The warp threads are the threads that we are going to cut and thread through the cards using our pattern draft.
The draft we designed in the planning stage required 26 Green, 11 Red and Yellow threads. We also determined that for a 5ft band, we need 7.5ft of each warp thread.
One of the greatest features about tablet weaving is the small investment in specialized equipment. This is a style of weaving where the cards act as your loom. We'll try and do this with the minimum amount of equipment.
All looms require a way to keep the warp threads tight. This is called a tensioning device, and for this project we'll use a stationary object like a doorknow and our bodies as the tensioning device. You can also use two C-Clamps fastened with the posts up. Any two stationary points will work.
I like to measure and thread each card separately
Cards can be bought or made. All that is required are somewhat stiff square pieces with a hole punched in each of the corners. Index cards, a deck of playing cards, or square beer coasters all work fine.
Make sure your cards are labeled the same as the draft. My cards are labeled A-B-C-D in a clockwise direction. This puts A above B, and D above C. Some drafts are written with A at the bottom, and D at the top instead of the way the draft in Project Planning presents them with A at the top and D at the bottom, so make sure to pay attention to the way the draft is written. Personal styles differ in draft design.
Each card will get threaded with four threads, one per hole, using the draft as the guide.
The threading direction is very important with card weaving. As the cards are turned, thethreads twist. This twisting action plays an important role as a design element. The Z and S on the bottom row of the draft tells you which way a card is to be threaded. Unfortunately, this is an area where there is no clear nomenclature, so what I describe may be different from what you read elsewhere.
Z and S represent the line that threads make as they pass through the cards. Holding a card with the lettering facing to the right, if the threads pass from the bottom left to the top right through the holes in the card as the line in the letter Z does, then the card is Z threaded. If on the other hand, the threads pass from the bottom right to the top left as the line in S does, then that card is S threaded.
I find it easier to look at the actual card as the threads are held tight. If the card looks like the line in Z, then the card is S threaded. This is just the opposite of the thread's threading. Cards that line up in the S direction are Z threaded.This is actually much easier to understand when you see it rather than read it.
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Using the draft as your guide, thread each of the cards with four threads keeping in mind the threading direction, and appropriate color for each hole.
After all of the cards are threaded with the proper threading direction, and the correct colors are in the correct holes, tie an overhand knot with all of the threads at one end. Then loosely bind the cards together by tying a string around the whole pack, or wrapping the whole pack with a loose rubberband. This will keep all of the cards in the correct sequence as we even out the tension.
Gather together all of the ends of the warp. Now we need to even the tension of all of the warp threads. If some are looser than others, then the design will reflect this by "sagging" at those places. Use the pack of cards as a comb by sliding the pack foward and backward along the length of the warp with one hand while holding the loose ends with your other hand (a partner would be helpful during this step). You can also use your hands to comb through the warp threads.
After combing the warp to even the tension, tie a large overhand knot at the loose end of the warp.
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I've tied the two knots to c-clamps since my warp is only 4' long for this project.