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Learning from experience

LM & ARO on the back beam

You know this is one of my favorite angles for photos of new warps. This is no exception. This time it’s for LM & ARO, and although all the colors may not be obvious in the photo, they are in real life: mauve fonce -> mauve -> lavande -> gris pale -> magenta -> bleu moyen -> marine -> navy.

How does a lovely looking wrap like this with 8 colors happen?

Like lots of (most?) people, I often learn more from my mistakes than from my successes. When it comes to baby wraps, I’ve learned that it’s way better to take the time on preventive steps than to suffer the consequences of not doing so. My major screw ups have taught me what I need to do to avoid repeats.

In June of 2014 I put a bout on the lease sticks backwards. To avoid ever doing that again, I now put each bout on the lease sticks as soon as I take it off the warping mill. That’s when I am totally clear on which side of the bout goes on the right and which on the left.

Then in March of 2015 I made a mistake when measuring the warp for the gradient threads. I lost count while I was winding. To make sure that didn’t happen again, I created a gradient checklist. I change the specific colors for each warp, and make sure to check every single box every single time. I also use this checklist to make sure that I have the right number of total threads before I start, and to decide where to end each bout so that the threads are relatively evenly distributed.

LM & ARO gradient checklist

Tomorrow I’ll be able to start threading this lovely warp. Some weavers don’t like this step, but I’m good with it. It’s almost meditative for me. It’s also a great time to listen to an audio book or a podcast.

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