Terms to know in Weaving, Spinning, and Fibre arts.
This glossary is an evolving work, growing from your questions and dialogue. Thank you!
Apron: cloth connected to the front or back beam of the loom, a warp is tied onto a cord or metal rod which is attached to the apron cloth.
Beam: a wood or metal bar found on the front or back of a loom on which the warp is wound.
Cross: the space between the warp ends which is preserved by alternating sequence of threads during measuring and tied off in order to maintain the arrangement of threads.
Dummy warp: a sample set of threads placed in the loom, too short to weave, long enough to demo the basis of the loom set up.
Front to back: the direction by which a weaver sets up the loom.
Heddles: a set of parallel cords or wires, hung on a harness, used to guide warp threads on the loom.
Lease sticks: sticks or dowels that hold the cross of a warp while preparing the loom.
Loom: a structure used for weaving which provides support and tension.
Pattern: design or structure.
Raddle: a tool used for separating or spreading the warp to the correct width on the loom.
Reed: fits into the beater bar of the loom to maintain the distance between warp threads and lays each weft thread into place.
Resize: to change the spacing between threads in a warp.
Rethreading: changing a single passing or complete setup of threads through the heddle or heddles.
Shed: the space for weaving between warp threads as they are raised or lowered, by a shed stick on a tapestry loom, toggles on a table loom, or treadles on a floor loom.
Tabby: the simplest weave structure possible alternative odd and even threads; plain weave.
Tension: firm and balanced tautness, necessary for the warp when weaving.
Threading: passing a thread through the eye of the headdle, repeated many times with many warp threads to set up the pattern structure on a loom.
Tie on: to connect using a knot.
Twill: a weave set up in which the threads pass over and under two or more threads to give the appearance of diagonal lines.
Warp: a set of threads vertically on the loom, held under tension during the weaving process.
Warp Thread: a single thread that runs vertically on the loom, under tension during weaving.
Weft: the fibre or yarn placed between the warp threads, usually horizontally, to create the filling of the patterns or weave structure.
Weft Thread: a single thread or fibre placed between the warp thread.
Yardage: length, usually measured in yards or meters.
Yarn weight: a numeric phrase or word attributed to a standard measurement of yarn.