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Video Tip: How to Spread Your Rep Weave Warp

Rep-weave expert Rosalie Neilson will guide you through her technique for this initial step—so you can get to the weaving.

Rosalie Neilson Sep 16, 2025 - 5 min read

Video Tip: How to Spread Your Rep Weave Warp Primary Image

This rep warp is tied on and ready to be spread out—but the typical spreading process won’t produce a straight fell line because of its dense sett. Photos by Long Thread Media

We think that Rosalie Neilson is just the right person to teach us the ins and outs of rep weave. She’s known worldwide for her warp-faced rep weavings (and kumihimo braiding), and for the workshops she leads about those topics throughout the United States, Canada, and England. She wrote the two-volume An Exaltation of Blocks, a toolkit for block designs.

If you’re looking for more, you can watch Rosalie’s full video about weaving rep, or download her eBook with eight rep weave projects (and a bonus corduroy rug to use up your thrums).—Handwoven editors

How to Spread a Rep Weave Warp

In the following video tip, Rosalie demonstrates how the process of spreading a densely sett rep weave warp is different from what you might do with balanced warps. After watching and learning the easy technique, you’ll be able to get going on your own rep weave project. You’ll also find the step-by-step written version below the video.

Step by Step: How to Spread a Rep Weave Warp

Weaving the first pick of waste yarn through a plain weave shed. The second pick goes through the alternate plain weave shed, but it is not beaten into place. In this image, Rosalie is leaning the beater forward so she can open the next shed and strum behind the reed. Rosalie uses the beater to firmly press those first two picks as far forward as possible. After two more picks and a second careful press forward with the beater, the warp is ready to weave.

A series of plain weave sheds, strategic strumming of the warp, and pressing rather than beating all work together to prepare this new rep warp for weaving in just four picks of scrap yarn.

  1. Start with a thick bundle of waste yarn that’s four times the width of your warp.

  2. With the beater leaning forward against the warp knots, open the first plain weave shed. Strum the warp behind the reed as needed to release any sticky ends.

  3. Move the beater to the back, and position the waste yarn in the shed so it’s close to the highest knot. Lean the beater forward but do not beat. Open the second plain weave shed, strumming behind the reed if necessary.

  4. Move the beater to the back again, and send the second pick of the waste yarn through the shed, leaving a small loop at the selvedge. Lean the beater forward but do not beat. Open the first plain weave shed, strumming behind the reed if necessary.

  5. Slowly and firmly press the beater forward against the second pick, pushing both picks as far forward as they will go.

  6. Move the beater to the back and put the third pick of waste yarn through the shed, leaving a small loop at the selvedge. Lean the beater forward but do not beat. Open the alternate plain weave shed, strumming behind the reed if necessary.

  7. Move the beater to the back and put the last pick of waste yarn through the open shed, again leaving a loop at the selvedge. Lean the beater forward but do not beat. Open the alternate plain weave shed, strumming behind the reed if necessary.

  8. Slowly and firmly press the beater forward against the last pick, pushing both it and the third pick as close to the first two picks as they will go. Your warp is ready to weave!

If you loved this tip, watch Rosalie’s full video about weaving rep. It’s free for Handwoven All-Access Subscribers, along with so many other on-demand courses.

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