Discontinuous Warps (for warp-faced weavings on Backstrap Looms)

I learned to make a Discontinuous Warp the other day. Now all I have to do is learn how to finish weaving it.... (caught the flu somewhere in there and missed the lesson on how to completely weave something). I'll get there though. It's still really strange, this idea that the weavers here often weave all the way to the end of their warps. That's just unheard of on floor looms, and I've still never done it before, even though I've been here since the end of August (and the belt looms don't count, because it's a completely different kind of finishing than a large weaving). It's just one of those things I've got to learn!

Basic steps for making a Discontinuous Warp... (with pictures to come the next time I make one, because my weaving teacher this time started taking it apart before I could snap the pics I wanted).

For warping, you will need:
Warping frame with center pegs
3 sturdy sticks
enough yarn for your project!
6 short pieces of twine or thin rope
a piece of heavy-duty cotton cord, longer than one of the sticks

1. Tie the sticks to the posts of your warping frame, 1 at each end and one in the center, using the rope. Make sure they are tightly secured so they don't move when you let go of them (and don't lean on these sticks once you've tied them up.
2. Wrap(do not tie yet) your cotton cord at each end of the middle stick.
3. Choose your colors-- for a basic plain-weave discontinuous, you'll want to make sure that your colors look good with what they're opposite to and with what they're next to. Traditionally, one half is light and one is dark, and when I say half, I am referring to the warps on either side of the middle stick. The layout will look a bit like this...

XXOO
AABB

Where X and O stand for darker colors and A and B stand for lighter colors.

The actual layout of the warp will look something like this:

XXOOXXXXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOOOOXXOO
XXOOXXXXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOOOOXXOO
XXOOXXXXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOOOOXXOO
XXOOXXXXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOOOOXXOO
XXOOXXXXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOOOOXXOO
XXOOXXXXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOOOOXXOO
XXOOXXXXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOOOOXXOO
XXOOXXXXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOOOOXXOO
AABBAAAAAAAAAAAABBBBBBBBBBBBAABB
AABBAAAAAAAAAAAABBBBBBBBBBBBAABB
AABBAAAAAAAAAAAABBBBBBBBBBBBAABB
AABBAAAAAAAAAAAABBBBBBBBBBBBAABB
AABBAAAAAAAAAAAABBBBBBBBBBBBAABB
AABBAAAAAAAAAAAABBBBBBBBBBBBAABB
AABBAAAAAAAAAAAABBBBBBBBBBBBAABB
AABBAAAAAAAAAAAABBBBBBBBBBBBAABB

4. Note: For warping, it is often useful to have a second person to help you....
Tie your first colors, X and A, onto the outside sticks of the warping frame, one on each end, opposite each other. Usually I work left to right on this. Choose a color to begin with-- for our purposes, let's just say A is our first color. The warping motion is an under-over, so take your ball of yarn down, under the middle stick and bring it up and over, back toward where the A yarn began. Pass the ball under-over the end stick for yarn A. Set this ball down and move to the X side. Repeat the same under-over action on the middle and then the end stick with this color. Continue alternating the colors, A then X until you have your desired number of warp threads in that color, usually creating a square shape.

**note-- in Peru, it is traditional to wrap 3 A threads, 2B threads, then the body of A threads for your warp. A small stripe is almost always present like that at the edges of the weavings made in the Cusco region.

**Second Note-- Every time you change your colors (example, when you're creating that small edge stripe), you cross/wrap the threads around one another, and lay the thread not in use along the end bar, overlapping it every time you wrap with the color in use.

5. Once you have the number of threads you want, count your threads to double check your number, change to your O and B colors and repeat by wrapping the same number of threads in the other colors. If you created stripes at the edge on the other side, make sure to do this on the edge this time too.

Once you've completely made your warp, it's now time to start attaching it to your backstrap loom!



Things you will need for warping onto your loom:
A backstrap loom large enough for your warp but not too big either.
Heavy cotton twine or twined yarn for tying
nylon thread
a length of pipe (if it's not already part of your loom)
Ruki/Llama bone beater

6. Add your pipe and a sword to either side of your cross on the half you're beginning with and begin making your heddles. To make heddles, use a strong but thin nylon cord. Make a loop on one end and tie a knot so the loop is about 2 finger widths. Thread this through the entire warp. This loop is the first of your heddles. Now begin looping your heddles over your fingers, picking up one warp thread with each loop made, keeping them a consistent size. When you run out of space on your fingers, insert a narrow rod (your weft rod should work just fine for now). Continue until you've made heddles for the entire warp. Get your heddle bar (really it's just a round stick you will tie the heddles to) and a thick piece of twine/twined pieces of yarn and tie the twine tightly to one end. Using the weft rod, pull this piece of twine all the way through all the heddles, being careful not to distort their shapes or tangle them on each other. Tie the twine VERY TIGHTLY at the other end of the heddle bar. Then begin wrapping, using the twine. When you get to the heddles themselves, make sure they're evenly but closely spaced and wrap 5-7 heddles at a time, until you've tightly wrapped the twine all the way to where it began on the heddle rod. Tie it tightly once more. Now your heddles are complete.

7. Lay one of the Warp/Loom Bars over the threads of the end stick on the side of your warp you made the heddles on. Grab a long piece of your heavy twine. Tie to one end of the warp bar, and begin wrapping tightly around the warp bar. Once you get to your heddles, pick up no less than 3 and no more than 5 threads at a time with the heavy twine, and pull it tightly and you continue wrapping and picking up threads. Do this until you have tied up all the warp threads, then wrap around the rest of the bar and loop over the other end. Now, use your Ruki (beater) to pull this cord you just looped tighter yet, going one loop at a time and using your free hand to hold your progress, working from the side you began on to the other end. Once it's all REALLY tight, now you tie the other end tightly. Repeat this on the other end with the other warp bar.

8. Now, wrap your weft thread around your weft rod, spiraling it around until you have LOTS. And now you're ready to weave!

9. Weave until you finish that first section. The last weft should go through both warps. I'll update with the rest of the instructions/more detailed instructions for this and the next part, once I learn it!