In our old studio, we did not have to worry about taking up too much room, so we had nice BIG racks that we used in warping our looms.  Each rack was over 8 feet tall, 5 feet wide and 2 feet deep, holding as many as 60 cones of yarn, with each cone being 1 Kilo (2.204 pounds each!!).  We would warp directly from the cones onto the loom.  NOW, we have a much smaller and more efficient space, so we needed a smaller, more efficient warping method.  Cue the AVL Warping Wheel!  Our new Warping Wheel came to us from the AVL warehouse in Chico, CA strapped on top of the SUV driven by my talented woodworking nephew of http://www.etsy.com/shop/jonswoodworks fame!  It suffered no dings or scratches thanks to the effective precautions taken by the people at the AVL warehouse and the careful driving of my aforementioned nephew! They did a great job, and my Warping Wheel arrived unmarked and fully functional!

What a great device! It allows you to wind on a section of warp, and put it on the loom in such a slick way you would hardly know you are warping a loom.  My experience with warping looms has been to take a deep breath and pray to the gods of patience before

starting on a warp. It is usually an arduous, uneventful, and oft-referred 'tedious' task that still requires the mind to stay sharp lest counting mistakes be made. It is very similar to meditating in that it requires a blank yet focused mind concentrating on a task so absent of feature, it mimics sleep.  But this is all part of the zen of weaving!  Even so, I welcome this new addition to my studio with fanfare and delight . . . but I will miss the refreshing occasions of warping the 'old' way!!