Rigid heddle looms can be warped directly or indirectly. You can choose based on preference and/or your specific warp needs for a particular project.
In the direct method, you measure the warp length and begin threading the heddle in one step. You need the warping peg that comes with your Cricket or Flip loom (find complete instructions in their product manuals). We recommend this method for projects that use only one warp yarn, or that have wide stripes, or that use clasped warp. The video below demonstrates this method on the Cricket; follow the same steps on the Flip.
In the indirect method, you need a warping board or a warping peg set so you can wind a warp chain with a cross. The cross helps keep all the warp ends in order. The indirect method will be more convenient if your project's warp has frequent color changes—you can wind multiple strands of yarn at once.
Compare the steps for these two methods:
| Direct Warping | Indirect Warping | |
| 1 | Set up warping peg, loom, and yarn. | Wind warp chain(s) with a cross. |
| 2 | Thread slots in rigid heddle. | Thread slots and holes in rigid heddle. |
| 3 | Beam the warp. | Tie warp on at warp beam. |
| 4 | Thread holes in rigid heddle. | Beam the warp. |
| 5 | Tie warp on at cloth beam. | Tie warp on at cloth beam. |
The Cricket Quartet converts a rigid heddle loom into a shaft loom, so it requires indirect warping. Find more information about warping shaft looms here.