Ponduru Khadi Making, Andhra Pradesh
Warping is a step that determines the length and quality of the loom, converting the hank yarn into an even form, suitable for uncomplicated weaving. Warping is done on a huge drum, where the yarn from the bobbin is tied to the manually tethered yarn on the huge drum. The drum is then rotated manually to wound the yarn of the desired length. Once the length is achieved, the entire warped yarn is moved for sizing. Application of starch to the yarn to bring in the lubrication and prevent the cracking of warp is called sizing. Sizing is done to give temporary strength to withstand the rigor of weaving while keeping the characteristics and properties of cotton yarn intact. The scratch based adhesives are drawn from different sources like the natural adhesives come from rice, maize, wheat flour, or potato while the artificial ones are mostly acid-based, oxidized, or ethylated. After the application of the sizing paste, special brushes are used to spread and dry the starch on the yarn. After sizing, all the yarns are aligned and separated from each other in order for smooth weaving operation.
