Finishing Off Loom Work.

Q: I'm new to loom beading, and I'm having some trouble with weaving the warp threads back into the work. Anyone with suggestions for finishing loom work?

A: There are several methods of finishing off loom work, depending on what the piece is intended to be, and how you wove it. If you use the double warp method, or if you use a blunt needle to weave with, you can usually pull the warps up and only have to finish off a few. If not, I suggest 'Virginia Blakelock's' method. If the warp or end is coming out of a bead, run it through a few beads, cross it diagonally over a warp and draw up a loop, go through the loop to make a knot, pull the thread through a few more beads, dab a tiny touch of clear nail polish on the knot, pull the thread tight and cut. If the warp is coming out between beads, weave it back on itself, being careful to go between the two passes of the weft at each row, then knot and pull through beads as described above. I call it "Virginia's Method" because I first caught up to it on her video, but I am sure others use the same, or a nearly identical method. Finishing the ends is definitely the least enjoyable part of loom weaving. You thread one warp thread on a blunt nosed needle. You weave in between the beads working up back into the work going over and under the weft threads. Weft threads are the ones with the beads on them. If you hold your index finger behind the work, you can just weave the needle through the weft threads easily. After you work back and inch or more, bury the end inside beads by turning a 90 degree angle into a row of beads. Make sure you do not use the same row to bury the thread or it will get too full of thread and will not work.