If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ section. You will need to register
before you can post: click on "Login or Sign Up" above to proceed. Please note Project Blogs, Groups, and some forum areas are only visible to users who have confirmed their registration. Thank you, and enjoy your crafty day!
Did you know Amazon is an affiliate? By clicking through our affiliate link (the Amazon logo in this box) you are helping support FiberKind at no cost to you.
Linda do you ever think the 32” is too big?
I have been looking at Woolery and could include it on a visit to my parents in Indiana but who knows when they will open up again.
It is wide and you need room on both sides for the shuttle. But that is why I have some shorter shuttles for when I'm weaving a narrower width. I also have a 15" cricket for very narrow things. I personally wouldn't go wider, but I have short arms!! You could call the woolery and see if you could have a private look at some looms. They also give very good advice over the phone.
A couple more questions:
1. Does it make sense to have two looms, one for narrow things like if I want to make a scarf and another that is wider for placements etc? Or is it just as easy to weave the narrow project on the larger loom?
2. If you have two looms, is it better to have both from the same manufacturer or not?
crosstitchlinda Well, I kind of do that, lol. Just at the end of the warp when I have a little extra to play with. I'll throw in different colors, maybe even change the tie up and experiment. I can always use a little towel somewhere in the house.
I can make scarves on my 48" loom and blankets too. If I wanted to make something very narrow like belt, a smaller loom would be better. Smaller looms IME are more prone to being less stable, which is not fun when learning.
I think its more about finding the loom(s) you're comfortable with. I have 2 Macombers. I like the smaller Baby Mac that I have (think its an 8 harness 24"), since it has a lot more weight to it than the Baby Wolf I tried. Its somewhat portable, unlike The Beast (48" 16 harness), but it doesn't operate quite as smoothly. I liked the LeClerc table loom I learned on, to a point.
There's a whole lot of individual preference that goes on too. I have a whole bunch of joint issues and other health issues too. The Beast is a lot easier for me to manage as far as warping & weaving goes.
What kinds of things do you want to weave? "Handle it" in the physical sense of weight and heft, or in the sense of mentally getting the hang of it? There is also time and expense as with all rabbit holes - ha ha!
I echo @Carlota's questions--what is it that you're not sure of? If it's the whole thing of learning to weave, there are so many online resources and we here are a great bunch of enablers, er, encouragers. Start with a smaller loom like a rigid heddle loom (there's all sizes!) and if physical size is an issue, they would be a great place to learn. I started with a RH loom in January and have spent the whole year just learning skills there. If you really want to weave, we're here to cheer you on!
Do not use knitting yarn as warp. Its too elastic & bouncy & causes a lot of unevenness. Learned this one the hard way! 😉 Yarn is spun differently for knitting than it is for weaving for this reason.
Also be sure to not put tension on the yarn as you wind a warp. Yes, I learned this one the hard way too! Char if your having leaning issues this is what I guess would be the issue.
Learning to Weave by Deborah Chandler is a great resource to have. Sharon Alderman has 2 books that I really enjoy. Mastering Weave Structures & A Handweaver's Notebook. 60 Scarves for 60 Years has a lot of good patterns too. There's also A Handweaver's Pattern Book by Marguerite Porter Davison.
The learning curve is very steep but definitely worthwhile. I took classes with 2 different teachers.
I was told to not get a loom that's too big or has too many harnesses. So of course I wound up with a 48" 16 harness Macomber with 2 sectional warp beams. The thing I love the most about it is that its quite customizable. I can have just 2 harnesses in it or all 16. I can also fold the front & back all the way down to the floor so warping is very easy. Its super solid & doesn't walk all over the place, unlike the Baby Wolf I first learned on.
Personally, I really like complicated threading & tie up patterns with simple treadling. I only have to get the threading & tie up right once, while I have to get the treadling right until the project is done.
Pixel Loom software is very useful, as far as software design programs go.
Weaving guilds can be a good source to find a used loom as is Homestead Weaving. Looms should be square and sound, ideally not stored in a barn. Any thread components should be sound.
This is 100% alpaca warp & weft. You can see a lot of unevenness in the pattern caused by how bouncy the warp is.
The same 100% alpaca as weft, but this time with Jaggerspun Zephyr as warp. Very stable & even since Zephyr is a weaving yarn.
IIRC I made these 2 on a LeClerc table loom & used the full weaving width or close to it.
This is again with the same 100% alpaca as weft but this time with a smaller diameter Jaggerspun yarn as warp. I made this on my 48" Macomber.
Attached Files
Last edited by MaineTopMill; 12-30-2020, 05:01 PM.
Reason: Pictures are good!
Oh, boy! I might be in trouble! I just finished warping on some yarn for my very first floor loom project and some of it is very stretchy; it's handspun Falkland, striped alongside some commercial baby camel/silk--well, I will do my best to be careful, but I guess it will be a learning experience!
Help--I have a question--how does one go about weaving an inch or 2 of plain weave on a floor loom when it is threaded up for a twill pattern? I have 4 pedals tied up for the twill but wonder how to do a plain weave for times when it calls for an inch of plain weave for hemming and such? Or for using waste yarn to fill in the very beginning and get the warp pulled together to get ready for weaving; it often says to do plain weave for that and I have no clue how that would happen? Do I tie up some pedals for plain weave? How does that work if my heddles are tied up for the twill pattern? This is a different ball game from the rigid heddle loom!
Does your loom have 6 treadles? If so, I always tie up 4 treadles for twill (1-2, 2-3, 3-4, 1-4), then 2 treadles for plain weave which in a twill threading is 1-3, 2-4. If you only have 4 treadles, then setting up a direct tie-up system where you would be treadling 2 treadles at a time would get you the same result.
Thank you, oldeworldfibres ! That is definitely helpful. I will save that link for reference and tie those up for tabby weave. I do have 6 pedals, so I will do that. I figured other newbies would need to know this as well, which is why I posted the question here. So much to learn! I guess I'm just now catching on that threading the pedals for twill is the same for multiple patterns.
We process personal data about users of our site, through the use of cookies and other technologies, to deliver our services, personalize advertising, and to analyze site activity. We may share certain information about our users with our advertising and analytics partners. For additional details, refer to our Privacy Policy.
By clicking "I AGREE" below, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our personal data processing and cookie practices as described therein. You also acknowledge that this forum may be hosted outside your country and you consent to the collection, storage, and processing of your data in the country where this forum is hosted.
Comment