how to choose a warp yarn — Weaver House (2024)

warping suggestions for different skill levels & loom types

Choosing yarns for warping will depend on a few things — the loom you’re working on, how many ends per inch (epi) your project requires and the end use of your textile. All of the warp yarns suggested below can also be used as weft while weaving. We’ve also created this guide to choosing a weft yarn.

What makes for a good warp yarn?

A good warp yarn needs to be strong, so that it will not break while under tension on the loom. It also needs to be smooth and without a lot of texture or stretch, especially when working on a rigid heddle loom or floor loom. On a floor loom the warp will be threaded through heddles and the reed, and undergo friction as the cloth is beat down and advanced forward. If the warp yarn has nubs, loops or an uneven texture, it can catch on the reed or break down over time. If a yarn has elastic or is stretchy, it can create tension issues that cause irregularities in your woven textile.

the exception to the rule:

Using a slub yarn for warping bends the requirements of a good warp yarn, in that it has an uneven texture and is not smooth. Some slub yarns are still not suitable for warping, but if they are tightly spun and manufactured with warping in mind, the slub will hold up under friction. We’ve outlined a few of these acceptable yarns below.

the strength test:

If you need to test a yarn to see if it is strong enough for warping, you can snap the yarn hard between two hands and see if it breaks easily. If the yarn does not immediately snap, it should be suitable for warping.

What does ‘epi’ stand for?

The epi refers to how many individual warp threads land in 1” of your cloth. Ends per inch can also be referred to as the sett, which is determined by the size yarn you’re warping with, and subsequently the size reed you’ll use on the loom. As an example, if you have an epi of 12, you’ll used a 12-dent reed. The higher your epi, the finer your yarn will be — which normally also translates to denser and tighter cloth. A soft and drapey scarf might use 8/4 cotton and have an epi of 12, while a finely woven linen tea towel might have an epi of 24. We make these handy epi counter keychains to help you determine the epi of a warp for various size yarns, but you can also use a ruler. You can see answers to more weaving FAQ’s here.

the workhorse yarns: cotton, wool & rayon (bamboo)

Cotton and wool yarns are easy to work with and tension while warping, and you’ll find you want to use them time and time again when planning your projects. These yarns are also excellent for the beginner weaver.

8/4 brassard cotton

8/4 brassard cotton can be used with all loom types as both warp and weft, and is one of the most versatile cottons we carry. 8/4 is the standard yarn weight for warping frame looms and is compatible with a 12-dent reed on most rigid heddle looms (12.5 if you’re using Ashford) and floor looms.

loom types: frame loom, rigid heddle loom, floor loom

suggested epi: 10-14

downloadable weaving patterns: the clements scarf, the maren table runner, the caspian wall hanging, the poppy tunic top, the bonnie baby blanket, the magda pillow, the gemma scarf

8/2 brassard cotton

8/2 brassard cotton is the same yarn as the versatile 8/4 cotton, except finer. It can still be used to warp frame looms but the space between each warp thread will be wider, creating a ‘gauzier’ effect when weaving. 8/2 is an excellent weight warp yarn for overshot and other float-oriented weave structures.

loom types: rigid heddle loom, floor loom

suggested epi: 15-20

downloadable weaving patterns: the adelia weaving bench cover, the essie infinity scarf, , the leary wall hanging, the clements scarf

16/2 brassard cotton

The smallest in the brassard family, 16/2 is finer than 8/2 and 8/4. 16/2 allows for finely woven cloth, large overshot, and lightweight fabrics. This yarn is too fine to warp on the rigid heddle loom— most rigid heddle loom reeds only go up to 15-dent (8/2 size).

loom types: floor loom

suggested epi: 18-30

natural wool

This wool comes in two weights: shetland and highland. The ply of this natural wool will add a soft and beautiful texture to any textile, and is not ‘crunchy’ like some raw spun wools. The yarn ply will also allow the wool to bloom when it is washed, and it will become even softer over time.

loom types: frame loom, rigid heddle loom, floor loom

suggested epi shetland: 10-12

suggested epi highland: 8-10

fine cotton cable cord

Cotton cord is often used to warp frame looms for tapestry weaving, and on the floor loom for rug weaving. This cord performs well under high tension and does not fray when the weft yarn is heavily beaten down for mats and rugs. This yarn also comes in medium weight.

loom types: frame loom, floor loom

suggested epi: 6-10

downloadable weaving patterns: the suri rug

cotton slub

This cotton slub is a dream to warp with, and can also be used as weft while weaving. Some slubs can fray when used as warp yarns, but this yarn holds its structure wonderfully. The slub effect of the yarn will add movement to the texture of the textile, a water-like quality.

loom types: rigid heddle loom, floor loom

suggested epi: 10-14

downloadable weaving patterns: the maren table runner, the quince scarf

mallo: cotton slub

Mallo can be used for both the warp and weft while weaving, and will not fray easily under friction. The slub effect of the yarn will add movement to the texture of the textile, a water-like quality.

loom types: rigid heddle loom, floor loom

suggested epi: 8-16

4/4 natural cotton

This thick cotton is an ideal warp yarn for rugs and heavily used items such as placemats, potholders and thick towels. It can be used for both warp and weft, and is very soft yet durable.

loom types: frame loom, rigid heddle loom, floor loom

intermediate to advanced yarns: linen, hemp & silk

Although these are also workhorse yarns, we recommend them for weavers who are beyond a basic skill level when working on a floor loom. These yarns may be used on a tapestry loom at a beginner level, and linen (next to cotton) is the most common tapestry weaving warp yarn. However, linen is still harder to tension and not as forgiving as cotton, so we consider warping with it a practiced technique.

3-ply linen

This linen is spun in Lithuania, and is everything we hope linen to be: soft, strong, textured and crisp. It accepts dye wonderfully (even over-dyeing colors) and still warps well after it’s been dyed.

loom types: rigid heddle loom, floor loom

suggested epi: 14-18

downloadable weaving patterns: the cleo table mats

bc garn lino

This linen is softer than most pure linens and once woven, drapes beautifully. The smaller put-up of this fiber easily allows for color experimentation while warping. It’s close to other 12/2 linens in diameter.

loom types: frame loom, rigid heddle loom, floor loom

suggested epi: 12-18

downloadable weaving patterns: crackle weave, the goldie coasters, the dahlia wall hanging

12/2 and 12/14 linen: natural

This linen is perfectly rustic, with the right amount of a smooth finish to warp up well. It’s not as polished as the 3-ply linen, and has the tactile quality of natural fiber or ‘hairiness’.

loom types: frame loom, rigid heddle loom, floor loom

suggested epi 12/2: 12-18

suggested epi 12/4: 10-14

downloadable weaving patterns: the leary wall hanging

16/2 bockens linen

This linen line is very easy to work with, but is too fine to warp on the rigid heddle loom— most rigid heddle loom reeds only go up to 15-dent (8/2 size). On the floor loom, under high tension, there’s no better linen experience.

loom types: floor loom

suggested epi: 20-30

advanced and experimental: tape, paper and novelty yarns

Some of these yarns are hard to warp with (hello, tension!), and others are simply not ‘classic’ warping yarns. Although a-typical, experimenting is key to creating — we hope you’ll be inspired to try something new when the time is right.

linen slub

This yarn is 100% linen, but the slub makes it particularly troublesome to warp with. It can be sticky when dressing, and the slubs can unravel and break while undergoing friction on the loom. However, this yarn is extremely strong and weaves a beautifully tactile cloth when used as both the warp and weft. If you’re not afraid of fixing a few broken warp strings here and there, it’s worth the trouble in the end. It also comes in bleached.

loom types: floor loom

suggested epi: 10-14 ~ a lower epi will create a looser weave, but keep the slubs from undergoing too much friction — 12 epi seems to be the sweet spot in our studio.

handspun kudzu yarn

This handspun kudzu yarn is very special! It’s strong and can be used in both the warp and weft, making unique loose yet durable weaves — think woven tote bags or placemats. It can also be used to create sculptural textiles and weave structures. It also comes dyed black, in the colorway soa.

loom types: frame loom, floor loom

suggested epi: 8-14

mondofil japanese speckled paper raffia

This paper raffia can create strong and dense weavings that are visually striking. Paper raffia is surprisingly easy to tension after some trial and error, although it works best with cloth or soft heddles (perfect for plastic reeds on the rigid heddle loom). For the beginner, this yarn can be easily warped on a frame loom. It also comes in solid colors, shown below.

loom types: frame loom, rigid heddle loom, floor loom

suggested epi: 6-10

mondofil japanese paper raffia

The same as speckled paper raffia, this fiber can create strong and dense weavings that are visually striking. Paper raffia is surprisingly easy to tension after some trial and error, although it works best with cloth or soft heddles (perfect for plastic reeds on the rigid heddle loom). For the beginner, this yarn can be easily warped on a frame loom.

loom types: frame loom, rigid heddle loom, floor loom

suggested epi: 6-10

fine japanese ramie

Ramie is a vegetable fiber known for it’s strength, and comes from a flowering plant native to eastern Asia. This yarn is surprisingly soft and acts similar to a paper yarn.

loom types: floor loom

suggested epi: 14-20

isager japansk bomuld tape yarn

Cotton tape yarn is one of the easiest experimental yarns to work with. Because this tape yarn is 100% cotton, it’s easier to tension on smaller looms. Woven in both the warp and weft loosely, this tape yarn will create a textile with a lot of movement and drape.

loom types: frame loom, rigid heddle loom, floor loom

suggested epi: 12-18

paper raffia

Like other paper yarns, this raffia works best with cloth or soft heddles on the floor loom (perfect for plastic reeds on the rigid heddle loom). For the beginner, this yarn can be easily warped on a frame loom.

loom types: frame loom, rigid heddle loom, floor loom

suggested epi: 6-8

daruma sasawashi

Sasawashi is made from Kumasasa, a variety of bamboo that grows in high elevations of 1,000 meters above sea level. This yarn is fun to warp with on the frame loom and is possible to use as warp on a rigid heddle or floor loom — it just takes a little patience when tensioning and weaving, and requires an open mind to textural and unexpected cloth.

loom types: frame loom, rigid heddle loom, floor loom

suggested epi: 6-10

view our other yarn guides:

how to choose a weft yarn

May Maani

January 3, 2024