Backstrap Loom Warper © Marilyn Anderson. Woodcut, 8″ x 10″
A Maya woman precisely winds the threads off a “swift” (skein winder) onto the warping frame. These weft yarns are destined for making two inch wide ribbons on her backstrap loom.
The cross shaped warping frame she uses is so simple that it can be constructed with few tools by the weaver herself. However, most Maya backstrap weavers use carpenter-made larger size horizontal warping frames with pegs to allow for many more yarns to be wound. This supplies enough yarn so that a wider textile can be woven.