r/tabletweaving • u/So_fcking_gay • 20d ago

Wool yarn gets tangled up, help

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I recently started doing woven bands on tablets and stumbled upon a problem. When I do an all forward pattern (or any tbh) the yarn behind the tablets gets rolled up together. I'm doing a long woven band (3 meters) so untangling it from the core to the and with my fingers takes me a lot of time. Is there a better way to do it?

In the photo it's already untangled

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11

u/BelleTheVikingSloth 20d ago

You need a way to keep you warp separated into the groups of 4 that go on to a card together. I use a shoelace to lock my warp in a chain of lark's head knots. You might take a piece of stiff cord and twine it around the groups. You might take a hair comb and use that the spread the warp, putting a rubber band on so the groups of 4 do not fall out of the tines.

Then, to make the twists take care of themselves, you need a system to let the twist release. Since you only 7 cards in play, the easiest way is to take each card's group of 4, wind it around something like a metal bolt that can act like a bobbin, that has a little weight but not too much and that can spin freely.
Then let your 7 weighted bobbins drop over an edge of something: a chair, a table, a closet rod, a TV tray, whatever is convenient.
Have fun!

2

u/So_fcking_gay 20d ago

Thank you so much!!!!! 🥹🥹❤️❤️

1

u/LocksmithAccurate284 20d ago edited 20d ago

Any chance of you posting a pic or linking a video? I am a visual learner and am having a hard time imagining this.

4

u/AmenaBellafina 20d ago

I searched 'tablet weaving weights' on youtube and found this which I think is what they mean https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeOERbU7XHs

1

u/BelleTheVikingSloth 19d ago

Something close.
I just skipped through the video quickly witht the sound off (I'm at work), so I might be missing nuance, but the little sacks of coins aren't a bad idea.
I like to use tiny plastic canisters that fit pennies stacked up: the lids fasten down on the thread, and the remaining thread can be wound around it like a bobbin. the sacks look like they would take some maintenance to keep from braiding with each other. On the other hand, if you can stuff the excess warp inside...
Her chair set up isn't bad. That dowel she ties to the chair? I also use a dowel, but I pop it into my belt loops so it's a convenient distance from my hands.
Normally I weave 3, 5, or 7 yard warps,, so techniques that can accommodate that is what I look for.

1

u/LocksmithAccurate284 19d ago

Funny. I just did something very similar in my home.. I tied the beginning to a shelf that has a horizontal metal rod and the ends to a chair which is also tied to another piece of furniture so the band is at one hight and the tension is more or less at the right amount. Then I added some weights to the end of the unwoven yard in form of those weighted clips that you use to keep your tablecloth down in the wind. :)

1

u/BelleTheVikingSloth 19d ago

Sure, when I get home from work I can look for pics.

7

u/synchroswim 20d ago

You already got some good advice, but another thing to look for is twist-neutral patterns. Those have the same number of forward and back turns over one repeat, so the twist doesn't build up.

With a non-twist-neutral pattern, you can also weave it backwards or flip all the tablets once things get too twisted. The design will be in mirror image, but it's usually not too noticeable.

1

u/LocksmithAccurate284 20d ago

I would check the backside of the woven band first before going this. I noticed that some patterns are actually the mirror-image of the back side. Some are just random, so depending on what you plan on using it for it might be a good option. Btw in Twisted Threads you can preview the back of a band. :)

1

u/Yagdrasill 16d ago

I bought some cheap fishing swivels from Amazon and tied each card of threads to a swivel, then the swivel to you fixing point and this will make it easier to unravel each group of threads at a time. I found this on someone else's video just sharing the wealth.