Ask Madelyn


Ask Madelyn: Floating Selvedge Tension

Floating selvedges should always be weighted. You can choose to beam the floating selvedge with the rest of the warp, or you can add it as an additional thread suspended from the back beam.

Ask Madelyn: When to Hem

I know some weavers hem their towels before finishing in the washing machine and dryer. Do you have a preferred way?

Ask Madelyn: Weave Any 4-Shaft Draft with Just Four Treadles

There are 14 possible tie-ups for a 4-shaft loom, and all of them can be accomplished with just four treadles--even if the draft is for six treadles!

Ask Madelyn: Warping Stick Width

I want to weave an afghan that is 48" wide. I have warping sticks that are only 47" wide. Is there any way I can use these sticks or should I just go the "paper" route?

Ask Madelyn: Dummy Warp

I've heard of something called a dummy warp, where some inexpensive yarn is tied to the apron rod and then the real warp is tied to that, so that the cheap yarn becomes the loom waste.

Ask Madelyn: Using End-Feed Shuttles

An end-feed shuttle operates with a pirn instead of a rotating bobbin. The problem with a rotating bobbin is that when the bobbin is full, it rotates fewer times than when it is empty to unload the same length of yarn.

Ask Madelyn: Doublewidth Doubleweave on a Jack Loom

Madelyn explains how to set yourself up for success when weaving doublewidth doubleweave on a jack loom. 

Ask Madelyn: A Dent Dilemma

With twisty yarns or when you have several ends in a dent, you want to maintain the exact order of the threads from warping board to heddle.

Ask Madelyn: Twisting Linen

I just wound a linen warp of 35/2 linen and the threads were quite twisted as I sleyed, threaded, and beamed the warp. What was I doing wrong?

Ask Madelyn: Converting Projects to Doubleweave

I'd like to weave a baby blanket but all of the patterns I've looked at are wider than my loom. Would this be an opportunity to try doubleweave?