_Wheat_: Weigh the warp first. Then according to its fineness or
coarseness, take fine wheat flour or _Menda_ from 10 to 20 per cent of
its weight, knead it well with water to form a thin paste, taking care
that no lump remains. Boil some water just enough to soak the warp, then
add the paste previously prepared and keep on stirring till the granules
are well-cooked and the whole substance is reduced to the form of thin
gruel. To every such preparation of one pound of flour, one ounce of
sesamum or sweet oil should be added. This will give softness and
smoothness to the threads of the warp and keep them from sticking to one
another. Cocoanut or castor oil is also used as a lubricant. Any of
these is good, except only that the castor oil will give a bad odour and
a dull colour to the warp. The size thus prepared is then slowly poured
on to the warp, which is kept folded on a gunny cloth or a clean slab.
The warp is beaten with both the hands, while the process of pouring is
going on, and when it is thoroughly saturated all over, it is spread out
in the open and brushed repeatedly in one direction, often bringing the
down side up till it gets dried. One or two or more persons according to
the length of the warp are engaged in brushing, while several others are
joining broken threads and shifting the sticks in the warp from one
lease to another.
This is the most thorough of all the methods of sizing. The ends of
fibres lying loose on every thread of the warp are straightened, and
stuck fast round the thread by the process of brushing. The thread is
rendered smooth and strong like wire, and the work of weaving is made
all the easier by it. Thus swiftness in weaving is ensured. To master
this requires long practice but it is worth the while of every student
to do so. For an energetic youth about three hours' work under an expert
every morning for two months or so is sufficient. With two assistants or
more he will then be able to manage the brush-sizing himself without
the aid of an expert. A less active person will take four or six months'
practice.
The preparation of size from jawari and maize flour is just the same as
from wheat flour, except that the flour of these cereals not being so
fine as wheat flour, a larger quantity is required in their case.
Some people advise that wheat flour should be soaked for at least two
days before it is boiled with water. It is said that the adherent
quality of the flour is enhanced by this process.
_Rice._ The preparation from rice is simpler still. The required
quantity of rice is boiled well with a quantity of water larger than
that used for ordinary cooking and is allowed to remain for 12 to 24
hours. It is then strained through a piece of cloth tied over or into
the mouth of a large vessel, more water being added as required in the
process of straining. The strained matter is then reduced to consistent
thinness; then oil is added to it in proportion as described above.
Rice is sometimes preferred to wheat, as it gives besides strength a
fine gloss to the warp.
The thing to be borne in mind is that the yarn meant for preparing warp
must be made thoroughly absorbent beforehand. For this, all the hanks
must be connected in the form of one chain. It is then folded together,
placed into a big vessel, whether of earth or metal, containing water
enough to soak the yarn and then well pressed with both the feet for
some time. It is left in this condition for two or three days, during
which period it is beaten with a wooden club on a slab twice every day.
It should be remembered that, unless it is beaten, it does not soak
through for days. If it is not soaked well, it is incapable of absorbing
the sizing material, and is imperfectly sized. The cotton fibre has a
natural oily coating on it, which is removed by soaking it as described
before or by boiling it for some time. It does not become thoroughly
absorbent, till it is treated in this manner. After two or three days,
when the yarn is well soaked, the chain is opened out and dried in
shade, every hank being hung separately on a bamboo. Before it gets
completely dried, it is well shaken with both the hands twice or thrice,
so that the threads do not stick to one another. The Madrasi weavers are
used to pouring rice water (generally thrown away when the rice is
boiled) on the yarn, before it is dried out in the manner described
above. This gives greater strength to the yarn, and causes less breakage
in the process of winding and preparing it into warp.
The other method of sizing resorted to by the weavers is called
hank-sizing. It is an easy process, and though not so efficient as
brush-sizing, it answers well if carefully performed. In this case the
yarn, before it is made up into a warp, is soaked, hank by hank, into
the size prepared from wheat or rice as described above, and after
pressing off the size a little from the hank with the thumb and a
finger, the hank, wet as it is, is wound up on a bobbin. The warp is
prepared immediately while the bobbin is wet, each thread drying on the
warping sticks as soon as another is drawn out. The warp thus prepared
is fit for weaving.
We have tried hank-sizing in a weak solution of ordinary gum. It works
well in dry season, but makes the yarn moist in wet season on account of
its absorbent quality.