I am preparing a short (3 yard) dummy warp for a four-shaft loom. Onto this warp will be tied odds and ends of handspun yarn, which have been languishing in a basket in my studio for many moons. This will be a good way to use up some of this yarn stash without too much waste. I will be able to wind a small chain of each handspun yarn until it is used up, tie the ends randomly to the dummy warp, repeat for each additional chain, and so on until all the dummy ends have a new warp end tied on.
There are two crosses in this warp; a thread by thread cross, called variously the threading cross, pourrey cross, or porrey cross; and the raddle cross, also known as the portee cross. Here's the raddle cross being made at one end of the warp:
Instead of crossing thread by thread, the ends are grouped in sections corresponding to 1/2 inch of reed space. These warp sections will be slipped into the raddle dents (which are 2 per inch) before the dummy warp is wound onto the warp beam, to space them. Then a pair of lease sticks will be inserted into the threading cross, and the ends entered into the heddles and reed.
I plan to weave plain weave in a neutral colored weft.
In hunting for some good definitions of the crosses, I came across the text, Weavers Words, by the late, great Peter Collingwood. Definitely worth a second look!
To a Certain Person: I've used "which" twice in this post. I hope I got it right.