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.