Since I started using the mill making warps longer than my usual, I’ve noticed something interesting. I’ve been having mild tension ‘issues’ indicative of inconsistent tension during beaming. After observing this happening several times, I’ve come to the conclusion that longer warps need higher tension while going onto the beam.
I have yet to ‘prove’ this by beaming with more weight, so I will do that with the next warp. The difference in length isn’t so much that you would think there would be a problem, but the longer the warp, the larger the diameter of the beam. Perhaps it has something to do with that. Or not. I don’t know the reason, I’m just reporting my observations….
There are many people on the internet who stoutly maintain that you must not wind the yarn off the end of a tube. They give the reason that winding off the end of the tube will either add or subtract twist depending on the direction the yarn is wound.
You will notice that I have my tubes on a ‘post’ and I most definitely take directly off the tube from the end. However, I always set my tubes up so that they wind off the same direction.
I don’t know if I’m adding or subtracting twist – have never bothered to figure it out. I just do what I do consistently.
Why do I prefer to take it off the end of the tube? I don’t have to ‘fight’ with the spin of the tube, jerking and dragging or casting off more yarn than I need just at that moment and worse, wrapping that excess yarn around the axle on which the tube is placed. In the end I feel I get better results – more consistent tension as I wind my warps.
As always, Your Mileage May Vary….