So! I started putting the warp-starter threads on the loom, using the warp I’d already put on to pull my grand idea through the heddles and beater and then I discovered this:
The pattern should be shed 1, 2, 3, 4, but in one spot I did it wrong—1, 3, 3, 4. Ah well. I’m not feeling put out though for two reasons. First, I’d been planning to take a more free-form, artistic approach to this piece and so now, knowing there’s a little flaw in it, I’ll feel more free to just play around and try things out. And second, and most importantly, I was able to confirm that the warp started threads work! As I’ve said a few times to David through this process “there’s more than one way to warp a loom” (also I think that should replace the skin-a-cat saying because it’s way less gross). This warp started idea forgoes that flexibility for the sake of speed which is a trade off I’m more than willing to make. I’m sure I can spend quite a while exploring the potential of this way of setting up the warp, and it’s gonna make it easier for me to keep going with this craft because warping a loom from scratch is so time consuming and hard. So—while this plan hasn’t turned out exactly as I planned I’m pretty pleased with where I’m at with weaving right now anyway.