So after measuring a LOT of yarns, it’s time to sley the reed! When winding the yarns onto the warping board, they are wound in order. In an effort to keep them in order after they come off the board, lease sticks are slipped in between the yarns. It’s a little tricky to explain, but trust me – those 2 little sticks are critical for keeping weavers happy everywhere!
Then, each yarn is placed into the reed. A reed is a rectangular frame with metal slots. The reed eventually will go into the loom and keep the yarns spaced exactly the way you want. For this particular project, I used a 12 dent reed – meaning there are 12 slots per inch. And I placed one yarn in each dent, making the math easy!
Between you and me, I don’t know why weavers say they are “Sleying the Reed”! But, of all the many terms and phrases you learn as a weaver, it’s the most fun to say!
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Art, Dressing the Loom, Planning a Project, Weaving, Weaving Fabric, Yarn