# Figuring warp and weft for my project



## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

As most of you know I am going to be part of a weave-a-long, I think Cyndi signed up for it to. I bought my yarn and yesterday began to calculate how much warp and weft I will need. My weaving books all have formulas and sample worksheets to keep project notes on. The formula seems pretty much the same in all the books it's just how it is organized and written. Because I'm dyslexic things like how things are written and how they are presented can make or break a deal for me. I suppose once I have it all figured out one day I will be able to design my own. I have a works sheet that someone gave me and I don't remember who but I like the way those directions are written so that is what I'm using.

Here is the basic formula:

number of inches wide you want the finished project x EPI (ends per inch) = Warp end needed


So for my project here is what I came up with; I want my project to be 30" wide and I'm using a 10 dent reed (I'm on a rigid heddle loom). So.....

30 x 10 = 300

Now I need to figure out how long my project will be and how long my warp threads need to be. Here is that formula:

Number of inches long for the project + number of inches of any fringe wanted + number of inches for shrinkage. It seems to be 10% is average + number of inches of loom waste (depends on loom) = length of each warp end 

Then you need to add the total warp ends needed x the length of each warp end. Then turn that into yarns.

Here is what mine looks like;
My project will be 72 inches long + a 6 inch fringe + 7 inches of shrinkage + 25 inches of loom waste = 110 inches for each warp end.

72 + 6 + 7 + 25 = 110 

300 x 110 / 36 = 916.6 yards

Now for the weft. I'm going to just do a plain weave. I need to width of my project x the EPI x length. Then convert the inches to yards. here is mine;

30 x 10 x 72 = 2160/ 36 = 600 yards

Total warp & weft needed is 1,516.6

Now I am not a math whiz and while I was typing this I found mistakes in my original calculations. So PLEASE,please if anyone finds any mistakes let me know. I'm thinking I may need to measure my warp in sections but I'm not sure.


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## Katherine in KY (May 11, 2002)

It looks good to me, March. Some people double the outside warp ends for extra strength; I'm not sure you need to do that for a scarf. You're assuming a completely balanced weave in your weft calculation? I'd add in some extra to allow for take-up and in case you decide to beat the weft so it sits closer than the EPI of your warp (does that make sense?). It's great to see you finally start weaving something--can't wait to see pictures.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Thanks Katherine! I would like to assume it will be perfectly balanced :shrug: I have no clue. This will be the first real project. The thing I have on the loom now I don't like and it really is just a sampler. I should finish it though. I used sugar and cream for that project and it is so big. What I hope for this new project it that it will become a throw/shawl.

I think I understand what you are saying about the take up. Do you not think that 25" plus the 7" for fringe will be enough? I really have no clue. I want something that will be sort of drapey not stiff. What do you suggest? I have 4 1/2# cones, 900 yards each of the Harrisville Shetland.


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## Wisconsin Ann (Feb 27, 2007)

remember to watch your weft when you beat. Your first inch or so will tell you how hard you'll have to beat with the reed to get the "balanced" weave. meaning the same number of weft threads per inch as warp threads. so...if 10 warps = 1inch, then 10 wefts will = 1inch. If you beat down too hard, you'll squish the wefts and have a stiffer finished product. If you're too light, you'll have a very very loose/flowy finished material. (too loose gets really hard to work with,btw.)

oh yes...*PICTURES*!!! got to have *PICTURES*!! 
both you and Cyndi!!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Thank you Ann for your input. I will keep those tips in mind and train my eyes to the 10 x 10 feel/look.

I bought Peggy Osterkamp's book #2 Warping your Loom and Tying on New Warps Now I'm thinking I need book #1 How to Wind a Warp and Use a Paddle. They are very interesting and technical books. I think I'm luck in that the person who helped me with the warp on my loom now taught me to warp from back to front and that is Peggy's whole deal too.

Now another thing I need to think about is this. Each of the cones I have is a different color but they all go together nicely, they are purplish, pinks, bluish heathered pastel colors. I want to sort of mix them up and not really have stripes but sort of have stripes. Does that make sense? I just don't want really wide stripes. Any ideas?


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## Katherine in KY (May 11, 2002)

Ahh, March, that's the challenge of making a pleasing-to-the-eye finished project! Colors can do strange things when woven together, some good, some not so good. You might try laying some pieces together to get an idea of what you want, or even weaving a small sample on something like one of those Weavette looms. Have fun with it!


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## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

_looks at all the mathematical figurings and starts going cross-eyed ....... runs from the room screaming ........_


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Falcon I am so with you :help: Math is definitely not my thing :nono: I made it thought the math I needed for my college degree but that is it. But having said all that it is one of the reasons I began to knit in ernest and now to weave. I need to not be afraid of the numbers and I sure don't want it to keep me from doing what I really want to. Beside, if I learn to do it the way "your supposed to" then I can fudge it from then on once I have the understanding of why it is done that way.

Katherine I know, I know :baby04: On the cone these colors look so nice. What I'm thinking is if I lay the warp in stripes then have a weft of just one of the colors not used in the warp. I have periwinkle, aster, lilac, and white, if you want to know what these look like you could do a search for Harrisville Shetland wool or something like that. I was thinking of maybe laying the warp in the Aster, lilac, and the white and using the periwinkle as the weft :shrug:


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