A Glossary of Weaving Terms

Advancing the warp

Releasing the pawl on the ratchet on the warp beam and
winding some of the woven cloth onto the cloth beam.
Balanced Weave
A fabric with the same number of wefts per inch as warps per
inch.
Bubbling
Allowing some looseness in the weft to provide the extra length
needed for the weft to be beaten in without causing draw-in.
Changing the shed
Lifting the foot and placing it on a different treadle to cause a
different shed to be formed.
Draw-in
The narrowing of the weaving at the selvages due to the natural
shrinking of the web. Excessive draw-in is caused from the weft
being too tight.
Fell
The edge of the weaving where the last weft has been beaten in.
Finishing
The final treatments of the woven piece such as washing, fulling
or pressing.
Heading
The first weaving of waste thread which will be discarded. In rug
weaving, tapestry and some placemats, it is the first few wefts
which strengthen the edge.
One shuttle weave
A weave which is woven with one shuttle, allowing the weaver to
develop a rhythm of movement as the shuttle does not have to
be set down between shots.
Opposites
A treadling sequence where one weft shot is followed by
treadling the opposite shed. The opposite of 2 3 is 1 4.
Pattern Weave
A weave which requires two shuttles, two wefts, and often
different colors or threads. The pattern is usually threaded or
treadled differently from plain weave.
PPI
Picks per inch, or the number of wefts per inch.
Selvage
The woven edge of a fabric.
Selvage Loops
The extensions of the weft beyond the selvage from the weft
tension being too loose.
Shed
The opening created on a loom where the weft passes.
Shot (pick)
A single pass of weft through the shed.
Tabby
Plain weave and ground weave for a pattern weave.

A Glossary of Warping Terms

Back to Front
A phrase used to describe the traditional warping method after
the recent popularity with a method called front to back
warping.
Bout
One wound group of warp threads, tied together, which contains
up to 6" of warp width.
Beaming
Winding the warp, which is spaced out to its weaving width, onto
the warp beam.
Choke
Very tight, but temporary ties spaced every two yards along the
warp bout to keep the threads secure.
Cross (lease)
The crossing of warp threads made by winding between dowels
at the end of a bout, to keep them in order for beaming and
threading the warp.
Ends
Individual warp threads.
Filling
An industry term for weft.
Guide String
A non stretchy cord measured to be the same length as the
warp and placed on the warping reel or frame to be a guide for
winding the warp bouts.
Sectional Warping
A method for winding a warp used for long warps for production
weaving. Warp is wound onto spools or cones, one for each end
in a section of one or two inches. These warps are wound into
the first section through a tension box. The warp is cut and then
the next section is wound.
Sett
The number of warp threads per inch.
Sleying
Passing the warp ends through the dents in the reed.
Threading (drawing in)
Drawing the warp threads through the eyes of the heddles.
Thrums
Unwoven warp left when the last woven piece is cut from the
loom. It is called loom waste when planning warps.
Tie-up
The tying or connecting of cords to parts of the loom to hang the
shafts, lamms and/or treadles.
Warp
Threads running the length of the loom across which threads are
woven.
Weft (filling)
Threads which are woven crosswise to the warp to form the web.
Top

A Glossary of Loom and Equipment

Terms
Apron
The canvas or cord which is attached to the cloth and warp
beams and which is long enough to reach the shafts. The a pron
has a wooden bar or metal rod for attaching the warp threads.
Beam, back
Beam at the back of the loom over which the warp passes after
leaving the warp beam.
Beam, breast
Beam at the front of the loom over which the cloth passes
before it winds onto the cloth beam.
Beam, cloth
Beam in the front of the loom which rotates and holds the woven
cloth.
Beam, foot
Beam below the breast beam for resting the feet.
Beam, knee
Beam above the cloth beam over which the cloth passes before
it winds onto the cloth beam. It allows space for the weaver's
knees.
Beam, Warp
Beam at the back of the loom which rotates and holds the warp.
Beam, Sectional
A warp beam divided into sections for warping very long warps.
Other equipment is necessary to make sectional warps.
Beaming Sticks
Sticks which are placed onto the warp beam as the warp is
wound on.
Beaming
Winding a prepared warp onto the warp beam.
Beater (also batten)
Swinging frame holding the removable reed, used to beat the
weft in place.
Boat Shuttle
A shuttle which looks like a boat and is hollowed out to hold a
bobbin or quill of weft thread. For a photo.
Bobbin
Spool for a boat shuttle, on which weft thread is wound.
Bobbin Winder
A tool for winding bobbins or spools either by hand or electric
power.
Brake
A device to hold a warp beam from turning, made of a metal
cable or band which winds on a metal drum.
Counterbalance Loom
A loom with a pulley system with horses or dowels to attach the
shafts. When a shed is made, some shafts rise and some sink.
Countermarch Loom
A loom with jacks at the top of the loom with cords attaching
them to the shafts and two sets of lamms. When a shed is made,
some shafts rise and some sink.
Dents
The narrow spaces in the reed, stated by the number of dents
per inch or per 10 centimeters.
Drawloom
A two harness loom. The first harness usually has 4 - 10 shafts
and the second creates a pattern by using a set of shafts or
individually tied groups of threads. To read more on drawlooms.
End
A warp end is one warp thread of the prepared warp.
Eye
The opening in a heddle for threading a warp end.
Fabric Protector
A protective board that is attached to the breast beam. For more
information see protector.
Fly shuttle
A shuttle used for weaving on wide looms which is supported by
a shuttle race and moves across the loom by pulling a cord.
Heddles
Thread, wire, metal or Texsolv polyester loops held by the shaft
sticks with eyes for threading warp ends.
Jack Loom
A loom with jacks below the shafts to push the shafts up, or on
top of the loom and attached to pull the shafts up. When a shed
is made, some shafts rise and the other shafts remain down by
their own weight, as they are not tied to anything which would
keep them down. More on jack looms.
Lamms
Horizontal wooden lever sticks which attach the treadles to the
shafts.
Lease Sticks
Flat, thin, smooth, wooden sticks which are inserted into the
cross (or lease) in the warp to keep the correct order of threads.
Levers
Wooden or metal handles on table looms used for making a
shed.
Pawl
A catch device attached to the loom frame which falls to catch
into a ratchet tooth to keep the ratchet from rotating.
Quill
A paper or cardboard tube on which weft threads are wound for
use in a boat shuttle.
Ratchet
A toothed wheel placed at the end of cloth and warp beams
which is held by a pawl to keep the beam from rotating.
Raddle
A long, flat, narrow piece of wood with nails or metal pins every
1/4" or 2", used to spread the warp evenly for beaming the warp
onto the warp beam.
Reed
A comb with both sides closed which fits into the beater. It
spaces the warp threads evenly and beats the weft into place.
Rising Shed
A description of a shed on a loom where the shafts rise. jack
loom.
Shaft
A frame or two sticks with heddles which moves up and down to
form sheds. Called a harness by some.
Shuttle Race
A horizontal beam in front of the reed, attached to the beater on
which the fly shuttle glides. Jack looms also have shuttle races
to support the shuttle, as the warp tension is looser than on
other looms.
Ski Shuttle
A shuttle with upturned ends which is used for rug weaving. See
a photo of a ski and rug shuttle.
Sleying Hook
A small flat tool with a hook used to pull the warp ends through
the reed.
Stick Shuttle (flat shuttle)
A smooth flat stick to wind weft for weaving.
Swift
An adjustable frame for holding a skein of yarn.
Temple (stretcher)
Adjustable wooden or metal bar with sharp points placed on the
woven web to keep the width constant and the sett the same
across the web. To see a photo of a temple.
Threading Hook
A small tool with a thin narrow hook used to pull the warp ends
through the heddle eyes.
Treadles
Foot petals used to move the shafts to make a shed.
Warping Board
A frame with wooden pegs for measuring short warps.
Warping Reel (mill)
Large adjustable revolving frame for winding warps.

A Glossary of Drafting Terms

Block
A group of 2 or more threads which form a unit in a weave.
Cloth Diagram
A diagram of the woven cloth.
Draft
A diagram representing the threading, tie-up and treadling for a
weave.
Drawdown
The part of the draft which shows the cloth diagram above or
below the threading.
Profile Draft
A short draft where one square represents two or more threads,
usually one unit or one block.
Take-up
The amount that the warp shortens in length due to the
undulation caused by the weaving.
Threading Draft
Instructions for threading heddles on a loom.
Tie-up
Instructions for tying up treadles on a loom, indicating which
shafts rise and which sink.
Treadling Draft
Instructions for treadling a weave
Tromp as Writ (as drawn in)
Treadle the weave the same way the threading is written.