The Why Behind the Rule
I had an incident with a ruler this week. It was a combination of handedness (I’m a lefty), feeling a little under the weather and grabbing the wrong tool. If you are not left-handed, you may not realize just how many tools are geared to right-handed folk…things like mugs, hair clips and yes, even some rulers! This isn’t to say they aren’t good tools, just that if you are left-handed, you might need to think a little harder! And thinking harder wasn’t working for me this week.
As a lefty, I usually start warping from the left side of my loom. So I measure from the center to the left. With the ruler I grabbed this week, that means the numbers on my ruler are upside down. This is no big deal - unless, your brain, for reasons as yet unknown, decides those numbers need to be right-side-up AND you start measuring with the end of the ruler (12”) at the center instead of the middle point of the warp (7.5”).
If you don’t understand this long explanation don’t worry, it took me quite a while to figure out what went wrong! The important part of story is I did not properly center my warp in the reed.
Look! More upside down numbers!
I knew early into the warping that there was a problem, and as I continued to warp, I pondered about how I might fix it and if I even needed to fix it. Which led to thinking about why we center the warp anyway. Which led to me decide to just go with it.
So, that begs the question…why do we center the warp anyway?
Centering isn’t about aesthetics or OCD. It’s about pressure and balance.
1. It keeps you centred at the loom
When you’re lined up with the reed, your hands naturally apply even pressure as you beat. It helps prevent angled weaving and keeps things smoother overall.
2. It’s better for your loom
As a left-handed weaver, I always begin warping from the left side. If I did that every time without centering, the left side of my loom would take far more stress than the right. Over time, that uneven pressure can lead to problems: warped beams, stressed warping sticks, and potential cracks.
So yes—centering your warp is a good habit. But if your warp is off-centered occasionally…just go with it…there are no weaving police!
