# Warp yarns - what to look for



## Jen H (Jun 16, 2004)

I hope it's ok that I separated the two topics out?

Warp yarns have to be able to withstand tension and abrasion. There's a quick test I do with yarns I'm interested in -- I take a length, wrap it around the fingers of both hands and "snap" it. If the yarn takes some strength to break or "snaps" crisply, it will probably do fine in a warp. If the yarn just pulls apart easily, I save it for weft.

If I particularly like a yarn and I'm not entirely sure about it surviving as a warp, I'll chain the warp, choke tie it really well, and soak it in a diluted starch solution. Once the warp dries, the starch helps keep it together on the loom and washes out easily after the fabric is off of the loom.

I've already mentioned in a different thread that I really like 8/4 cotton rug warp for rag rugs -- Marysville Rug Warp is a great and trusted brand. The red does bleed, but I've found the other colors stay true with no problems. There are other 8/4 cottons out there that probably work just as well - I have a cone that I haven't played around with yet. A good rug warp will *not* break when you do the snap test. You can pull till your fingers bleed, and the yarn just won't break. It needs to be that strong to stand the tensions used while weaving rugs. Think of rugs as extreme textiles - they need to hold up to foot traffic and vacuuming and washing.

Wool and linen rug warps are similarly strong - wool is more stretchy but still won't break. Linen has no stretch at all and will really bite into your fingers without breaking.

For blankets, table runners, placemats, etc... really the sky's the limit. As long as a yarn will pass the snap test, you can use it. I like using pearl cotton for placemats and lite blankets because you can get just about every color of the rainbow and it's easy to find. I've used wool/silk blends and mohair - it all works (although mohair is a true pain to work with, the end result is lovely). One thing I like to do with blankets and distowels is combine pearl cotton with cotton flake - I like the texture difference.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Thank you, thank you!!! You are a champ


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