Kelly

Ask Kelly – Are two heddles worth it?

One of the major challenges when you’re new to weaving is knowing exactly what tools you need. If you’re particularly budget conscious (and most of us need to be!) you don’t want to spend money only to find that you didn’t actually need or use the new tool.

Today’s Ask Kelly question is one about two heddles and whether it is worth the investment to purchase an additional heddle in the same size as an existing heddle. At first glance you might think, well I already have one 10 dent heddle, why on earth would I buy a second 10 dent heddle – isn’t that a complete waste of money?

Let’s delve into this discussion so you can find out why two heddles might be a worthwhile investment for you (or not!)

“Could you please suggest where I would get some information on why I would want to weave with two heddles on the flip. I am not new to rigid heddles but far from advanced. Some people have suggested two heddles is a waste and I should just leap to a 4 shaft. I want to make an informed decision about whether to invest in additional heddles for the flip. I appreciate your guidance. I have not yet done your classes on doing two heddles. Thanks so much.”

Marla

Hi Marla,

That is a very loaded question with a lot to unpack, but I’ll try to keep it brief and to the point.

I guess one of the main reasons a rigid heddle weaver would buy additional heddles is to increase shaft capability without having to invest in another loom.

Yes, new heddles are costly, but if you compare that cost to a brand new 4 shaft table or floor loom it is a small investment.

I wouldn’t ever say that additional heddles for a RH loom are a waste, they are just another way to achieve a desired outcome.

As demonstrated in my Weaving With Two Heddles online class, there are a lot of possibilities by adding just one extra heddle. You can weave a variety of 3 and 4 shaft (with the addition of heddle rods/pick up sticks) patterns, you can double your sett or you can weave double width or tubular.

Some of the questions I would be asking you are: Do you want a new loom? Are you interested in weaving on more shafts? Would it help you to have more than one loom so you can more projects going at once? Do you have the space for another loom? The budget?

The Schacht Flip rigid heddle loom differs a little to the Ashford rigid heddle looms in that the heddle positioning is not the same when using more than one heddle and some weavers are confused by that. But, as with everything in weaving, there are workarounds and you can find some more information about that on the Schacht website here.

You might also find these articles of interest:

Why would you weave with two heddles or more?

Doubling sett in rigid heddle weaving…

I hope this article has been helpful to you, feel free to share it with others so more can benefit. Leave your comments or questions underneath this article and

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

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

Table loom choices – new looms

by Kelly 10 Comments

What an exciting time to be a weaver! At this time in history we have so many resources, tools and support available.

Loom companies are innovating and listening to what weavers want, which is great news for us.

Today I’m looking at some new looms that have just come out this year (in fact, two of them are currently only available for pre-order!) and discussing why they may or may not be the right solution for you if you’re in the market for a new table loom.

I’m going to focus on three new looms specifically. First up we have a Louet loom. As a disclaimer, I do not own a Louet table loom myself. However, I am familiar with the company and their looms and have owned a Louet David floor loom for many years and absolutely love it.

Louet Jane 16 Shaft Table Loom

This brand new table loom from Louet has just become available for pre- order. Previously the Jane was only available with up to 8 shafts.

Here are some of the features of the new 16 shaft Jane:

Available in 50 and 70cm weaving width.

Overhead beater.

Foldable and portable.

Comes with travel bag.

You can purchase the new Jane with 8 shafts and upgrade to 16 shafts later because there is room to do that. This is a great bonus for those who want the option to upgrade later without having the initial outlay.

Things I love-

Smart design, slimline, minimal to increase functionality.

Not heavy.

Attractive.

Quality.

Extra shafts without compromising on weaving width.

Now let’s do some cost comparisons for this loom. Please note that all prices are in USD and relevant to December, 2023. The width refers to weaving width, not actual loom width.

8 Shaft Jane Table Loom-

8 shafts – width 50cm $1,517 width 70cm – $1,722

16 Shaft Jane Table Loom-

16 shafts – width 50cm – $1,650 Width 70cm – $1,750

The prices between the 8 and 16 shafts are not all that different, so that is something to seriously consider.

In Australia, the Jane 16 shaft is available for pre-order here.

The second table loom we’re looking at today is also available for pre-order, with an expected delivery date being around mid 2024. This release will be a limited edition.

Ashford 16 Shaft Table Loom

I have owned an 8 shaft Ashford table loom for many years and I think they are terrific looms.

One of the differences between the new Louet and Ashford is the available weaving widths. The Ashford will be available with a weaving width of up to 80cm, which is a little wider and might be important to you.

8 shaft Ashford table loom-

8 shaft – width 60cm – $1,050 width 80cm – $1,115

16 Shaft Ashford table loom-

16 shaft – width 60cm – $1,695 width 80cm – $1,950.

Slightly different pricing and sizing between the two.

Now, I admit that I cheated a little bit on the third loom, as it’s not actually a table loom at all! But, I have good reason for including it in this article.

Schacht Cricket Quartet

Boy, was I impressed when Schacht released this new concept during the year! A kit to convert an existing rigid heddle loom to a 4 shaft loom.

Now, here is the catch. The Quartet kit will only attach to a 15″ Cricket loom and you can weave up to, bit not beyond 4 shafts. And you are limited to that 15″ weaving width.

So, why did I include it in this list?

Well, if you happen to already be in possession of a 15″ Cricket, then this could be the perfect way to upgrade to more shafts without the additional investment of a table loom.

The situation I would NOT recommend that you buy the Quartet is if you don’t already have the Cricket to use it with. In this situation, I would definitely recommend looking at a table loom instead, one reason being that you will not have your rigid heddle loom taken up with an attachment and only be able to weave one project at a time, but more importantly, by the time you purchased the Cricket plus the Quartet your investment amount would be getting close to the cost of some new table looms.

Here is the price breakdown:

Quartet – $473

15” Cricket – $252

Combined – $725

The second last point that I want to make here to help you make table loom decisions is to put careful consideration into how many shafts you will actually want to use.

16 shafts certainly sounds very appealing, but first you could ask yourself what you would weave on 16 shafts? Are you just starting out on a multi shaft loom? Do you know or understand what you might weave on 16 shafts?

Shiny object syndrome is a reality, but I encourage you to be practical and honest about your own needs. Perhaps you are fascinated with the idea of weaving on more than 8 shafts and have been researching. Or maybe you would be happy with just 4 shafts. If you doubt you could spend very long weaving 4 shaft weave structures, think otherwise! Even after years and years of floor and table loom weaving I still weave more often on 4 shafts than any other. Check out Anne Dixon’s Handweaver’s Pattern Directory to start exploring just how much you can do with 4 shafts.

And lastly, don’t forget to budget for the extras! If you are buying a new table loom, it will come with things like stick shuttles, warping separators, enough texsolv heddles to get you started and a reed for the beater.

The extras that you need to look out for are things like boat shuttles, raddles, (except for Louet looms – they have built in raddles!) threading hooks, additional texsolv heddles, and possibly a stand if you don’t have a table space.

If the prices listed above look way too prohibitive to you, check out guilds and Facebook groups for secondhand looms. You are not likely to find one of the new 16 shaft looms being sold as used for some time yet, but if you do happen to find a table loom that suits you, you will certainly save a lot of money. Sometimes a secondhand loom will even come with all the extra tools (maybe even yarn) to get you started.

You can view this article in video format here-

I hope you have enjoyed learning more about these new looms and feel free to keep the conversation going in the comments section by sharing your experience or asking questions you may have.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

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

Weavers Gift Guide 2023

by Kelly 2 Comments

Wait, no, it’s Christmas time? Again? Didn’t we just have that?!

Jokes aside, it is almost that wonderful time of year (and yes, it’s been the speediest year ever!) and time to think about gifts for friends, loved ones and, of course – ourselves! 😀

This year I’m ordering the guide from lowest to highest price so you can jump to where your budget is currently at. Gifts most definitely do not have to be expensive but for some of you it may be the right time to purchase that upgrade or tool you’ve been wanting.

My biggest tips for this gift guide? Leave your computer/laptop open and on display, that way family members are sure to see it 😉😉😉

The Clover Jumbo Bent Tip Tapestry Needles are one of my favourite and most used tools in my weaving studio! They are perfect for hemstitching or embellishing a piece on the loom and weaving in ends off the loom.

They are also super affordable, making them the perfect stocking stuffer.

2. Glocusent Neck Reading Light

I posted about my neck reading light on Instagram during the year and the crowd went wild! These lights have been a game changer for me in a variety of crafts because you can direct the light to exactly where you need it.

There are 3 light intensity levels, the arms are flexible and they are rechargeable (I don’t charge mine very often, one charge lasts for ages).

These are another really affordable gift that will make a big difference to someone!

3. Weaving books

Weaving books make an excellent gift. Here are some of my personal favourites. For rigid heddle weavers, I always recommend Jane Patrick’s The Weaver’s Idea Book. For table or floor loom weavers I recommend Anne Dixon’s Handweaver’s Pattern Directory for a huge library of weaving drafts and Pattie Graver’s Next Steps in Weaving for seriously inspiring ideas and projects.

Ashford Weaving Starter Kit

This is a great gift option for someone who is curious about weaving but may not want to leap right into investing in something like a rigid heddle loom.

It’s true that you can find cheaper weaving frames on Amazon, but you do get what you pay for. With the Ashford frame loom, you are guaranteed a good quality, sturdy frame and you also have the bonus of receiving some lovely New Zealand wool in bright colours to get you started.

4. Schacht End Feed Shuttle

This shuttle has been a game changer for me when weaving a wide warp on my floor loom. The yarn feeds off a pirn and is tensioned from the end of the shuttle, making neat edges and appropriate weft tensioning really easy. It glides beautifully and is a joy to use, I bought the 15″.

5. The Schacht Cricket Quartet

The Quartet came out during the year and made quite a splash in the weaving world with it’s innovation and forward thinking.

The idea behind the Quartet is that you can take your regular 15″ Cricket rigid heddle loom and upgrade it to a 4 shaft loom (similar to a table loom) with the 4 shaft conversion kit. A pretty cool idea!

One thing I want to say about the Quartet is that I think it’s a great option if you already have the 15″ Cricket and want to explore further. However, if you’re looking to start with a 4 shaft loom, I would recommend looking at table looms as once you add the price of the Cricket to the Quartet conversion kit, you are looking at a fairly similar price to a table loom. Just some food for thought.

6. Louet Jane 16 Shaft Table Loom

Speaking of table looms, Louet has just announced the brand new 16 shaft Jane, which is currently available for pre-order.

Previously this loom was available with up to 8 shafts, so this is an exciting move for those weavers who want to explore more shafts.

The new 16 shaft Jane is available in a 50cm or 70cm weaving width and is a true luxury gift!

I hope that this gift guide has inspired you with some weaving gift ideas!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

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

Krokbragd Reindeer Tutorial

by Kelly 2 Comments

It’s that wonderful time of year again, when thoughts start turning to festive project and gift ideas.

A number of years ago I released a How to weave Reindeer on a rigid heddle loom on Youtube and it has proved to be very popular! In that video we use pick up sticks in front of the heddle to achieve the shapes we need to build some little reindeer.

For my Christmas video this year, I decided to again weave reindeer but use a different weave structure for a different look. I already had my Sampleit loom warped for a krokbragd sampler so I set about designing some cute reindeer ensconced in a lovely Fair Isle inspired border.

This tutorial uses 4 colours for the weft – navy, white, red and beige. I used Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury 4 play, which is a fingering weight wool. The warp should be a strong and thinner than the weft, I use a #12 seine twine.

Krokbragd-Reindeer-tutorial-PDF Download

Be sure to watch the free Youtube tutorial so that you can follow the weaving sequence along with the printable PDF.

If you’re looking for further krokbragd learning resources, check these out:

Krokbragd 101 Online Course…

Krokbragd Youtube Playlist…

All About Krokbragd…

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

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Ask Kelly – Table loom or floor loom?

by Kelly 2 Comments

Most modern weavers know that a rigid heddle loom can be set up in various ways to achieve extra shafts, making it possible to weave 3, 4 or more shafts on this fairly simple loom.

Some of the options include the introduction of additional heddles, heddle rods and/or pick up sticks to create the extra desired shafts. This allows many rigid heddle weavers to achieve weave structures that are usually woven with a table loom or floor loom.

Adding the extra shafts can sometimes create additional problems for the weaver though. Some weavers may find the repetitious action of lifting a heddle rod that is situated behind the main heddle/heddles will activate or exacerbate neck, shoulder or back problems (🙋‍♀️).

Some weavers may find that using multiple heddles is difficult if for any reason your fine motor skills are challenged. It is this particular problem that today’s Ask Kelly question specifically relates to:

“I did love this class, and I really love this pattern; however, it was very hard on my arthritic hands. I ended up only making it about 15 inches, and that was over 3 days. I’ve done a couple of your projects with heddle rods and have really liked them, but I guess 3 was over the top for me. I’m considering a floor loom, as I’m loving the more intricate patterns. TBH, that intimidates me a LOT. If money and space are not an issue (I am fortunate that they aren’t), is there an advantage to the table loom over the floor loom? It seems far less intimidating to me. My daughter tells me that I should go straight to the floor loom, one reason being that sheds can be just as messy on a table loom as they are on my RHL, so why bother. I don’t know if that’s true. I’d appreciate any feedback you can offer.”

I’ve been thinking over your question – it’s a very good one but a real “can of worms” question! 😆

There is a lot to consider here. You’ve eliminated the cost and space issue, which is great, I don’t need to discuss that further here.

What springs to my mind first when thinking about a floor loom is age and ability. Now, I firmly believe that you can do anything at any age, but I also know from first hand experience and speaking to so many other weavers that our own willingness and desire to do something doesn’t always match what our bodies will let us do!

So, my next question for you would be, how are you physically? A table loom can be a strain on your neck and shoulders due to operating the levers. A floor loom can be a strain on your back due to doing tie ups and operating treadles with your feet, also possibly from stretching to throw the shuttle, depending on how wide your loom is.

Personally, I enjoy weaving on a floor loom way more than a table loom because I love the speed you can achieve by using your whole body to operate different parts (like driving a car, I guess). But I have to be careful about my back and make sure I take regular breaks and don’t weave for too long.

I have seen some weavers who are more advanced in years upgrade their regular floor looms to an AVL or similar. If you don’t know anything about that, it’s relying more on electronics so that you do less of the “heavy lifting”.

It’s a great way for older weavers to be able to continue weaving for longer. Very expensive looms though, and some may not like the idea of electronics being involved. As I said, there is a lot to consider, but if you have any more specific questions, let me know.

Do your research and take your time making a decision. If there is any way you can try out a table or floor loom before purchase, that would be invaluable to help you make your decision.

All the best in choosing the right loom for you!

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

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Ask Kelly – Is a larger loom right for me?

by Kelly 4 Comments

Buying a loom is such a huge decision. Many weavers start out using a smaller loom but find over time that they would like to upgrade to something larger. Today’s Ask Kelly question asks whether purchasing a larger loom is worth it.

” My ultimate goal in learning to weave is to make my own fabric so I can sew clothes for myself and others. Would getting the 48″ rigid heddle loom be worth the money? I currently have the 32″. Just would like your thoughts.”

Cindy

Hi Cindy,

It’s a personal choice but there are 3 main things I would be considering before making a decision:

1. Does your budget allow for the purchase?

2. Do you have space for a larger loom (you would definitely want the stand with it).

3. Is it going to be ok for you physically to weave on? The extra width is difficult for weavers who have neck, shoulder or back issues.

Also consider that fabric for clothing can be utilised in many different ways and styles, you are not limited if you only have narrower panels of fabric. I recommend that you check out Sarah Howard’s sewing patterns for weavers. Sarah often weaves on a small to middle sized loom herself and once you see her designs I’m sure you will agree she is at no disadvantage for having smaller pieces of fabric!

You will find that many of my own pattern designs or projects from my online weaving classes are not constructed on big looms either.

I have some more comprehensive articles that may also help you to decide whether a larger loom is a good decision for you:

Should I buy a larger loom?…

What can I weave on a small loom?…

And I just want to add one more thing before I go. Be careful to not develop loom envy by comparing yourself to others.

Perhaps you bought a smaller or medium sized loom to begin with and you were totally happy with it. But then you saw other weavers raving about their larger looms and how much better they are.

As I already pointed out to Cindy, whether to upgrade to a larger loom is a very personal decision and should not be influenced by feelings of inadequacy. In the multi shaft weaving world, “shaft envy” is very real. You think you will be happy with 4 shafts but then you want 8. You get the 8 shafts but then you want 16. And on, and on.

And while sometimes a loom upgrade is absolutely the perfect decision, no one should be made to feel that their current loom is not good enough.

We weavers are all different and we don’t have to fit the same mould. So, in a nutshell, you do you!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

October Inkle Challenge Gallery

by Kelly 3 Comments

The October Inkle Challenge was a huge success with many participants weaving bands in a variety of styles and methods.

Some chose to follow my Inkle Weaving class patterns exactly, some used one of my free inkle patterns and others either designed their own or used other existing patterns. Several weavers used the Weaver’s Inkle Pattern Directory.

Each week of the challenge included a live video and a giveaway. In the first week, Annie Machale generously offered a copy of her book “In Celebration of Plain Weave”, the second week was a copy of my Inkle Bag Ebook and Pattern, and the third week was a free inkle pattern I designed just for the challenge group participants.

In the live videos I discussed a variety of inkle related topics, including tension, dealing with selvedge threads, and ways to use your finished bands.

I was so thrilled with the challenge participants, their enthusiasm and their wonderful bands. Most participants woven on their Inkle Loom while one or two chose to weave bands on a rigid heddle loom.

Everyone was able to work to their own level. Many were beginners, others had woven a couple of bands already and then there were some who chose to use additional techniques like tablet weaving, pick up and turned krokbragd.

It was also extremely rewarding to see newbie inkle weavers gain confidence and dramatically improve their woven bands by seeking feedback through the group and implementing suggestions. That is what it’s all about!

The bands you see in this gallery are only some of the beautiful bands that were woven during the challenge. Many members (myself included!) wove multiple bands over the space of the month.

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

A huge thank you to all participants for making this challenge such an exciting success.

Now that the October Inkle Challenge has finished, I have been challenged to create another challenge! 😆

What a great idea, I’ll have to get my thinking cap on and see what happens!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Easy Sourdough Granola Recipe: A Delicious Twist for Healthy Homemade Breakfasts

by Kelly Leave a Comment

Looking for a delicious way to use up your sourdough discard? Try making homemade sourdough granola! This easy recipe combines the wholesome goodness of homemade granola with the unique flavor and crunch that sourdough starter adds.

It’s a game-changer for your breakfast or snack routine—perfectly crispy, flavourful, and a great way to reduce food waste.

Sourdough granola makes the perfect breakfast topping for fresh fruit and creamy Greek yogurt—a delicious and nutritious way to start your day!

Jump to Recipe

Personally, I love little clusters in my granola, and in the past I have used egg white (like in this recipe) to achieve a bit of chunkiness. But using sourdough starter binds all the ingredients together into clumps so well that there is no need for any additional binders.

You can control the level of crunch by experimenting with the baking times. For more crunch, bake longer. For less crunch, bake a little less.

You can also choose to have add ins or to just make the base recipe, depending on your own taste preferences. I love add ins and these are put in at the end of baking.

Some add in ideas that I regularly use are dried fruits like sultanas, apricots, figs, dates and apple. If you are a fan of nuts, any nut goes well with this recipe! One of my personal favourites is almonds.

This is such a simple and adaptable recipe, just mix wet ingredients and dry separately, then mix together before baking.

The dry ingredients all get thoroughly coated, making a clumpy, crunchy granola once baked.

Sourdough Granola

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

5 cups Rolled oats
1 cup Desiccated or shredded coconut
2 tsp Cinnamon powder
1 cup Sourdough discard or starter
3 tbsp Olive oil
2 tsp Vanilla extract
1/2 cup Honey or brown sugar (or equal mix of the two)
Drizzle Maple syrup (optional)
3/4 cup Dried fruit of your choice
1/2 cup Nuts of your choice (optional)

Method

Pre heat oven to 160 degrees Celsius
Place all dry ingredients (except fruit and nuts) in a large bowl and mix.
Place all wet ingredients in separate bowl or glass jug and mix thoroughly.
Pour wet ingredients over dry and mix thoroughly.
Line a large roasting tray or a tray with sides. I use non stick baking paper. Alternatively, use a non stick tray.
Tip your mixture into the tray and even out to make an even layer.
Place in the oven for 10 minutes, remove the tray and turn the granola with a spatula.
Place back in the oven and repeat until desired darkness is achieved. I recommend a total cooking time of 30 – 40 minutes.

Don’t forget to stir in your add ins at the end, if you’re using them! Once completely cooled, store in an airtight container (I like to use mason jars).

You can eat this granola on it’s own as a snack, on top of fresh fruit, with milk of your choice or one of my personal favourites, on top of yoghurt.

If you love to customise, here are some add in options:

Add ins (examples of)

1/2 cup chopped peanuts

1/4 cup chopped almonds

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup chopped macadamias

1/4 cup chopped cashews

1/4 cup pistachios

1 cup LSA (linseed, sunflower and almond meal) mix

Chopped dried fruit eg. apricots, peach, paw paw, apple, dates, cranberries

Rules for add ins

*For seeds and nuts, add these in at the dry mix stage.

*For dried fruit add ins, mix in when the muesli has finished baking.

Allow the muesli to cool before placing it in an airtight container. Serve with milk or use as a delicious topping on stewed fruit and yoghurt.

Sourdough granola isn’t just a delicious treat for your own table—it also makes a thoughtful and delightful gift! Simply place it in an attractive jar, tie it with a ribbon, and you’ve got a homemade present that’s sure to impress. Whether you’re enjoying it as a crunchy breakfast topping or sharing it with loved ones, this recipe is a wonderful way to make the most of your sourdough discard while adding a little extra joy to every day.

I hope you love it as much as I do! 👩‍🍳

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

Healthy Hot Chocolate

by Kelly Leave a Comment

I started looking around for a healthy hot chocolate preparation recently with the desire to replace my not so healthy evening chocolate drink of Milo.

It’s not that I don’t love Milo – I really do, and I’ve been drinking it since I was a kid, but it contains a lot of sugar.

I’ve also started taking collagen powder recently and was looking for something I could incorporate the powder into to make it taste better. I’m not a fan at all of the flavour of unflavoured collagen powder!

What I found while looking for the ultimate healthy hot chocolate mix was quite interesting. I found that:

There are many, many healthier hot chocolate powders available
They are prohibitively expensive
Most have ingredients that you can put together at home yourself

So I set about making my own recipe, using simple ingredients that I had on hand.

The thing about a recipe like this is you can cater it to suit yourself in so many ways. For example, instead of using hot water you could use your favourite milk or milk alternative as the liquid. Just warm all the ingredients together, make sure they are stirred well and you have a deluxe version!

If you’re looking for a dairy milk alternative, any of the following would work for this recipe:

You could use your favourite sweetener in place of the honey (like monkfruit sweetener or stevia)

If you don’t like the taste of cinnamon, just leave it out. You could do other add ins like protein powder or magnesium powder to increase the health benefits. There are lots of options!

If you are a lover of dark chocolate (hello!) you could also melt and mix that in.

Kelly

Healthy Hot Chocolate

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Prep Time 1

Servings: 1 serve

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

1 tsp Cocoa powder
1 scoop Collagen powder
1/4 tsp Cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon Raw honey
250 ml Hot/warm liquid I use a mixture of hot water and dairy milk

Method

Add the dry ingredients and honey to your cup. Pour in the hot liquid and stir well. Add milk or other liquid, if using.

Ask Kelly – Is a rigid heddle loom ok for tapestry?

by Kelly Leave a Comment

One of the marvellous things about owning a rigid heddle loom is the ability to try out so many weave structures without having to upgrade looms if you don’t want to.

It’s a great way to try out a structure to test whether you enjoy it and want to pursue it further. This can help you to make future weaving and loom decisions.

One structure you may be interested in trying out is tapestry and that is what today’s Ask Kelly question all about. I apologise to the original author of the question, I have misplaced your name!

“I have a question about rigid heddle looms used for tapestry.

It is my understanding that the downside of using the rigid heddle is the fact that the use of the heddle causes the warp threads on the outside to be too loose and the threads in general are also too loose for tapestry weaving. If you wanted to use the loom without the heddle, would that be possible? And / or ok to work better.”

When I got started with tapestry weaving, it was on a rigid heddle loom. It was a great experience, as I was able to learn the basic tapestry techniques and it also taught me that tapestry was something I wanted to pursue, so I eventually bought a dedicated tapestry loom.

Regarding the possibility of looser outside threads, there is a trick you can use to ensure that your edge warp threads on your RH loom are under the same tension, I have a video on that here-

I guess the answer to your question about warping without a heddle is yes, you can. I haven’t done that myself, and I would use the heddle initially to warp, in order to space the warp to the sett I wanted.

Having said that, it is very handy to be able to change sheds quickly with a heddle.

I do have a tapestry class for rigid heddle weavers, if you’re interested in checking that out-

Tapestry Weaving on a rigid heddle loom…

I chose the Big Sister Tapestry loom from Mirrix because of their reputation for quality, the sizing options and the ease of set up and use. I have a review of the Big Sister Loom here and an interview with the CEO and founder of Mirrix Looms here.

So, you may wonder what the main reasons would be for a rigid heddle weaver to upgrade to a tapestry loom?

A dedicated tapestry loom means you are not taking up precious loom space. Tapestry is a slow process, and you may want to use your rigid heddle loom for other projects rather than wait until the tapestry is finished.

A tapestry loom has far superior tension to a rigid heddle, which gives a better result for tapestry weaving.

Most tapestry looms are upright, which is more suitable for working tapestry.

Tapestry looms are strong and suitable for holding high tension, whereas a rigid heddle loom is not designed for super tensioning.

I hope you enjoyed this article and until next time…

Happy Weaving!

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