The pump hairspray worked. This type of linen tangles and breaks easily, is springy and difficult to tie and keep tied, and makes a poor shed. To facilitate the handling of this type of warp, treat it in a solution made from flaxseed. The solution is made by soaking and boiling flaxseed until it reaches the consistency of coffee cream. As this solution spoils quickly, prepare only the estimated quantity needed to dip the chain.
Some weavers prefer to sponge the solution onto the warp as it is wound onto the beam.
Plastic starch also makes a good size, as does sheet glue. The wetting of this type of warp with water, as it leaves the beam and is rolled forward, acts as a substitute for the flaxseed dressing, but is not as satisfactory. It is also customary to water-spritz one's bobbin when preparing a new shuttle, however it's important to weave the damp bobbin off before the thread mildews. A humid environment is helpful, too, I'm told. All this is well and good, but it really doesn't address Lady Isabel's underlying question.