - we're human, it can happen! It might take me longer to get the warp on the loom, but I can catch any "stickiness" before it causes me grief.
Thanks for this, Sandra. I also don't have the space to put books on the warp and slowly wind onto the beam. It's nice to know I'm not the only one moving between the front and the back, trying to catch the stickiness before it causes too much trouble. Do your lease sticks ever buckle?
Thanks,
Elizabeth
Yes, they sometimes do but I usually catch it right away and slide them apart a bit. I’ve used Jane’s Louet videos on YouTube to adapt the system that works for me (jane stafford louet warping demo) and fined tune the way I warp in my tiny space - they might help you. The bottom line is that we have to develop systems that work for us in our own worlds. You’ll get there 😄