What Is Loom Waste?

Day 339: As I sit here contemplating the next project to be hung on the floor loom, I'm calculating warp length, factoring in the unavoidable "loom waste" in order to obtain the proper length of cloth. Loom waste is that portion of the warp which cannot be woven, and occurs at both ends of any given warp. There is less waste at the beginning of a piece than at the end because it is simply tied to the apron rod. After a few rows are woven with a cord or other spacer to set the weave, the actual weaving can commence. On the far end, it's a different story. The warp is likewise tied to an apron rod, but the rod cannot pass the heddles/harnesses and reed. On my floor loom, the gap between being able to make an undistorted throw and the back rod is about 18", and that's squeezin' it. Add to that the thread required to tie the warp to both apron rods, and you have "loom waste" of roughly three feet. I usually allow five feet in my calculations, which gives me room to make a sample swatch for my weaving files. The short lengths of unusable warp are called thrums. Ever thrifty, I usually crochet thrums into potholders when I've collected enough of them.