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Weaving gifts for kids

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You’ve seen the Weavers Gift Guide for this year, but how about sharing the joy of weaving with the next generation?

I have never met a child who was not interested in having a go at weaving. It may start with them looking over your shoulder to see what you’re doing. Or they see a loom and just have to know what that is and how it works.

Children are the perfect weaving students because they are so naturally curious (how about we learn from that and remember that curiosity that lead us to discover so many wonderful things as a child?)

Kids also learn really quickly! Have you noticed that it’s more difficult to learn new things as you get older?

If you are a parent of a younger child, a grandparent, a relative, and educator or you just happen to have children in your life, don’t deprive them of the joy you experience from weaving – share it!

Here are some gift ideas to get the kids in your life interested in weaving or to help introduce them to weaving concepts:

  1. Lacing toys or cards

My kids absolutely loved lacing activities when they were young. Lacing may not be the first skill you think of when thinking about weaving, but it makes perfect sense.

Lacing is wonderful for helping develop fine motor skills, hand eye co-ordination and problem solving. It also helps a child to gain confidence when they can finish a lacing. They can start with a super simple one and move their way up (only if they enjoy the activity, of course!)

There are so many fun lacing toys available now. I wish that these cute little sets were available when my kids were young!

As well as wooden toys, there are also lacing cards available. I found this Hungry Caterpillar set which looks really fun and who doesn’t love Eric Carle’s Very Hungry Caterpillar?

2. Potholder/Pin loom

These little looms are great for kids as they are a very simple set up and come with everything you need to weave squares or potholders. A kit like this one has plenty of ready made craft loops to start weaving right away as well as a box to keep all the pieces in.

If you’re not a fan of plastic looms, there are also metal potholder looms available and these obviously would be longer lasting.

If you enjoy hand making gifts, you may be interested in making a potholder loom. This is a very basic and affordable project, check out my instruction project here.

Speaking of hand making a loom, did you know you can weave with some basic cardboard? Learn how to do that here.

3. Simple frame loom

Simple frame looms make a great gift for kids. They are usually small, portable and affordable. The size of a loom like this can make it feel more achievable for a child.

Projects are limited to the size of the loom, but pieces of woven fabric can always be joined. A child could make small projects like doll blankets, mug rugs and bookmarks with a loom like this.

My girls used a simple frame loom and they loved digging into my yarn stash to see what colours and variety they could find.

An older child can learn to warp a loom like this on their own quite quickly.

4. Large standing frame loom

This is a slight step up from the simple frame loom already mentioned in that it is larger and comes with detachable feet so that the loom can be used upright.

I recently purchased the Melissa and Doug Multi Craft Weaving Loom to try out and let my Youtube audience know my thoughts. You can view that video here:

The main advantage of a loom like this is the versatility, it can be configured to weave smaller or larger items. I like the grooves set into the top and bottom of the loom that hold the warp in place really well – no jumping off the pegs as you’re trying to warp or weave. The grooves also allow you to tension the warp better than with some other frame looms I’ve used.

This loom kit is really geared towards children as it comes with some bright and soft rainbow yarn, extra warping yarn and printed cardboard strips for picture weaving. There is a large wooden needle for ease of weaving.

5. Lavievert toy loom

The Lavievert toy loom is a super fun option for the older child weaver. The younger child could also use it, but would need help with a number of aspects.

This is a really cool little loom and is still very much in the affordable weaving category. You can make a longer warp and there are 2 rigid heddles that are manipulated easily at the top of the loom.

The construction is still simple with this loom (it’s actually pretty ingenious!) but gives the child a more realistic loom weaving experience.

You can check out all the resources I’ve made using this loom here:

I bought a toy loom! Was it worth it?

I wove a blanket on a toy loom!

6. Rigid heddle loom

A rigid heddle loom would be perfect for the child who has shown an ongoing interest in weaving. It is a larger investment, so it would need to be a well considered gift.

I purchase a Sampleit loom for my girls when they were younger as they were always seeing me weave on my rigid heddle loom. Because my loom was always busy I thought it would be great fun for them to have a smaller version they could use whenever they wanted to.

They had a great time with the Sampleit and wove all kinds of smaller pieces with it. They loved thinking about what they wanted to weave and then designing a project from scratch.

A Sampleit would also be a great option for a weaver who has grandchildren visit. It can be tucked away without using up too much space and you have the added bonus of using it yourself when it’s not needed 😉

This post contains affiliate links. For further information, please see my disclosure policy.

While this weaving gift guide is aimed at children, these tools can also very much be used by adults or anyone who is interested.

I hope this has been helpful to you and if you have any questions about my gift recommendations, let me know in the comments below!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

5 easy rigid heddle weaving projects for beginners

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Getting your very first rigid heddle loom is such an exciting experience! There are so many possibilities but at the same time, so much to learn.

It’s important to choose projects that are going to be suitable for your weaving level. Be realistic, we all start as absolute beginners and it makes sense to start with an easy project.

This will help you to start to get to know your loom without the stress and pressure of needing to weave at an advanced level.

Here is a list of 5 easy rigid heddle weaving projects for beginners to get you started.

  1. A SAMPLER

A sampler is not necessarily a finished, functional object but it will teach you so very much! Not only does it give you a chance to get familiar with your new loom, it also allows you to try out yarns, practice your weaving and get a better idea of what to expect.

Yes, you do need to use a bit of yarn to warp up a sampler, but I look at it the same way I would look at purchasing a weaving book or class. It’s an investment in my own weaving journey.

Very early on in my rigid heddle weaving journey, I warped a fairly long warp (for a sampler), grabbed my copy of Jane Patrick’s The Weaver’s Idea Book, flipped through until I found something I wanted to try and just went for it!

This was such a valuable project for me, just look at the variety of designs, yarns and colours I got to try! Many from the book, many were my own experiments. I still think of this project, all these years later, as one of the most fun I’ve undertaken.

A sampler can also become a useable item if you wish – a small purse, a mug rug, a notebook cover, there are lots of possibilities.

2. PLACEMATS

Placemats are such a perfect beginner’s project. They look great in plain weave and if you want to jazz them up you can always use a fun variegated yarn. Placemats are also a great opportunity to practice finishing techniques, whether that is by knotting, hemstitching or hand hemming and machine stitching.

In my beginner rigid heddle class we complete some simple but beautiful placemats. This is my most popular class as it shows you how to take a bare rigid heddle loom and complete a woven project. You are guided through, step by step on warping, threading, weaving and completing the project as well plenty of tips and encouragement along the way.

3. TOWELS

Towels can be a little like an overgrown placemat, and can be a simple project for newer rigid heddle weavers. I do have some advice though, as not all towels are created equal!

As a beginner, I do not recommend that you try to launch into your first towels with a thin and light yarn, like 8/2 cotton. It is better to get some experience and practice under your belt first, as generally a lighter yarn is more challenging to use with a rigid heddle loom.

However, weaving towels with a thicker cotton yarn can be a wonderful experience. Again, you can make it as simple as plain weave or you could incorporate either warp or weft stripes (or both!)

A thicker cotton will result in a light hand towels rather than a kitchen/dish towel.

My free project, the Wash Your Hands Towels pattern could be just what you’ve looking for. While some of the techniques may be considered a little more advance (like pick up sticks and colour placement) the weaver has the option of weaving both towels in plain weave if not ready for other techniques.

Some of the cottons that are suitable for this kind of towel would be:

Bendigo Woollen Mills 10ply cotton

I Love This Cotton

Sugar n Cream

Knit Picks Dishie

4. NOTEBOOK COVERS

Notebook covers in their most simple, low sew format are just a rectangle. The fun thing about a project like this is it can really be customised to reflect your own tastes. You can use a variety of yarns in plain weave and it just looks fantastic.

If you wove a sampler that was large enough, you could repurpose that as a notebook cover too!

If the thought of sewing with your hand woven fabric is a bit scary to you, rest assured that it can be a very simple process. If you have a needle and thread, that is enough!

Check out my free Notebook Covers project which guides you through the full process, from weaving the fabric to fitting and sewing it to an existing notebook, all the information is there for you.

5. FREESTYLE TAPESTRY

Oh boy, is this fun! The idea is similar to weaving a sampler, but this time you are weaving a weft faced item.

What on earth does that mean?

It just means that you’re going to use an additional beater (a household fork works just fine!) to beat your weft down to cover all the warp threads.

So, all the colour, texture and excitement happens in the weft threads.

What I really love about this kind of project is you need very little pre-planning and all the designing can be done on the loom, if you want to.

You get to use a variety of yarns from your stash and you have pretty free reign, as long as the weft packs down and stays down, you’re good to go!

Your design could be planned and pictorial or completely abstract and “made up on the spot”.

My free Freestyle Tapestry series was designed on the loom, just by building colour, bit by bit. My Van Gogh inspired tapestry was a little more planned but followed very similar principles.

I hope you feel super inspired by these 5 easy rigid heddle weaving projects for beginners!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for further information.

3 ways to level up your rigid heddle weaving

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We all know that the humble rigid heddle loom is capable of a lot more than first meets the eye. That is why it’s such a wonderful loom for beginners – you can use it for it’s most basic function (plain weave) to begin with and increase your skills and exploration from there.

Many newer weavers though, are unsure of exactly what they can do with a rigid heddle loom. Or, on the other hand, there seems so much you can do but they are unsure of what to choose?

A bit of fear comes creeping in from a lack of confidence. “What if my skill level isn’t ready for the next step?” “What if I mess it up and lose my confidence entirely?”

These are really valid concerns that are common to many newer weavers. That is why I encourage new rigid heddle weavers to build skills in steps rather than leaps. Some weavers are ready to leap – many are not.

So, how does the fledgling weaver get his/her wings?

By taking off slowly. First the steps, building up, quickening as you go until you’re finally ready to stretch out those wings and fly.

If you feel like you’re in a bit of a rut with your weaving or you’re unsure of what to try next, here are a few suggestions to get those creative juices flowing!

Pick up sticks

Grab a pick up stick and hop to it! Pick up sticks are so easy to use but can totally transform your weaving. For my first foray into the pick up stick world I just put on a warp (not too long, not too wide) and just explored.

At its most basic level, pick up stick weaving can be started by placing your heddle in down and picking up whatever threads you like behind the heddle. I suggest starting with every second thread, so 1 up, 1 down. Next you can try 2 up, 1 down. Then 2 up, 2 down, and so on.

Once your stick is installed, place your heddle in neutral, slide the pick up stick forward and then place it on edge. Weave that pick and then change to a plain weave shed (up or down). Repeat, alternating between the plain weave sheds. An example of a repeating sequence could look like:

  1. Heddle up
  2. Heddle neutral, stick on edge
  3. Heddle down
  4. Heddle neutral, stick on edge

Then repeat the sequence from the top as many times as you would like. The variations on these theme are enormous, for example you could do a pick up stick row as a pop in between a few plain weave rows.

Next up with your pick up stick installed you can place the heddle in the up position and slide the stick forward (behind the heddle). Weave that row and note how it’s different to the other heddle/stick position.

Now you could try out the same 4 step weaving sequence I detailed above but this time use the heddle up/stick forward combination.

Once you’ve played around with those ideas, you can then start combining techniques. Here is a quick example for ideas:

  1. Heddle up
  2. Heddle neutral, stick on edge
  3. Heddle down
  4. Heddle up, stick forward

And then go back to the top and repeat. Are you starting to see how many variations you could come up with here?

Colour

Colour is one of the simplest and most effective ways to branch out in weaving. Again, it can be a bit of stumbling point for some who feel they have no talent when it comes to selecting colours. But I don’t think you need to be a colour expert to use colour effectively in weaving.

Most people are able to select 2 contrasting colours that they like and think go well together. That is a great starting point – one colour for the warp and one for the weft. Subtle, but classy!

Or if you’re looking to make a bolder statement, do blocks of colour in the warp and blocks of colour in the weft for Colour and Weave techniques.

If you’re not confident yet with changing colours in the warp, just change them in the weft. An example might be that you warp with a grey yarn. You use that same grey yarn in the weft but you add in a red. You alternate blocks of grey weft with blocks of red weft and voila! You have stripes!

You may feel ready to explore houndstooth or other colour and weave techniques.

What about variegated yarn? I love these yarns, as they do the colour work for you. You can choose to use it in either the warp or the weft (or even both – though the results may get messy!) One of my favourite ways to use variegated yarn is to warp with it and then weave with a solid colour. A more open weave (like one you might achieve with a pick up stick) can be the perfect pairing for a variegated yarn as it lets the range of colours really shine.

The scarf above was woven with fingering weight wool. For the warp I dyed a gradient, using the rainbow as a guide. In the weft I sed the same weight and type of yarn, but in a solid and commercially dyed grey.

Another example of a similar project is my free The Heart Scarf project.

Luxury yarns or special yarns

It’s true that not all yarns are going to be ideal for weaving, especially for the newer weaver. But there is a huge range of yarns available to today’s weaver, plus knitting yarns are often great to use with a rigid heddle loom.

A special or luxury yarn can really transform a weaving project. Think silk, or silk blends, tencel, cashmere and so many more.

For the pictured scarf I used a dk weight silk that I hand dyed. The end result was rather like a waterfall!

Luxury yarns can give your project new dimensions in a few ways:

  • Iridescence – silks, tencels and bamboos in particular create a wonderful gleam to your weaving.
  • Touch – All of the yarns mentioned are pleasing to the touch. They are soft, often slightly slippery and in the case of cashmere or a blend the softness factor can be next level!
  • Luxury/high end value – naturally more expensive yarns are going to be considered high end products. A luxurious gift or a higher ticket item to sell.

I hope these ideas are just what you needed to go to the next level with your rigid heddle weaving!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Weaving School Birthday Giveaway!

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You know you’re busy when you completely miss important milestones, like I did this year!

The Online Weaving School turned 7 last week and yes, I totally forgot 🤦‍♀️

But it’s never too late for a celebration, right?!

One of my favourite ways to celebrate a milestone is with a giveaway, and from past experience I don’t think any of you object to the idea either.

Before I launch into the specifics, I want to take a moment to thank each and every one of you who has supported me these past 7 years. Kelly Casanova Weaving Lessons simply would not exist without you, nor would Kelly Casanova Designs. I am grateful for you!

OK, here is the deal. There will be one prize winner. The prize is:

OR

If you already have a Premium membership, you will receive $157USD credited to your PayPal account. If you have a monthly or 6 monthly membership, you will be upgraded to a Premium membership for one year.

  • 3 digital download patterns (your choice but patterns only, ebooks excluded) from my Shopify store worth $24 – $35AUD.

FOR A VALID ENTRY

  1. Please ensure you have registered an account with the weaving school. It is free and easy to do, and will ensure that if you win I can enrol you in your membership without any problems.

2. Tell me in the comments below what winning this prize would mean to you.

Please note that all comments need to be approved manually (thanks spammers 🙄) so please be patient as you wait for approval.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. CONGRATULATIONS TO JANET, WHO HAS BEEN NOTIFIED VIA EMAIL.

Best of luck to all of you!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Essential tools for rigid heddle weaving

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When you buy a rigid heddle loom, it will come with a few standard tools to get you started. Exactly what you get will depend on the manufacturer of your loom, but here are a few of the basics:

*A heddle/reed (usually 7.5 or 8 dent)
* A warping peg and clamp for direct warping
* A clamp for holding the loom to a table while warping
* A stick shuttle
* It may include a threading and reed hook
* Cardboard warp separators (may not come with all looms)
** Some looms now come with a double heddle block built in

Apart from the standard tools, there are extra things that are either essential or come in handy.

Other essentials:

*Scissors – A good pair of dressmaking shears will save you a lot of frustration

*Tape measure

*Something to separate your warp when rolling on (I like to use brown craft paper on a roll and cut it to size)

*Yarn

*Inch ruler (for figuring out the sett of your yarn)

*Project journal for recording all your project information

*A big mug of tea or coffee (hey, I don’t judge!)

   Handy optional extras:

* Tapestry needle
* Extra heddles
* Fringe twister
* Sewing machine 
* Serger
* Loom stand
* Tapestry beater, comb or household fork
* “S” hooks or other weights
* Calculator
*Instructional books –  this post will help you to determine which book/s might be right for you).
*Online lessons are an awesome tool to get started. You can check out my Youtube channel and my Online Weaving School for further help. 

Check out the video below where I discuss these tools in depth:

I also have an additional video that talks about affordable tools here:


Something to remember when you’re just starting out with rigid heddle weaving is that you don’t need All.The.Things right away! The tools that come with a newly purchased loom are sufficient to get you started, and you can gradually build from there as you begin to explore the wonderful world of rigid heddle weaving.

*This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for further information.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Ask Kelly – Doubling sett in rigid heddle weaving

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Doubling sett in rigid heddle weaving is relatively straightforward, but you might wonder whether there is more than one method for doing so. You might also wonder which projects or circumstances would call for doubling the sett?

Today’s Ask Kelly question is all about how to double the sett on your rigid heddle loom and which heddle size might be most useful.

Hi there,

“I just finished watching the what do all the numbers mean video and I have two questions for you- you suggest using a 10 dent heddle for 8/2 cottolin and indicated you should double the ends- when you said 2x 10 dent- do you mean use two ten dent reeds? I think I just figured it out! You mean use two 10 dent reed or double up the ends on one 10 dent reed- did I get that right? Also- I only have the one 7.5 reed that came with my rigid heddle loom (Ashford) would you suggest purchasing a 10 dent read next? Have a great day thanks!“

Cindy

****************************************************************

Hi Cindy,

Yes, you are correct that 2 x 10 dent means two separate heddles of the same size (in this case 10 dent). When you want to double your sett you have 2 options – you can simply double the number of ends in a single 10 dent heddle OR you can use 2 x 10 dent heddles to double the sett.

Whichever way you decide to go, you still need to double your total number of ends to double your sett.

For the second part of your question, I would ask what you weave the most or what you would like to. If you want to weave a lot of kitchen towels, a 10 or 12-12.5 dent heddle would be a very worthwhile investment. A 10 dent is also great for fingering weight yarn which can be lovely for scarves, runners etc.

*************************************************************************

Now that I’ve answered Cindy’s questions, I want to go a little more in depth on the idea of doubling sett for a rigid heddle loom.

The two methods I mentioned for doubling sett are:

  • Using a single heddle and doubling all warp threads.
  • Using two heddles to double and space warp threads.

The next thing you might wonder is which method to choose and what the differences are.

Well, the single heddle is really advantageous because not everyone who wants to double their sett has a second heddle of the exact same size in their weaving toolkit. It is quick and easy to learn and means that when you get to the weaving, you just weave as normal with the one heddle. When doubling your sett with one heddle, you thread holes and slots at the same time as direct warping, completely negating the usual requirement to thread holes separately.

Why would you opt to use two heddles then, if one heddle is cheaper and (some will find) easier? If you’re more of a particular kind of weaver (that is SO not me! 😆) it might be more important to you that all the doubled warp threads are correctly and evenly spaced. I’ve also heard that some weavers actually like holding the two heddles together or banding them together. Again, that is not for me!

Another difference between the two methods is the threading. With one heddle, you will have 2 ends in every hole and 2 ends in every slot. With the two heddle method, you will have a single end in the hole on each heddle and 3 threads in the slots.

The single heddle method is presented in this video tutorial:

Some weavers prefer the look of the cloth that is woven by the two heddle method, as it gives more of a basketweave effect.

Another question that someone is bound to ask after reading this (because someone always does!) is whether to also use a doubled weft when using a doubled warp.

If you want to be technical, then technically you should double your weft for a balanced weave. But who says you always have to have a balanced weave? You certainly don’t!

For most of my projects I use a single weft. Why? Because I like the resulting fabric. It’s soft, it’s substantial but not too thick, it looks good to me. But I encourage you to experiment and find your own personal preference.

*This post contains affiliate links. For further information, please see my disclosure policy.

If you find you do prefer a doubled weft, then check out this video for an easy weft doubling method:

I hope you enjoyed this edition of Ask Kelly and until next time…

Happy Weaving!

You are a failure at weaving!

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I don’t think I need to ask whether you have that little voice in your head that tells you negative things.

The one that, if you listen too much, will convince you that you are a failure. That you’re not smart enough. Not capable enough. Nope, sorry kid, you’re just not gonna make it!

I’ve heard a lot of people tell me they are a weaving failure. When I hear that, I inwardly sigh. I’ve been there, I know how it feels to be sure that you just can’t do it.

“But Kelly, how you can understand, you’re so good at weaving! You teach weaving to thousands of people all over the world! You’re so talented!“, I hear you thinking, even if you don’t say it.

What some people don’t realise is that I got to where I am today simply because I did not give up. I wanted to be a weaver and so I was determined to make it work.

“Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement.” – C.S. Lewis

Sometimes it was really hard. Often I wanted to give up. I didn’t want to feel that I was failing over and over. Like most people, I wanted instant success. I still do – it’s a journey.

Oh, and by the way, about that talent thing? Hard work and persistence trump talent any day. Put in the work, do it consistently, learn from your mistakes and just keep going. That is the simple formula for weaving success.

“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill

What if we switch this failure thing on it’s head here for a minute? So, you’ve started to learn how to weave and it’s difficult, probably quite a bit more difficult than you envisioned. It’s frustrating, and the only time you’re having fun is at the occasional magic moment when it all comes together and works.

Here are some thoughts that might be running through your head in the moments of frustration:

“I’m not suited to this”.

“I’m not smart enough to do this”.

“I simply lack the ability to do this”.

“It’s too hard!”

Now we will turn those statements around so that we are still acknowledging the frustration, but in a positive rather than negative way:

  • “I’m not suited to this” – “This all feels so unfamiliar at the moment, but I will get past that”.
  • “I’m not smart enough to do this” – “Anyone can learn this, myself included”.
  • “I simply lack the ability to do this” – “I will keep practicing to learn the skills I need”.
  • “It’s too hard!” – “This sure is a challenge, but I know it won’t always feel that way”.

The first statements are what I think of as “giving up” statements. The second statements are you being your own little cheer squad 😀

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas A. Edison

I see a lot of newer weavers who are simply too hard on themselves. There is a plethora of reasons as to why we (myself included) put ourselves down and talk negatively to our inner selves. The power of the mind is huge and can work to our disadvantage or advantage.

There are so many common traits that I see, and so many of them can be easily remedied.

  • Impatience. Oh yeah, you know it. We are an impatient lot these days. We want what we want and we want it now! But does it make us happy? Indeed, it does not!
  • Unrealistic goals. Goals are great, I love setting personal goals. But setting goals that are waaaay beyond your current skill level with not always be beneficial. Be realistic about what you know now, what you want to learn next, and how you can use those skills in your next project.

Finally, I’d like to leave you with this most excellent quote:

“Remember that failure is an event, not a person” – Zig Ziglar

Your weaving project is just some yarn on a loom, if it’s not going well, don’t internalise it.

I hope this article was helpful to you!

If you feel that you would benefit from some help in your weaving, check out the Online Weaving School for a huge variety of classes for all skill levels.

If you sign up for a membership, you also receive access to the private member’s group. This wonderful community may be just what you need to boost your confidence.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving

Online Weaving School Class Index

This is a list of every class currently available at the Online Weaving School. Some of these classes are for members only. If you are interested in joining as a member you can do so at the Premium, 6 monthly or monthly level.

CLASS LIST:

Art Cloth Workshop

Avoiding Twisted Threads (members only)

Brook’s Bouquet (members only)

Calculating warp for the rigid heddle loom

Can I use a boat shuttle with a rigid heddle loom? (members only)

Christmas Bunting

Christmas Table Runner

Clasped Warp Quechquemitl

Colour Pooling Scarf

Converting Pattern Drafts to the rigid heddle loom

Danish Medallions

Diamond Stripe Towels Weave Along

Double Heddle Slouchy Bag (members only)

Doubleweave Baby Blanket

Exploring Branoe

Explore my Samples Box (members only)

Fingerless gloves (members only)

Floating Selvedges for the rigid heddle loom (members only)

Floor Loom Double Width Blanket

Floor loom weaving follow up

From Woe to Go! Beginner rigid heddle class

Gaining Confidence with Colour (members only)

Happy Fibonnaci Towels

Heart Wallhanging

Hemstitching as a feature (members only)

Herringbone on a rigid heddle loom

Honeybee cushion project

Honeycomb on a rigid heddle loom

Houndstooth on a rigid heddle loom (members only)

How to cover buttons with your handwoven fabric (members only)

How to Hemstitch (members only)

Hybrid Warping on a rigid heddle loom

Inkle Weaving

Introduction to Floor Loom Weaving

Introduction to Inlay on a rigid heddle loom (members only)

Introduction to reading weaving drafts (members only)

Italian Hemstitch (members only)

Japanese Journey Masterclass (members only)

Kitchen Cloths on a rigid heddle loom (members only)

Kitty Cats

Krokbragd 101

Krokbragd Bag

Krokbragd Mug Rug weave along (members only)

Log Cabin Table Runner

Make your own zig zag shuttle

Monk’s Belt on a Table Loom

Monk’s Belt sampler overview (members only)

Neck Warmers Two Ways (members only)

Options for showing warp colours (members only)

3 Options for weft colour changes (members only)

Overshot on a floor loom

Overshot on a rigid heddle loom

Photography for Weavers

Pick up Perfection

Pick up stick tip for 2 sticks (members only)

Pinwheels on a rigid heddle loom

Reading a 2 shaft plaid draft for rigid heddle loom (members only)

Reverse calculations scarf (members only)

Rigid Heddle Garment making class

Seated warping (members only)

Setting up for Success (members only)

Selling your weaving

Shadow weave on a rigid heddle loom

Spring Table Runner

Stashbuster Notebook Covers

Supplementary Colour and Weave (members only)

Table Mats and Trivets

Tablet Weaving on an Inkle Loom

Tapestry Weaving on a rigid heddle loom

Teachable tutorial – how to use the site

The Heart Scarf Project

Three Heddle Adventures

Tote Bag series

Waffle Weave on a rigid heddle loom

Warp Floats variation (members only)

Warping for beginners (members only)

Warp or Weft – using colour effectively (workshop)

Wash Your Hands Towels

Weaving Boot Camp

Weaving Draft Workshop

Weaving on a Table Loom

What do all the numbers mean?

Weaving with two heddles

What does the back look like? (members only)

Yarnsub Tutorial (members only)

What yarn is best for weaving?

There is no one simple answer to the question about what the best yarn for weaving is. There are many variables and the answer will depend on many considerations.

There is currently a huge array of yarns commercially available that are suitable for weaving and they are not necessarily sold as “weaving” yarns.

The absolute sure way to know how a yarn is going to behave in your project is to weave a sample first. If you just want to test a yarn or combination of yarns before investing with them in a full sized project, a small sample is perfect.

But if you’re not a fan of sampling (you might change your mind on this – I did!) or you are hurried for time, here are some questions to ask yourself when choosing yarn for your next weaving project:

  • What do you intend to weave?
  • Will you be using the yarn for warp or weft?
  • What will it be used for?
  • Who is it for?
  • How frequently does it need to be laundered?
  • What yarns are accessible to you?
  • What is your budget for the project?
  • Will it be for a wearable item?
  • Are you planning to combine different fibres in the one piece?

And then the answer can also come down to a personal preference. Lots of weavers love unmercerised cotton for weaving towels, but I prefer to use it for more decorative items – I don’t particularly like it and never have! 🙊

For functional items like kitchen towels, soft and fluffy cotton is not going to do you any favours, you are much better to use a durable cotton that is absorbent and unlikely to shed.

For a woven item that is going to be worn, like a scarf or shawl, comfort needs to play a big factor in your yarn choice. Does it feel pleasant against the skin? No one, and I mean no one (and especially not me!) wants to wear a scratchy or irritating garment!

Another important factor is the yarn strength. Is it strong enough to use for warp? If an unsuitable yarn is used for warping, you may find that you’re constantly dealing with broken warp threads – that can be frustrating enough to make you give up on a project.

There are some yarns that will not pass the “snap test” (they break when you pull or snap them apart quickly) but are still suitable for warp as long as you are careful of consistent warp tension. An example of this is rayon chenille. It will snap quite readily when pulled apart quickly, but with even tension it is lovely to weave with for both warp and weft. My Maria Scarf uses this yarn.

In opposition to yarn that snaps and breaks too easily, is the yarn that drifts apart. If you haven’t experienced the pain of unwittingly warping with one of these yarns yet, you can get a real life look in this video, so you will know the type of yarn to avoid warping with.

One thing that frequently confuses newer weavers is trying to choose the right sized yarn for the correct heddle size and attempting to understand what the numbers on weaving yarns mean, or the sizing information on knitting or crochet yarns.

I have two resources that will really help you to understand and identify yarns according to numbers:

The Weaver’s Toolkit (ebooklet which includes yarn weights and thicknesses plus recommended heddle sizes)

What do all the numbers mean? (online class)

I also have quite a few free yarn resources that will be helpful to you-

Choosing and using yarns in weaving…

The difference between knitting and weaving yarns…

Yarn weights…

Best yarn for weaving towels…

Which cotton yarn should I use?.. 

Which yarn is best for scarves?..

3 Yarns beginner weavers should never use…

If you feel stressed at the idea of making mistakes and possibly wasting some yarn, here is my best advice to you:

Don’t use expensive yarn until you feel ready!

Wait until you have a good number of projects under your belt with affordable yarns, then think about using that fancy yarn you’ve been saving. Don’t put unnecessary stress on yourself by running before the baby steps have been completed.

Remember, weaving is for relaxation, fun and to challenge your creativity. At the end of the day, it’s just yarn and if it doesn’t work out as well as you imagined then you have learned how to do better next time.

I hope this post is helpful to you on your weaving journey, I welcome your questions in the comment section below.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Online Weaving School 6th Birthday Giveaway!

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How amazing that 6 years have passed since I took a leap of faith and opened the Online Weaving School!

It has been so humbling to watch this little school grow from a handful of students in the beginning to something I never dreamed would be possible for someone like me. I am so grateful for all who have learned with me and supported me.

If you’re interested in learning more about the story of the weaving school, you can read this post from a few years ago.

The weaving school now has over 1500 memberships and over 10,000 registered users. Unbelievable!

This year I wanted to do something a bit special to celebrate the 6th birthday of the Online Weaving School.

I am very excited to share that I will be giving away an Ashford Sampleit 10″ rigid heddle loom!

Want to know more about what you can weave on little looms? Check out this article:

What can I weave on a small loom?..

This giveaway is now closed. Please scroll to the bottom for the winner announcement.

WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT

Congratulations to Helen Ashenfelter! Helen commented:

“I would gift this to a friend- Libby- who would like to learn to weave but feels she can’t invest in the loom. She makes things for a local shop who gives to worthy causes in our area!”

Thank you to all who entered. There were so many worthy entries and causes, I do so wish that you could all be winners and I’m sorry if you missed out. Maybe next time it will be your turn 🥰

*This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my disclosure policy.

**This giveaway is run solely by Kelly Casanova Weaving Lessons and is not affiliated with Ashford or any other party. The giveaway prize is one Sampleit loom and there will be one winner. The photos in this post are representative only – yarns and warps are not included.