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used, is a rather difficult operation and requires not only 
patience and time but skill. 
   (i) Hand-Loom.-For the hand-loom the processes of 
 warp preparation and threading are generally as follows: 
   (a) Preparation of Warp.-The number of warp-threads 
 required and their length depend on the width and length 
 of the material to be made. The yarn comes wound on 
 bobbins from the spinning-wheel. In spinning, the amount 
 of yarn wound on each bobbin is not uniform, and in order 
 to secure even lengths for the warp the yarn must be meas- 
 ured. This is done by winding the desired lengths into 
 skeins on a reel which somewhat resembles a wheel. From 
 the reel the skeins are put on a swift and wound back on 
 bobbins, the required length to each bobbin. To transfer 
 the yarn to the warp-beam of the loom, several bobbins are 
 placed in a bobbin-frame, and the threads from these are 
'wound on warping-bars which are of various kinds. This 
operation is repeated until enough lengths to give the re- 
quired width have been prepared. From the bars the 
different, groups of threads are transferred by various 
methods to the warp-beam of the loom. In this trans- 
ferring they pass through the teeth of a comb-shaped 
guide, often called a raddle, which is placed near the warp- 
beam and helps in keeping the threads separated and in 
winding them on the beam evenly and smoothly. Two 
people are needed for this operation, one to watch and 
guide the threads, the other to turn the beam. 
   In winding the threads on the warping-bars a cross, or 
 lease, must be made in them at one end. Through this 
 the lease-rods are to be placed as the warp is set up in the 
 loom. 
   (b) Threading.-When the warp is wound on the beam 
 and the cross is secured by the placing of the lease-rods, the 
 ends are drawn, as the pattern requires, through the har- 
 ness and then through the reed. A reed-hook, resembling 
 somewhat a flattened crochet-hook, is used to pull these 
 threads through the eyes of the heddles and the. dent, or 
 teeth, of the reed. 
   The simplest weaving design, the plain weave, requires 
 
 
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