Floor Loom Weaving

5 Life Lessons from a Difficult Warp

I started my latest project full of enthusiasm and confidence.

I often feel at the beginning that whatever I’m working on is going to be my best piece yet. This is an important motivating tool for me and I’m sure that many of the projects I’ve undertaken would not have come to life without this initial confidence.

You could say that I felt super confident going into this new project. Experience with the weave structure? Check! Experience with the yarns? Check! Experience with the loom? Check, check, check!!

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

I thought I was cool with the long and wide warp. First mistake!

I should have asked someone to hold the warp for me so I could focus on winding it on. But no, being the “independent to my own detriment” kind of person that I am, I forged ahead alone.

Let me share some more details about this project. Those of you who have been around here for a while will be familiar with my bordering on obsessive desire to weave a full sized overshot coverlet, heavily influenced by the early American Woven Coverlets.

My main stumbling point to weaving my own coverlet is the seaming. Traditional coverlets were woven in panels, usually 2 or 3, then joined. Most looms were not wide enough for the full piece, and my 90cm width Louet David is no different.

The threading for the panels has to be arranged to be able to match up when the seams are joined. This usually consists of a centre panel and 2 panels either side (if weaving 3 panels). Then the seaming method has to be chosen with the view of minimising visibility – a really good coverlet weaver will have almost invisible seams.

Another essential aspect of successfully seaming the panels is to ensure a very consistent beat so that the pattern woven is continuous once the panels are joined. That means measuring picks per inch, something I’m not particularly fond of doing.

So, my idea was to weave just one panel and to practice rearranging threading and weaving a pleasing pattern. I even had the thought initially that I could use the panel to cut into pieces and make a patchwork quilt. I’m not sure the pattern lends itself well to a quilt, but I’m not too fussed about that. I will decide what to do with the piece once it’s off the loom.

For my warp I chose 8/2 cotton in white. I have a lot of experience with this yarn and have used it extensively in other overshot projects. Normally I pair it with a fingering weight wool for the pattern weft, but this time I decided to try Australian 3ply, which is in between a lace weight and fingering weight. In retrospect, I would have been better to sett a little closer than the 20 ends per inch I chose. There is more space between pattern wefts than I would like.

I found the weaving draft in Carol Strickler’s book “American Woven Coverlets”. I made some adjustments to the draft with plenty of calculations. Yet, when it came to the threading, I found that my warp was 16 threads short! I measured out the extra threads and weighted them over the back of the loom.

After threading and sleying the 650 ends I was looking forward to weaving! But my less than ideally tensioned warp came back to bite me at this point. I had to take the initial weaving very slowly to avoid floats and boat shuttle warp dives.

Initially I felt quite angry about all this. The project was meant to be a happy and relaxing experience. It was supposed to help me progress in my coverlet ambitions.

As I sat there weaving today, I started to think. The anger had subsided to disappointment, and that put me in a reflective mood.

There are so many life lessons in weaving. Challenges, frustrations are all part of the process.

I wanted to share some of my reflections from working on this piece.

Lesson 1 – Things don’t always go according to plan and that’s OK

I once heard someone say “you expected ABC and you got XYZ”. I expected this to be a fun, rewarding project, but it was harder than I thought. It’s my reaction to the unfulfilled expectations that matters. The problem is not the problem, the problem is how I deal with the problem!

You’ve probably heard me say before that there is no perfection in this world. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t strive for high standards and excellence, it just means that we should have more hope than we do expectation.

Lesson 2 – Accepting responsibility

My first reaction was to lay blame elsewhere or make excuses. I was tired, I was rushed, I didn’t want to bother one of my family members to help me, I thought I’d be fine to do it myself. While there may be some truth to some of these elements, ultimately it is my project and my decision making lead to a warp that wasn’t adequately tensioned and is now causing me more difficulties in the weaving process.

I have to accept that responsibility and work to overcome and undo the problems that I made.

Lesson 3 – Patience and persistence pay off

I could have given up on this warp. But aside from not wanting to waste all that beautiful cotton that I had paid for, I also didn’t want to let the project defeat me. I know from past experience that if I give up on a project I will feel far worse than if I decide to battle through it.

I guess I have a bit of a stubborn streak, but in weaving that works for, rather than against me. Because it forces me to do uncomfortable things. Things that make me angry and frustrated. If I stop at the angry stage, then I’m suspended in that anger and negativity. If I keep going, I’m forced to work through the frustration and come out the other side, much happier and with a sense of satisfaction that even though it was hard, I did it.

Beautiful things are such a treasure that they should take time and shouldn’t necessarily be easy to achieve. They are worth the time and the effort.

Lesson 4 – Learning is a journey

Learning to weave is a journey of stepping stones, walking, then running, but never stopping and sitting down. The journey is every changing and building. Just as life is a constant striving to be better that doesn’t finish. You don’t just wake up one day and say “now I’m the person I should be”. You wake up and prepare to work and practice all the good things you know will make you better. And you repeat that each and every day, building, changing and adapting.

There may be a tendency in weaving to feel like you should know more by now, you should be producing perfect pieces by now. Instead, try to recognise and enjoy the journey and keep building everyday. I’ve talked about Slow Learning before, you can check out this video to learn more-

Lesson 5 – Adversity is good for us

This is one of those hard life lessons and not one that everyone will agree with me on. But if we spend our whole lives being pampered, having it easy and getting what we want, when we want it, we become soft and spoiled.

Difficulties help us to build character. They allow us to develop empathy. They make us strong. We don’t like hardship, because it doesn’t feel good – but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good for us.

This challenging project has certainly been good for me. Right now, I’m at a better place with it, slowly weaving (slower than I would like, but that’s just how it is) and making adjustments as I go. I feel at peace with my progress. I’ve gained confidence that I can deal with pretty much anything my loom throws at me.

I would still rather that this was the easy and enjoyable project that I originally envisioned, but I’ve shifted to a place of gratitude.

I am grateful that:

I have a loom and can use it
I have supplies to weave with
I can figure out how to fix things when I need to
I have the time to devote to this wonderful craft
Most of the time, I end up with a beautiful piece of weaving

And lastly, that I learn so much more from weaving than just how to weave.

If you would like to see this post in video format (and see me weaving the project itself!) please click on the video below.

Now it’s over to you. What life lessons have you learned from weaving?

Please share your thoughts or comments down below, I love to hear from you!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Welcome to Kelly Casanova Weaving Lessons!

by Kelly 63 Comments

Kelly Casanova Weaving Lessons

Welcome to the Online Weaving School – Kelly Casanova Weaving Lessons! This is a guide to help you get started and find the right class for you.

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Hi, I’m Kelly!

I am very blessed to be able to pass my passion for weaving on to thousands of students all over the world.

At Kelly Casanova Weaving Lessons I teach in a way that is relaxed and unrushed. I share everything that I can think of to help you grasp a concept, and most classes are step by step, project based learning.

I don’t feel like a teacher, more a weaving friend who is eager to show you some really cool things!

So, grab a cuppa, pull up your weaving chair, and let’s get learning!

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Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Avoiding back pain at the floor loom

by Kelly 24 Comments

This is an issue close to my heart, as I have a lower back injury. Over my years of weaving, I’ve had to find the best ways to avoid pain while being able to indulge in as much weaving as possible.

The more time you spend thinking about and implementing comfortable weaving, the more time you will be able to spend actually doing it into the future.

Firstly I’m going to talk about seating.

There are a few important factors here. Generally, a regular chair cannot be used for weaving on a floor loom, so we have to look at the best suitable alternatives.

So, what are these alternatives?

Most floor loom manufacturers also make weaving benches that can be purchased separately but are made specifically for your loom. Benches can be very pricey.

I’ve seen some weavers seated on exercise balls for threading the loom, which allows you to get very close to the shafts – I don’t intend to try this myself, but it’s another option.

I have been fortunate to find the perfect seating option for me. I use an adjustable, padded piano bench. Let me tell you why I love this option:

It’s height adjustable.

An adjustable bench is important because it allows you to adjust your seated height to suit the loom. Your posture at the loom is crucial to your long term back health. Your elbows should be able to rest on the front cloth beam without you having to raise them up. Your hips should be higher up than your legs (like they are when you’re driving a car) because otherwise you’re going to have to exert more pressure when treadling and then – hello back pain!

2. It has ample seating space.

When I was looking at buying a weaving bench, all I could think when I saw commercial weaving benches is “they obviously weren’t built for weavers with generous lower proportions!” The piano bench accommodates my… ahem… ample behind (🙈) very well because it is wide enough, but not so wide as to be a difficulty.

3. It’s padded.

I can’t imagine sitting on a non padded bench, ouch. If you can get something with padding built in, that is better because you don’t have to contend with it slipping around.

4. It has 4 legs.

This is really useful for the threading stage, as I can angle the bench so that two legs sit inside the front of the loom, allowing me to be closer to the shafts and therefore putting less strain on my back.

If you purchase an adjustable piano bench, try to spend a bit more to get good quality. I did not do this, and am constantly having to tighten bolts because the bench is not as stable as I would like. Eventually I’ll invest in a good one!

Also, don’t get the cheap, fold out piano bench. I do have one of these for my kids to use at the piano, and it’s surprising strong, but you want a bench with four legs, as I already mentioned.

Now let’s discuss some other tips and strategies for keeping your back pain free at the loom.

If you already have pain:

Firstly, if your lower back is on fire REST IT! I can’t stress this enough. Do not sit at that loom again until your back has settled down, you will only make it worse. I know it’s hard to take a break but it really is necessary.

Take anti inflammatories if needed, use ice or heat – whatever works for you to get your back moving towards normal again. If you’re using medications due to a flair up, do it sensibly and in consultation with a medical professional.
If your flare up does not settle down, you may need to see someone who can help you. This may be a chriopractor, a physical therapist, a masseuse – there are options to try and you don’t have to suffer alone!

As you weave:
Try to move a little or shift your weight from side to side as you weave rather than keeping your body really rigid – follow the shuttle with your body, especially if it’s a wide warp.
Throw and catch your shuttle in a way that is not causing you to raise your arms unnecessarily or at weird angles.
Get in close to the loom. The closer you are, the nearer your reach. You can also naturally brace yourself against the breast beam to beat.

Treadle positioning:

A couple of years ago we bought a new (secondhand) van following an accident where our existing van was written off. The new van was the same company and make as the last one, but was a slightly updated model.

As soon as I began driving the new van, I noticed a difference in the height of the accelerator. The new accelerator was so much higher than the old one! I had to lift my foot higher to depress the pedal. And, guess what? Yep, the hip pain started up and is still a problem. I try to limit my driving, but when I do drive I use cruise control as much as possible so that I’m not having to lift my right foot so much.

My point? The higher you have to lift your feet to operate your treadles, the more stress you will place on your legs and ultimately, your back. If your treadles are very low to the floor (as they are for my floor loom) you will not have that stress on your body.

You may find that older looms not only have treadles sitting high, you also have to depress them quite firmly. If you do have an older loom, I recommend looking at any modifications you can do to get those treadles lower to the floor.

Take regular breaks.

It’s tempting to stay in the weaving groove and forget about time, but breaks are necessary. Get up, walk, stretch. Don’t sit at the loom for so long at one time that you feel sore and stiff when you get up. Anticipate the stiffness (even set a timer if you need it) and be kind to your body by resting it.

Batching tasks:

This goes hand in hand with the last point on taking breaks. Plan out your project so that you can batch tasks.

For example, if you’re threading for a full width project, unless you are Speedy Gonzales, you have to expect that the threading will take several hours. Plan to do a certain amount at one time or on one day. Make an agreement with yourself like: “Today I will aim to thread half of this project, taking regular breaks. If I start to experience pain, I will stop or only do a quarter of the threading”. You’re still making progress, but you’re not overdoing it.

Another example: “I will aim to make my warp today, dress my loom tomorrow, do half of the threading the next day and the second half the following day etc”. Break the tasks down to keep them achievable. You may end up doing more than you planned because you are pain free, but the point is to have a plan in place.

Accept bodily limitations:

This is a hard one! I’m sure we all wish that we were completely fit, healthy and pain free. But we need to be realistic and accept that we are not perfect. Accept the physical limitations you may have and don’t push yourself beyond them. Work with what you can do and make that your focus.

Sit up straight!

Did you ever here those words from your mother at the dining table? Well, she was right! 😆 You want to sit naturally, not rigidly at the loom, but you also want to keep your back nice and straight. If you find yourself slumping often, go back and check the seating points I discussed. It may be that your bench is not at a correct height.

Overall loom posture is really important. Remember – elbows on the breast beam, hips higher than knees, back straight!

I hope this post has been helpful to you. I have made a companion video so you can see just how I sit at my loom. You can view that here:

If you want to get started in floor loom weaving, my Introduction to Floor Loom Weaving course is perfect. It takes you through step by step processes to give you the confidence to get weaving!

Want to know more about my floor loom? Check out my review by clicking here.

Let’s keep the conversation going! Do you have any helpful tips to add? Any questions? I would love to hear from you in the comments.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Tips for weaving overshot

by Kelly 9 Comments

One of the great things about having been a blogger for 12 years (did I actually just admit that?!) is that you occasionally get to look back and see how very far you’ve come.

Over three years ago, when my David Louet floor loom was still somewhat new to me, I wrote this post on overshot. If you read it, you will discover that my initial relationship with overshot was not a very positive one.

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

Back then, I was a little harder on myself as a learning weaver. By now, I’ve realised that weaving, just like life, is a journey that has a beginning but no end. Back then, I thought that my ultimate goal was to be a “master weaver”.

Honestly, I don’t even really know what that means but it no longer matters to me. I just want to be the best weaver I can be, but even more importantly, to continue to be fulfilled, challenged and rewarded by doing it.

Hang on, am I here to talk about overshot or not? Yes, I am!

The happy ending to the initial overshot sob story is that I can weave overshot now. Quite well, in fact! And I also teach it. And I happen to love it, very, very much. Don’t you love a happy ending?

I don’t think there was any particular moment where I thought to myself “I can weave overshot now!” I didn’t even weave any overshot for quite some time after that initial attempt. But slowly it tempted me back, and we started over. It was just a matter of sticking with it, employing some specific techniques and practice, practice, practice until it feels like an old friend.

My love of overshot has only increased with my more recent discovery of American Coverlets. I loved the look of the coverlets and the history behind them before I realised that so many of them were woven in the wonderfully humble 4 shaft overshot.

I’ve put a lot of research time into coverlets this year and have made it a big weaving goal of mine to weave my first coverlet, which is quite an undertaking, but I relish the thought.

I’ve also spent a lot of time actually weaving overshot this year. I released the very successful Overshot on a Rigid Heddle Loom class not long ago.

I’ve just completed this magnificent piece on my floor loom for my brand new Overshot on a Floor Loom class.

Incidentally, this photo is now one of my most popular posts on Instagram! I guess other people love it as much as I do.

Now that I have quite a lot of experience weaving overshot, I want to share my best overshot tips with you in hope that you too will fall in love with this wonderful weave structure.

Tip 1 – Take the time to sample

I know, I know, sampling takes time and yarn, it’s true. But it teaches you so, so much. It can also be more economical, as you can test your yarns out for suitability before committing to a larger project. Trust me, sampling is so well worth the time!

Tip 2 – Use appropriately sized yarns

To weave overshot you need a warp yarn, a tabby yarn and a pattern weft yarn. Using the same yarn for warp and tabby works perfectly. For the pattern weft, I like to use a yarn that is twice the size of the tabby/warp yarn. I have experimented with using doubled strands of tabby/warp yarn in a contrasting colour, but it just doesn’t look as good. A thicker pattern yarn is the way to go.

As an example, my current favourite yarn combinations for weaving overshot are:

Warp – 8/2 cotton

Tabby – 8/2 cotton

Pattern weft- fingering weight wool

There are certainly other combinations you can use, and once again, I recommend sampling to find what you love.

Tip 3 – Consider the scale of the pattern

What will the size of your item be? A miniature overshot pattern may get lost in a blanket, but may be perfect for a scarf. As a general rule, a good way to estimate the size of one repeat of your pattern just by looking at the draft is to see how many repeats are in one threading repeat. Also consider the thickness of your yarns and the sett you intend to weave.

Just to give you an idea, my current project is woven at 20 ends per inch with 8/2 cotton for warp and tabby and fingering weight wool for the pattern weft. The weaving draft has 50 threads in one threading repeat. My design repeats on the loom are around 2.5″ wide and just under 5″ long, which is a great size for the 30″ x 99″ throw I’m weaving.

Tip 4 – Give your weft picks plenty of room

I throw my picks gently to avoid drag on the selvedges and therefore preventing excessive draw in. I give a generous angle to the weft pick and keep it soft at the edges. I do adjust the picks at the edges before beating when necessary, but mostly I prefer to leave them alone and let them settle into place on their own.

Tip 5 – Floating selvedges are a must!

This is a non negotiable for overshot if you want neat edges and less headaches! You get used to using floating selvedges very quickly, so don’t stress if you have no experience with them.

Tip 6 – Don’t twist weft threads

This is another selvedges tip. I’ve experimented with crossing the two weft yarns at the selvedge to see whether it gives a neater edge, but it doesn’t, at least for me. So, instead of twisting the two wefts at each selvedge when throwing a new pick, I just let them follow one another sequentially and my edges are much neater that way.

Tip 7 – Will the pattern weft bloom?

Besides the thickness of the pattern weft yarn, you will also want to consider what kind of bloom it may have after wet finishing. For example, I know that my fingering weight wool blooms beautifully, whereas a cotton of the same size would not bloom in the same way. I very much like the contrast of the 8/2 cotton background with the plump wool pattern weft.

I’m going to sound like a broken record, but once again, a sample will show you everything you need to know about how your yarn will behave as a finished piece.

Tip 8 – Beware running colours

I’m often surprised by the potential of yarns to leach dye in the wet finish process. I’ve had certain yarns that I’ve used frequently that will leach dye sometimes and not others.

This is a particular problem if your colours and white on red or navy on white – you want to preserve that white and not have it come out of the wash as a pink or light blue!

The best way to avoid this is through vigilance, especially in the first 10-15 minutes of your woven piece making contact with water. If you see dye beginning to run, take it out of the warm wash and rinse in cold water until the water runs clear. Place back in the warm water and maintain your watch on it. Repeat the rinsing process if needed.

Tip 9 – Set up the treadles ergonomically

There are 6 treadles needed for overshot, even though you weave on 4 shafts. The two extra treadles are for the tabby weave. I always set up my pattern treadles in the centre of the loom – two on the left and two on the right. Then I set up a “left” tabby and a “right” tabby treadle. To do this on my 8 shaft loom I leave a gap between the pattern treadles and the tabby treadles so that my feet can “see” and differentiate between a pattern and tabby treadle.

Tip 10 – Advance the warp often

I like to advance little and often. You will find your own preference or “sweet spot” for weaving, but I find that with overshot I advance a lot more frequently at a much smaller amount than I do usually.

Tip 11 – Experiment with the beat

The firmness of beat will depend on a few things. Your chosen yarns, the weave structure, the width of the project and the tension your warp is under are all important considerations. I let the project dictate.

An example of this is that I wove an overshot sampler right before Is started my main project (the throw). It was a narrow warp (around 8″) and a different overshot threading and treadling than I’m using for the project.

I found that the sampler required a light beat, where I was pushing or placing the weft into position.

But for my throw project, I am beating harder and sometimes having to beat twice. Because of the width of the project, I need to be careful that I’m beating evenly, and that is easier to do if I’m beating more firmly.

Tip 12 – To temple or not to temple?

I personally do not use a temple. Some weavers will say they won’t weave without one. I’ve tried using a temple on many of my projects, particularly if I’m getting broken edge warp threads (signs of tension problems and too much draw in). But I will avoid using one wherever I can get away with it, and I don’t use one for weaving overshot.

I find that if I’m careful with weft tension and warping evenly, I do not get excessive draw in. It is something I’m constantly aware of while weaving and remind myself of tip 4 so that my weft picks are not pulling in at the edges.

I hope these tips have been helpful to you! If you are interested in overshot, here are some additional resources for you to check out:

Overshot on a rigid heddle loom class

Overshot on a floor loom class

Talking overshot (free video)

The Handweaver’s Pattern Directory, Ann Dixon

A Handweaver’s Pattern Book, Marguerite Davison

Next Steps in Weaving, Pattie Graver

Miniature Overshot Designs, Bertha Graysons Hayes (as a disclaimer, I do not own this book yet, but have heard very good things about it).

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Italian Hemstitch Step by Step Tutorial

by Kelly 4 Comments

You all know that I love hemstitching, right?

I have quite a lot of resources available on the topic, including articles and videos, some of which you can find in this post.

In addition to the basic hemstitch we all know and love, there are variations for an even more visually decorative, but still functional hemstitch. Italian hemstitch is a beautiful example.

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

The hemstitch doesn’t have to just be a way to secure your warp threads so that the weft doesn’t unravel when you remove your weaving from the loom. It can also be used within the weaving as a feature.

In the member’s only “How to Hemstitch” series, I have a separate class just to highlight and demonstrate how you can use hemstitch as a feature in your woven piece.

That brings me to today’s topic – the Italian Hemstitch. This is a gorgeous, decorative and functional stitch. It secures your warp ends just like an ordinary hemstitch does, but it stands out as a real feature. Embroidery lovers, this one is right up your alley!

Italian hemstitch looks great either as a single row at each end of your weaving or as rows within the weaving. It can be stitched in a variety of sizes, depending on how large you want it to look. It looks wonderful both from the front and from the back.

I love the way Italian hemstitch looks on a plain weave background, using a contrasting yarn so that it stands out and takes centre stage. You could choose to use a weight of yarn that matches the weight of your warp and weft, or something thicker, or something thinner. Experiment and see what your own preferences are!

For this tutorial I’ve used a light worsted wool for warp, weft and hemstitch, just in different colours. I’m going to be working a 2 x 2 Italian hemstitch.

Start by threading up a tapestry needle with the yarn you want to stitch with. Make the length around 5 times the width of your warp (I like to have a little more rather than run the risk of running out part way through).

I have to take a moment to extoll the virtues of this Clover Jumbo Bent Tip Needle. I used a regular tapestry needle for a long time before I purchased a pair of these needles, and wow, what a world of difference it’s made to my hemstitching! The large size, the coating that slips through your weaving just beautifully, and the bent tip all come together to make it a perfect tool to hemstitch with.

Secure the hemstitch yarn in your weaving, bringing the needle through to the front from the back. You can see one way that I work lock stitch in this free video. I work this about 2 – 3 warp threads in from the edge on the right hand side.

Count 2 warp threads in from the edge (above your last woven pick) and take the needle down through the gap to the back of your weaving.

When you pull the yarn through, there will be a loop around those first two warp threads, right at the top of the fell (where you last wove your weft).

Count across 2 warp threads again, but this time count down 2 weft threads. Bring the needle up from the back through that space.

Here is how this step looks once the needle and thread have been pulled through.

Take the needle and yarn back to the right edge. Now bring the needle up from behind, through the exact same hole that your last stitch came out of. This will make a new loop as you pull the needle through once more.

Pull on this loop to tighten it up a little. That gives us 2 horizontal lines – 2 sides of our box shape. Now we need to make the 3rd line as a vertical to close the box shape.

To get the vertical stroke of thread, we take the needle straight up to the left of those first 2 warp threads and pull through.

Now you can see your first block/box shape. Each box at the very edges of your weaving will be open ended on one side, the rest will be closed.

To continue working the boxes, count off the next 2 warp threads, bring the needle up and pull the needle and yarn through.

Take the needle back to the start of the second set of 2 warp threads and underneath.

Bring the tip of the needle (this is where that bent tip makes your life a whole lot easier!) up 2 weft threads down, in line with the 2 warp threads you have counted off.

Pull yarn through and tighten the loop. Take the needle back to the start of the pair of warp threads and down into the previous stitch’s hole.

Now bring the needle back up (thank you again bent tip needle!) through the hole that the working thread is in and pull through.

Finish off the box shape with a vertical thread again, by taking the needle down to the left of the warp threads just worked. Continue on across the warp and before long you will have something that looks like this:

It may seem a little complicated at first, but it’s really only a couple of steps more to complete than the regular hemstitch, and once you’ve “got it” your needle will fly!

If you would like a detailed, step by step video on how to work the Italian hemstitch, you may want to consider signing up for a membership at my Online Weaving School to access this and other great tutorials and classes.

The Italian Hemstitch class is available to all members of the Online Weaving School. It is a bite sized, technique focused class to further your learning in the wonderful world of weaving!

Thanks for stopping in for a visit today, if you have any questions or comments, please leave them below, I always love to hear from you!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

All about hemstitching

by Kelly 12 Comments

I learned how to hemstitch early on in my weaving journey and use it now in most of my hand woven pieces.

I love that it is so decorative but entirely practical as well – that suits my tastes perfectly!

There are many things to love about the humble hemstitch, it is easy to learn, it looks lovely, it allows your woven piece to sit really flat once off the loom (great for table linens), it is very strong and secure and it can be used as a feature within your weaving, not exclusively at the start and end of your piece.

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

So, what is hemstitching?

It is a way to secure your warp ends in order to remove your weaving from the loom. It is worked by hand, with a tapestry needle and while your piece is still on the loom (not absolutely necessary, but boy, does it make life easier!)

When you remove your piece from the loom, the weaving will naturally begin to unravel (at different rates, according to the yarn and the project). You need to either secure those warp ends on the loom or promptly after removing from the loom.

Do I have to leave a fringe if I hemstitch?

Not necessarily. It is most common to leave some sort of a fringe when you have hemstitched your ends. A twisted fringe looks stunning with hemstitch but a medium to short fringe is also lovely.

But if you don’t want a fringe at all, don’t have a sewing machine and want those ends secure you can hemstitch on the loom, then needle weave the warp ends (or fringe) back up and into the work. I have used this approach for some of my tapestry projects and on these mug rugs. It gives a very neat and attractive finish – it takes a while to weave all those ends in with a needle though!

Let’s get down to the nitty gritty and have a look at how hemstitch works.

You begin by choosing the number of warp ends you want in each bunch and how far into your weaving (how many weft picks) you want each stitch to go.

My go to is a 4/1 hemstitch, which means that there are 4 warp threads in each bunch and I stitch in 1 weft thread deep. There are all different number configurations you can do depending on the effect you want, the project and the thickness of yarn you have used.

In this picture I am working a 3/2 hemstitch. I count off 3 warp threads at a time, and bring the needle up 2 weft picks deep.

Here is a breakdown for how to work hemstitch, step by step. Heddle is in neutral. Ideally, you have left a long tail of weft yarn (around 4 x the width of the project) on the right hand side (left side if you are left handed). Thread this yarn in a tapestry needle.

Remember, in this demonstration I’m doing a 3/2 hemstitch.

Take the tapestry needle underneath the first 3 warp threads.

2. Count up 2 weft threads and bring your needle through the space that aligns with the 3 warp threads you counted in.

3. Pull the full length of the yarn through.

4. Take the needle back to the start of the initial 3 warp threads and underneath, coming up on the left hand side of the 3rd thread.

5. Pull the yarn through, making sure that the needle goes under the tail yarn on the left so that a loop is created. Pull the loop firmly to make your first bunch.

6. Take the needle down in between the first bunch and the next group of 3 warp threads and repeat the steps.

You can see a video of this tutorial here-

I mentioned that hemstitch can also be used decoratively within your weaving, not just as a hem securer.

In this image I have worked adjacent rows of hemstitch on bands on plain weave, leaving a gap between the bands. I’ve then woven in some ric rac and ribbon as a feature. This can give a very pretty and unique look to your woven piece. This demonstration is available in a member’s only class – Hemstitching as a Feature.

Do I hemstitch both ends of the piece in the same way?

Yes and no. You are still using the same hemstitching technique, but when you hemstitch the first end you are stitching underneath the weaving and when you stitch the final end, you stitch on top of the weaving.

In my earlier days of weaving, I would take my loom off the stand, turn it around to face the other direction and then replace it on the stand. That way, I had the weaving facing me in the same way that it does at the start of the piece and I didn’t have to change the way I stitched at all.

These days, I have a different technique for hemstitching the other end that means I don’t have to rotate the loom and is just as fast and easy as the beginning of the piece hemstitch.

I’ve made a video to share with you how I do this. You will see that its not difficult and just as effective:

Does hemstitching only work on certain types of weaving?

I have used hemstitching on all different types of weaving, even tapestry. I’ve used it on my rigid heddle loom, table loom, floor loom and tapestry loom. I haven’t used it with my inkle loom but inkle bands don’t unravel in the same way and the warp threads are so close together that hemstitching would be quite difficult!

Does the type of tapestry needle matter?

You can use any ordinary tapestry needle. A larger one is easier to thread and use. I recently bought some of these Clover bent tip jumbo tapestry needles, and they have been a game changer! They are large and smooth plus the bent tip is just perfect for hemstitching. Plus they are gold, so hopefully I’m less likely to lose them!

I think a lot of new weavers and a bit overwhelmed by the thought of hemstitching, I mean, it does look quite intricate and complicated on the piece.

Hopefully, by breaking the steps down and making these videos, I will convince you to have a go at hemstitching. Maybe you will find that you love it just as much as I do!

Oh, and by the way, I’ve talked today about basic hemstitch but there are variations that are even more decorative. A great resource for this is The Weaver’s Idea Book, which has a whole section dedicated to hemstitch and it’s variations and possible applications.

All this information plus an extra page of tips and links to 3 hemstitching videos is now available in one convenient e-booklet. The Hemstitch Basics Guide can be purchased in my Etsy shop.

Be sure to leave any questions or comments below, I love to hear from you!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

How to make the most of your membership

by Kelly 2 Comments

Have you ever purchased a gym membership?

Let me guess, when you signed up you imagined yourself on the treadmill or pumping iron regularly. A few days a week, if not every day! You took out a 12 month membership because everybody knows that this will be the clincher – once you’ve paid you have to get your money’s worth!

A gym membership (you thought) was just the motivation you needed to get going and finally get fit and stay fit.

Young woman exercising at the gym with weight

What happened next? One of two things:

The first day you went was great, you felt awesome and on top of the world. Day 2, rolling out of bed early to fit in a session, you didn’t feel so crash hot about the whole thing. Day 3, you decided you really needed that sleep in, but you would definitely get back to the gym tomorrow. That was 6 months ago.

2. You made a plan and started slowly. You decided that 3 sessions a week was realistic for you and that you needed some guidance to start with. You wanted to build gradually towards a good level of fitness, free of injury or exhaustion. 6 months later, you maintain this plan and feel really great about your health and the steps you took to achieve your goals.

All of this is hypothetical of course, especially considering that I myself have never so much as stepped inside a gym – the very notion makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Give me a healthy walk in the fresh air any day!

But I wanted to use the gym analogy today because it coincides pretty well with what I want to say about my Online Weaving School.

What does working out have to do with learning to weave? Quite a bit, actually.

Both require a commitment. And not short term, just as you don’t achieve fitness overnight, you don’t become a great weaver overnight.

Both take effort and patience.

Both involve goals setting and time investment.

Both are extremely rewarding and produce wonderful results if all of the above are adhered to.

I will be the first to admit that I absolutely love the fact that memberships in my Weaving School are thriving at currently over 800 students. I’m amazed and so grateful that so many new and seasoned weavers want to learn with me.

But, I have to tell you that the figure of over 800 students is only a vanity metric if most of those students are not actually engaged, making the most of their memberships and learning exciting new techniques.

Because this is not all about how much money I can make from the volume of students I have. That is not why I started all of this (you can read more about my story here and a more recent version here) and it’s not why I work so hard to make my school the best it can be.

The thrill and enjoyment that I get seeing a student have a lightbulb moment, weaving something beautiful or falling hopelessly in love with this craft, is why I do what I do. You really can’t put a price on that.

If you are already a member, please, use the tools that I’ve provided to make your membership the very best learning experience I can provide. Join the membership community, interact with the other students, plan your class list and start working though them.

Know that if you are having trouble, there is support available. Members receive personal support from me when needed, and also from the community of other members.

So, what will you get with a membership?

You will get a HUGE variety of weaving classes to choose from that you can work through in your own time, in your own way. You can stop the videos any time you need to and rewatch again and again. There are countless printable PDF information sheets.

You will get to join a friendly and helpful community of weavers at all different levels. Some are absolute beginners, others have been weaving for years. And they will all cheer you on!

What won’t you get with a membership?

You will not get a babysitter. I don’t mean that to sound harsh, but just like a gym membership, the results are up to you. You will see improvement and success if you put in the time and effort it takes. But you have to show up, have a positive attitude and be ready to learn.

If you are interested in taking out a membership or perhaps checking out one of the free classes available at my weaving school, here are so links for you to have a look at:

Free classes:

Stashbuster Notebook Covers

Kitty Cats on a rigid heddle loom

Waffle Weave for rigid heddle loom

Wave and Zigzag shuttle weaving

Heart wallhanging

Calculating Warp for the rigid heddle loom

Honeycomb on a rigid heddle loom

Cardboard Loom tutorial

Honeybee Cushion

Do you have a membership already? What are your strategies for ensuring you make the most of it? Share in the comments below, I would love to hear from you!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Floor Loom Review – David 2 Louet loom

by Kelly 13 Comments

I’ve had a lot of people ask me to do a review of my David 2 by Louet floor loom.

This post is not sponsored or endorsed by Louet, it’s just an honest review for your own information or research.

I have written about this loom and floor looms in general before, and also about what to expect when your loom arrives, but this article gets into the specifics of the Louet David.

If you purchase a new David in 2024 or after, you will be buying the David 3, not the David 2. The David 2 has been retired. But this is still a very useful review as there are only a couple of minor differences between the 2 and 3.

If you are purchasing a used David, it may well be a David 2 and would be exactly like my floor loom.

I must admit that when I was looking for a floor loom to purchase it was kind of hard to get information on this particular loom. All I really had to go on was a little amount of information on the Louet website.

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

I knew that I wanted something compact enough to fit in the smaller space I had available and due to my lack of experience with floor looms at the time, I wasn’t confident that a second hand, possible fixer upper would be a sensible choice.

One of the reasons that I was interested in the David is because I live in Australia and there are somewhat limited choices when it comes to looms and most have to be custom ordered and imported.

The Schacht Baby Wolf was a very strong contender in my decision making because it was more familiar to me and it was easier to find information on it.

To further complicate the issue, I had never woven on a floor loom (true story!)

Through a good deal of googling, I had found an agent in Sydney who could order a David for me. Not only that, she and her husband delivered the loom in person and brought it into my home, even though they are from another state! Amazing customer service!

I will be going over the loom discussing a few different features and then giving you my opinions on the positives and negatives. There are not many negatives, but maybe the things that I’d like you to think about if you’re considering purchasing the same loom.

The first thing that I do love about this loom is the compact size. I’ve had it in a couple of different positions in my studio, and it’s easy to move and fits a variety of spaces. The weaving width is 90cm (35″) which is a good width for many different projects.

You need a certain amount of space at the front and back of the loom for warping – I think a 1 metre clearance at the front and back of the loom is optimal. You can get away with less, but it may be a little cramped.

The next thing I love about this loom is the quality of make. I can’t fault the quality at all, from the wood, the finishing to all of the pieces that go with it, it’s just beautiful quality and design.

My husband actually put it together for me – I’ll admit that because my brain is not very wired for putting things together and following set written instructions, but my husband is very good at that. He didn’t have any trouble following the directions. It did take quite a few hours to put together, but that is to be expected with a loom of this size and type.

The David loom comes with texsolv heddles and cords. I personally really love texsolv as it is so light and quiet. Metal heddles can be heavy and noisy, but this is a personal preference and not to suggest that one is better than the other.

Treadling on the David is very light and easy. It is not the least bit clunky when treadling because of the spring system and it’s easy on your body. Speaking of treadling, I like the texsolv tie up system which is simple to learn to use and quite quick to tie up. There is no real “tying” up, you just pop the texsolv cord holes over the treadle screw heads and away you go. The texsolv cording is strong so you don’t have to worry about breakage while treadling.

The David has a gliding beater, meaning that your beater is positioned on metal rods. It “glides” back and forth on the rods, so it is level and steady. I’ll admit that it took me a bit of getting used to. The Ashford table loom I had been weaving on previously had an overhead beater, which is loose and swinging.

The gliding beater is not as easy to use in some ways, as it is rigid and set on the tracks of the metal rods. Now that I’ve been using it for a number of years, I am used to it and have found ways to weave most effectively with it. I do think that once you’re accustomed to it, it does result overall in a more even beat.

One thing that really helped was using a small amount of lubrication on the rods. I couldn’t find much information on whether or not this was a good idea, but to me the beater was feeling quite stiff and not so enjoyable to weave with.

So, I applied a very small amount of lubricant with a dry, clean rag. The difference was amazing! I now usually lubricate between projects. The beater now really does feel like it’s gliding. Just be sure to use a non silicon lubricant that won’t build up a residue on the metal rods. I use the Australian made Inox lubricant spray.

Always apply the lubricant to the rag, not directly to the metal.

Another way to work successfully with the gliding beater is to find the right warp tension. Too tight and the beater doesn’t glide as well. Just like on any loom, there is a sweet spot for tension that you discover through experience. I am careful when I advance my warp to advance to the spot that feels right for me – not too far towards the front beam or, once again, the beater will struggle and the look of your weaving will suffer.

I advance in small increments and adjust gently towards a firm tension. I hope that makes sense!

This loom came with a 10 dent reed. I haven’t purchased another reed at this point due to the expense and lack of space to be able to store yet another piece of weaving equipment. When I need to use a different sett, I just adjust the number of threads in my reed to accommodate. I very often weave at 20 epi, so I simply double my ends in the reed.

The reed and beater are removable for warping and threading, as is the front breast beam. This is really handy when you get to the threading stage, as you can get in really close to the heddles to thread which saves my back from days of pain afterwards!

One feature that I’ve found particularly great is the ability to put add or remove heddles to the shafts after warping. With my table loom I have to collapse the castle (the upright part of the loom) and tilt it in order to adjust heddle numbers. Not so practical.

On the David, if I have miscalculated the heddles for my project and I need a few extra all I have to do is unhook the texsolv cords on the top and bottom of the shaft, slide the new heddles on and hook the cords back on.

Another feature I particularly like about this loom is the friction brake. I can be weaving away and when I’m ready to advance my warp all I have to do is lean over the side and pull up the friction brake to release the warp tension. Then I use a handle also on the right hand side to advance my warp forwards.

Louet looms have a built in raddle, which is a unique feature. It means that instead of taking your warp off the warping board and then taking it to a table to lay into a raddle, then tying the raddle onto the loom to begin warping, you just take the warp from the warping board directly to the loom. When you wind on the warp, you can then tension the warp over the top of the loom, which can be quite handy if you are using weights to assist with tensioning.

I usually have to break up my time placing threads in the raddle, as standing for a longer amount of time wreaks havoc on my back!

I hope to eventually purchase a sectional warp beam for my David, as I prefer to warp floor looms with my Sawyer Bee Warping Square.

You receive a pair of lease sticks and some wooden separator sticks with the loom. I have devised my own methods for using the lease sticks, as initially I found it way too fiddle trying to deal with the sticks while warping and threading. I didn’t have the extra pair of hands to hold the sticks steady, so I now use stretchy bands (like the Ashford bands that they call “helping hands”) and these make a huge difference. I also like to use metal rings that open and close through the holes in the ends of the sticks to help keep them together and hold them steady.

I use the wooden warp separators mostly at the front of the loom as I advance my warp. At the back I use a roll of brown craft paper which does an excellent job.

I feel that I have a new appreciation for my David loom since purchasing a much larger floor loom. The David is simple to dress and weave on and so light to treadle.

Those are all the basics of the loom, I could definitely talk about other features but this article is already getting long!

Now, you may be wondering what the cost of this loom is?

Bear in mind that I bought this loom a number of years ago now and inflation is crazy.

At the time of purchase, my loom cost around $4000AUD. That included the cost of importing. That price does not include the extras I needed such as boat shuttles, extra heddles, weaving bench etc.

There are also optional extras available like an extra cloth beam (for longer warps), sectional beam and a Louet weaving bench. I don’t have any of these. I use a piano stool as a weaving bench, it’s much more affordable.

Revolution Fibers in the US list a current price from $4,770USD (at the time of writing this article).

In Australia, you can purchase from Thread Collective at a current price of $6,780AUD.

These prices don’t include shipping and can vary according to the rise and fall of the Australian dollar.

If you would like to know even more about this loom, I have a number of videos that will interest you.

This is my first video review of the Louet David which I filmed a few years ago. You get to see the parts of the loom, although some of the information is different to this article as my opinions may have changed over time:

I also have a demonstration to show how quiet this loom is:

And a fun little video that I made not too long after I purchased the loom. It’s nice for me to look back and see how much faster I weave now!

I hope this article has been informative and interesting for you! If you have any questions, please leave a comment below, I love to hear from you 😊

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Making pictures with your loom

by Kelly 10 Comments

Something that really captivated me before I even started weaving, was the idea of using artistic creativity in weaving.

When I was younger I loved to draw and paint. In my adult life, I have not made a lot of time to devote to making art, but I have been happy to discover that there is a huge crossover with art and weaving.

This post contains affiliate links.

One of the most obvious forms of weaving that this crossover takes place in is tapestry weaving. In tapestry, the weaver can have total artistic licence through the use of colours and shapes. The shapes can be basic or complex. Colours can be blended on the loom. And, tapestry can be woven on many different types of looms.

I purchased a Mirrix Big Sister last year, as I wanted to develop my tapestry techniques and also have a dedicated tapestry loom. It is an excellent loom for tapestry, as even though it’s small, I find the available weaving room quite spacious and the tension is awesome.

Before I bought the Mirrix, I wove tapestries on my rigid heddle loom.

I had a lot of fun using different yarns and styles. My most popular Youtube series details how to weave in a free and unplanned style with a variety of yarns and colours.

I’ve also explored more tradition tapestry techniques on the rigid heddle loom. I particularly enjoyed taking my Sampleit on vacation, which enabled me to sit on the beach, watch the kids enjoy the waves and weave. What bliss!

My adventures with tapestry on the rigid heddle loom gained so much interest on social media, that I developed a course to show others how to do it! The course includes all the basic tapestry techniques you need to know, plus how to use all of these techniques to weave a finished project. If that sounds interesting to you, the course is available here.

Another way to get started in tapestry without breaking the budget, is with a more affordable tapestry loom. Depending on your budget, you could opt for something like the Schacht Tapestry Loom, or even just an el cheapo like a Melissa and Doug simple frame loom. Some people choose to make their own by building a simple frame or repurposing a wooden picture frame or similar. Just be aware that the more tension the loom holds, the better it is for tapestry and if you go down the cheap route, well, you tend to get what you pay for.

A resource that I found to be great when starting out with tapestry, and still use for inspiration, is Kirsten Glasbrook’s book, The Art of Tapestry Weaving.

Aside from tapestry, are there other ways to make pictures with your loom. Oh, yes indeed!

If I haven’t already gushed about krokbragd on this blog enough times, here I go again! If you’re interested in going down my blog rabbit hole on this topic, start with this post. Krokbragd is a weft based, most of the time but not always 3 shaft, weft faced weave. You repeat the same order of treadling over and over, but can vary your yarn colour combinations to produce simple and complex shapes and images. It is seriously cool, and that is why I’m always gushing about it.

Many of the shapes are open to interpretation, as they can be slightly non specific, but there is really so much to explore. One of my goals for this year is to weave a striking krokbragd wall hanging using my floor loom. Can’t wait for that one! Debby Greenlaw has written a terrific book, Krokbragd: How to Design and Weave.

I have a number of Youtube lessons on krokbragd using my rigid heddle loom, but if it’s new to you, start with the above video.

Boundweave is another weft faced weave that is very adaptable and versatile. It can be woven on 4 or more shafts (so it’s possible on a rigid heddle loom). The picture possibilities are endless. I have been playing around with bound weave on rose path threading and 6 shafts recently on my floor loom.

I’m using Nancy Arthur Hoskins’ Weft Faced Pattern Weaves book for guidance. My goodness, what an extensive book – so much to learn! This was my first attempt and I’ve now branched out with some more random designs, which is all very interesting. Slow, but interesting.

There is a lot more to be said about making pictures on your loom, but I hope this post has inspired you with some of the possibilities. Have you tried any of these techniques? Which is your favourite? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Should I buy a larger loom?

by Kelly 19 Comments

One of the number one questions I’m asked by either brand new or seasoned weavers is “Should I buy a larger loom?”

In this post I will take you through the main points to consider when you’re wondering whether a size upgrade is the right choice for you.

*This post contains affiliate links.

The first consideration is what type of loom we’re talking about. Most people who ask me are rigid heddle weavers. So I’ll cover rigid heddle looms first, specifically Ashford looms, as they have the largest sizes available.I often recommend my 24″ loom as a great starting point for a beginner who wants a decent, but not huge width. It is wide enough to weave smaller width items like scarves but just large enough to weave kitchen towels and bags.

You can, of course weave yardage to sew with (to make your own clothes and larger items) but that involves sewing panels together to make wider widths. Depending on the item you plan to sew, this may or may not work well.

Beyond the 24″, the next size up is the 32″ rigid heddle loom. The largest currently available is the 48″ rigid heddle loom.

When considering a larger loom, consider the following points:

Do you have the physical space for a larger loom?

If you buy a rigid heddle loom 24″ (that is the size I have) or above, I would definitely recommend to also purchase a stand with it.

I personally would not enjoy using a larger loom trying to lean it on the edge of a table or similar, and I don’t think that this would allow you to maintain a beneficial weaving posture. A good posture is really important – even if you have no physical injuries or problems, know that you could develop problems long term through repetitive poor setup and practices. So a stand is well worth the investment.

But, this means that your loom will be free standing rather than packed away. Do you have a space where you can set up a loom of that size and leave it on the stand when finished? Or does your living space/s dictate that your loom would need to be packed away in between uses?

What is your budget?

This is a pretty important consideration for most of us! Naturally, the larger your loom, the more it will cost. And not just the initial outlay for the loom, but addition tools or pieces that you wish to add along the way. Every time you buy a different sized heddle/reed, a pick up stick, a stick shuttle – these are all going to be larger to compliment and fit your loom and that will cost more.

Here are a couple of examples as a comparison. I’ll list the 24″ loom specifics as compared to the 48″. All prices are in US dollars.

24″ RHL and stand – $394 USD (you can sometimes find a combo deal of the loom and stand together for a slightly cheaper price).

24″ 10 dent reed/ heddle – $37.50

22″ stick shuttle – $7.50

48″ RHL and stand – $695

48″ 10 dent reed/heddle – $89

48″ stick shuttle $40

Uh huh, big price differences!

What do you intend to weave?

Some new weavers don’t really consider this when purchasing. Not being familiar with the possibilities or not having used a loom before, it can be very difficult to know what items you will end up enjoying weaving. If you only intend to weave scarves and smaller items, why go to the expense of the largest loom?

On the other hand, you may find that your absolute favourite thing to weave is baby blankets or afghans, therefore making the larger loom well worth your consideration. What if you make the decision to buy a smaller loom but after a little experience find that you want something larger?

Well, the good news is that rigid heddle looms are easy to resell. If you have kept it in good condition, it should be easy to find an eager new weaver willing to take it off your hands for a fair price. You can then use this money to invest towards the larger one.

How is your back?

Back or shoulder problems? Neck trouble? Then you need to consider carefully whether a larger loom is the right choice for you. A larger loom means a much wider reach with a shuttle.

As an example, I can sit very comfortably at my 24″ on it’s stand, extend each arm out to insert the stick shuttle and not have to move forward in my seat.

As someone who has a back injury and regular flare ups, if I had to lean forward or to the side every time I wanted to throw a pick, that would be a real problem for me. It would be a much greater strain on my body. I prefer to accept my limitations and be grateful that I am able to weave on the 24″ and plan my projects accordingly.

That brings me to the next related topic, the table or floor loom.

I’ve written a large number of articles on this topic, here is a list of those posts if you’re interested in researching more.

When I had my 8 shaft, 32″ table loom it was a little more difficult to weave on when I had it fully warped, but with the correct height adjustable chair, it was more than manageable. I still miss that loom, I sold it to make space and provide extra funds for my floor loom. I’ve since replaced it with a smaller 16″ table loom that I can use for teaching purposes – perfect!

Now that I have my Louet David 2, 35″ floor loom, even though it is the widest loom I have owned, it is a good fit for me width wise. It is wide enough to weave baby blankets and wide shawls.

Recently I wove yardage on it for my Clothtober project, which was a tunic for me and it worked out well. So, why is this loom not a problem for my back? Well, I always use a boat shuttle with this loom.

Because the tension is excellent, I can shoot my boat shuttle back and forth with ease. I am also seated on an adjustable piano bench and find that I develop a slight rocking motion as I get into the weaving rhythm. Although my shoulders do get a little sore if I put in a long weaving session, it is not excessive and generally my back is fine as long as I’m not in a dreaded flare up phase.

The action of throwing a boat shuttle is quite different to passing a stick shuttle. Yes, you an use a boat shuttle with a rigid heddle loom too, but I generally don’t because it can’t hold the same tension so I end up mostly passing the boat shuttle through anyway.

I should also add, if you do have a rigid heddle loom that is a little smaller than you would like, you always have the option of double width weaving. Although somewhat limited, it is a really terrific way to double the width of your fabric. I have two classes that teach you how to do this – Doubleweave Baby Blanket and Weaving with Two Heddles. I also have the Rainbow Lap Blanket, which is woven entirely on a Sampleit loom.

I certainly didn’t intend to write such an epic post when I sat down to address this topic today, but there is a lot more to be said about it than I realised! I hope my ramblings have been of use to you.

As always, leave me a comment with any questions or additional points you may have to add. I appreciate your input!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!