Page #6.-six (Top and bottom beam poles:
(secondary poles)

Now that we have attached our piece to the top and bottom poles with the aid of a stout cord, wrapped with half-hitches BETWEEN the looped ends of warp and around the poles, it is now time to tie these primary poles to our stouter secondary "beam-poles." (Sky Pole & Earth Pole)

��These will be the two poles that will be tied to the beams at top and bottom, in order to stretch our piece with enough tension to begin weaving. When the sky is pulled down to touch the earth, then you may have too much tension.
(Breaking warps may also indicate this.)

��These two poles need to be strong enough to allow the tension of the process without becoming overly distorted between where they tie to the primary poles.
��It is good to be able to make these ties to the secondary pole far enough from each other to allow room to easily pass a skein of rope between them while tying to the beams. This is also true of the distance between these two poles.
��Somewhere between four and six inches seems to be the needed spacing, depending on the size of the pole being used, as well as the size of your hand. A stouter pole allows for a wider spacing between the ties going from pole to pole.

��From the photos, it can be seen that another conduit pipe has been used here.
��However, what cannot be seen, is that a double-walled, or a double-strength conduit was used for the secondary pole and a single-walled pipe is used for the primary pole.

��Tying the two poles together is done here with a light braided rope of about a 3/32" thickness.(black parachute cord)
��It is made of nylon. It was tied to replace the �" twisted cotton cords that failed after a time.(the white one)

��Of main import here, is getting all the tied loops of the same tension and size.
��This can be done by pre-measuring each and using the same knotting techniques on each tie of the ends, one to the other.

��It will also be helpful to tie both ends first. Then tie one loop in the middle and place the piece under tension to be able to tie the remaining ties fairly snugly, working from both ends toward the center.

��This may cause the first ones placed at the center to become looser than the last ones tied out toward them.
��If that is the case, simply re-tie or replace them with the last ones to be tied.

��Use as many as possible while remembering to keep enough room to work between them.
(4 to 6 inches.)

��If there is a concern that the cord is not stout enough for the distance apart they are required to be. It is possible to double them on both sides of a warp.Then let them go back together around the other (secondary) pole.

��This is preferred to doubling them in the same place around the twilled cord, as it will cause too large an opening in your piece at that point.

��Basically, what is being done here, (see photo.) is the tying of the two poles together, and a small distance from each other, (larger than your fist.) with single loops of light rope or heavy cords.
��These will pass between (but NEVER through) the loops of warp and around the twilled end-cords and the poles being tied together.

��The reason to insure that you do NOT capture a loop of warp with these ties, is to prevent them from stopping the warps being allowed to slip around the twilled cord at each end of the piece being woven.

��It is also important to not catch a loop of warp with the passing of the primary cord that ties the twilled end-cords to the primary poles. The thought being to not restrict the slippage of the warp cords in this way also.

I have stressed this point for the reason that this is the way most all weaving Dineh ladies of today do it and teach it to those who study at the foot of their looms.
I also stress it for the same reason they do, in that there is great advantage in this way of doing it, concerning safety to the warps from not being restricted in their ability to freely slip through the twill, instead of breaking from being trapped.
����Being aware of this school of thought and having attended it and another as well, I still opt for the method of incorporating the loops of warp into every other pass of the stout cotton cord that is wrapped with half-hitches at each pass around the primary pole. One through, one beside, until the end is reached.

��Even though I find it to restrict the slippage somewhat. It does not impede it to a point of being a problem. The slippage is still enhanced by the fact of the differences in the cotton to the wool cords, as well as the fact that under tension there is enough play or stretch in the cotton to allow what play is needed.
This is caused from the extreme amount of tension I use while weaving the 'old style' fine blanket weave, compared to the lesser tension normally being used by todays more loosely woven blanket and rug being woven for today's trade.
Not to say they don't also stretch the warps, because some do to a point almost equal to my own. Just not quite.
As to what you do, I strongly suggest you follow the ladies lead and take the path of greatest safety until such a time as you have a greater cause to switch to the more dangerous one. As well as enough experience to allow you to get away with it.

��The advantage of having the warp loops incorporated into the temporary cord that ties the twilled end-cords to the primary poles is that it takes the strain off the twilled cords while the piece is being woven, and under tension. Because of this extra tension the continued sawing effect caused from the working of the loom would cut through the twill cords were they not reinforced from having the stout cotton tie cord hold them to the tie pole.

Another thing worth a mention is as follows:

��At the point that the two primary and secondary poles are tied to the twilled end cords of our piece. It should be noted that those four poles and the two tied in the two shed openings of our piece's warp loops, are the Navajo loom.
��With the next step of moving the lower warp pole to the outside and tying it in place, a complete working Navajo loom is had, and may be rolled around and tied to its poles and transported to any location where it may again be stretched from top to bottom and worked once more.

�This will remain true until the piece being woven is complete.

Thus we have a Navajo loom, and yet the lack thereof..