Table loom weaving

Feeling Stuck? 5 Quick 10-Minute Fixes to Break Through Your Weaving Plateau

Have you ever sat down at your loom and just… stared at it?

You want to weave. You love weaving. But nothing’s sparking your creativity, and everything feels like too much effort.

You’re not alone. Every weaver hits a plateau now and then. Sometimes it’s not enough time or decision fatigue. Maybe it’s a busy time in your life and the creative energy is lacking. Or maybe you just feel a little bored with the whole thing!

The good news? You don’t need to overhaul your whole setup, buy new equipment or start a huge new project to get inspired again.

Here are five quick, low-pressure ideas that take just 10 minutes—but can completely shift your mindset and help you fall back in love with weaving.

1. Switch Up Your Yarn or Color Combo

Sometimes all it takes to reignite your excitement is a little color play. Spend 10 minutes digging through your stash and pull out 3–5 yarns you wouldn’t usually use together—bold contrasts, unexpected textures, or that one skein you’ve been “saving.”

Lay them out, snap a photo, or warp up a quick sample. A fresh palette can open up a whole new direction.

Tip: Look for color inspirations – they are everywhere! In nature, manmade objects, you will even see color when you close your eyes 😀 Try taking inspiration from the color wheel and explore some basic color theory.

2. Test a New Weave Structure (On a small scale)

Trying something new doesn’t have to mean committing to a large project. Choose a weave structure or technique you’ve been curious about—like waffle weave, finger controlled techniques, or krokbragd—and do a tiny sample on a new or leftover warp.

Ten minutes of experimentation can be just the spark you need.

Tip- For small project ideas, check out this list.

3. Weave a Just-for-Fun Project

Give yourself permission to weave just because. A mini coaster, mug rug, or bookmark can be finished quickly and without pressure—and often leads to surprising bursts of creativity.

Don’t overthink it. Choose whatever yarns catch your eye, and just go.

Tip- If you’re time poor, check out the principles of the 10 Minute Rule and see if it’s something that could be beneficial in your life.

4. Refresh Your Creative Space

It may sound simple, but cleaning up your weaving space has a powerful mental effect. In just 10 minutes you can:

Clear away old yarn scraps and tools, sweep or vacuum the floor
Do a brief declutter or put things away to create a sense of space
Add a plant, vase of flowers, photo, or anything that makes you smile

Weaving is as much about mindset as it is about materials—and a tidy, inviting space can make all the difference. A cluttered room makes a cluttered mind!

5. Revisit a Favorite Pattern — But Change One Thing

Remember that pattern or project you loved making? Try it again—but switch up one element. Change the colors, yarn weight, or sett. Add stripes. Try a different finishing technique.

Familiar patterns offer a safe, low-stress way to explore something with a new twist.

Need inspiration? Browse my Pattern Store or check out some student work to see how they made the patterns their own.

*The Stepping Up Scarf PDF Pattern for rigid heddle weavers*

Feeling stuck doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong—it just means your creative brain needs a reset. These 10-minute changes aren’t just about weaving differently; they’re about rediscovering why you love weaving in the first place.

So pick one today. Set aside a little time. And let the joy come back in!

Which fix do you plan to implement in your weaving life? Let me know down in the comments 👇

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Top 6 Table Loom Issues and How to Solve Them

by Kelly Leave a Comment

Table looms are an excellent choice for both beginner weavers and experienced fiber artists, offering versatility, portability, and efficiency in a compact design. Whether you have a small weaving space or enjoy weaving on the go, a table loom makes it easy to create beautiful woven projects.

These looms are also a great way to explore multi-shaft weaving, allowing you to experiment with patterns and techniques without the larger cost or space commitment of a floor loom.

Whether you’re looking to weave scarves, placemats, yardage or experiment with complex drafts, a table loom is a practical and rewarding choice. If you’re interested to learn more about table looms, check out this resource page.

Even experienced weavers will encounter challenges on the table loom. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned artisan, this guide will help you identify and resolve the most common table loom weaving issues.

1. Uneven Tension in the Warp

Symptoms: Some warp threads are looser or tighter than others.
Causes:

Uneven winding on the warp beam.
Inconsistent tension when tying onto the front beam.
Tie on bunches are too large
Threads are disorderly or crossed excessively at the back beam
Inappropriate warp yarn used, causing stretching or breakages
No warp separation used

Solutions:

Use a threading and raddle cross when making your warp
Use choke ties before removing your warp from the warping board
Use a raddle to warp your loom
Tie on to the apron rod in 1″ or smaller bunches
Wind on the warp as evenly as possible
Use warp separation
Retie the warp threads with equal tension across the width of the loom.

Extra tips:

Warp separation – It’s important to separate your warp when rolling on, before you start weaving and as you weave and advance the warp.

Rolling on – I like to use brown craft paper on a roll to separate my warp at I roll it on. You can also use cardboard or wooden warping sticks, but I do feel the paper roll gives a superior result.

Finger combing – I don’t like to use combs or other implements for this, I just use my fingers. This is really gentle on the yarn but also helps to sort out any little snags or unevenness in tension.

Know your yarns – There are so many wonderful yarns to explore in weaving but there are a few that just won’t do well as a warp and are better saved for wefts. Here are some recommendations for choosing appropriate yarns:

Choosing and using yarns for weaving

3 yarns beginner weavers should never use

2. Sticky or Stuck Sheds

Symptoms: Warp threads don’t separate cleanly when you change the shed.
Causes:

Inappropriate sett was chosen
Incorrect threading or crossed threads.
Sticky or high static yarn
Warp is incorrectly placed during setup. The warp needs to go over both the front and back beam, not under (this is a very common beginner mistake!)

Solutions:

Be sure to calculate properly before beginning your project.
Re-slay the reed for a different sett if you feel that may be the issue.
Make sure threads are not crossed in the heddles to ensure clean sheds.
Don’t choose a fluffy or high static yarn for warping.

Extra tips:

Take your time to set up your loom, there is no hurry and going slowly helps to ensure mistakes are not made.
Use a checklist (like the free printable list available at the end of this article!) to check off the steps as you go.

3. Broken Warp Threads

Symptoms: Warp threads snap or break during weaving.
Causes:

Abrasion from the reed or heddles.
Using weak or unsuitable warp yarn.
Draw in is too extreme due to overly tight weft tensioning

Solutions:

Again, ensure correct sett as too close can cause over frictioning
Replace broken threads, as in this tutorial.
Use a smoother, stronger yarn for the warp.
Work on your weft tensioning. It is natural and normal to have some draw in but if it’s excessive it will cause the warp threads to move inward while the warp at the reed remains a similar width. When beating this will then stress your warp threads, causing repetitive friction and eventual breakage.

4. Uneven Selvedges

Symptoms: Wavy, inconsistent or untidy edges on your weaving.
Causes:

Overly tight or inconsistent weft tension.
Uneven beating with the beater.
Your weaving pattern skips outer warp threads
Uneven warp tension.

Solutions:

Practice gentle and consistent weft tension when weaving.
Beat evenly and avoid over or under packing the threads.
Use floating selvedges to avoid skipping warp threads at the edges.

5. Pattern Doesn’t Appear Correctly

Symptoms: The woven design doesn’t match the weaving draft drawdown.
Causes:

Mistakes in threading or treadling order.
Skipped heddles.
Crossed threads
Beat is too hard or too loose.
Sett is too close or too far apart.

Solutions:

Double-check your threading and treadling sequence.
Fix errors by re-threading the warp threads through the correct heddles.
If any threads are crossed between the reed and heddles, re-sley them to allow freedom of movement.
Work on a consistent beat.
Check your yarn using a sett test to ensure the optimal ends per inch has been chosen.

6. Loom Creaking, sticking or apron rod bowing

Symptoms: Loud creaking or resistance when operating the loom.
Causes:

Lack of lubrication in moving parts.
Loose or worn parts.
Over tightened parts.
Warp under too much tension.
More apron rod support required.

Solutions:

Apply a small amount of wood-safe lubricant to the joints. I like this one.
Loosen and then re-tighten screws or bolts to ensure parts are moving effectively.
Let your warp tension back a click or two before recommencing weaving.
Order replacement parts if your loom is older or used.
Consider using a metal rod or additional wooden dowel/stick to attach your warp to the back apron rod. Ensure that your apron rod ties are strong and evenly tied on to the loom.

Preventive Maintenance Tips

Clean your loom regularly to remove dust and lint.
Check for wear on heddles, reeds, and other parts.
Store your loom in a damp free environment to avoid warping. Keep out of direct sunlight to ensure the wood is well maintained.
Lubricate when required. Use a silicone free lubricant and apply it to a cloth rather than directly to the loom.
If transporting regularly, ensure the loom is stabilised during travel to avoid unnecessary sliding or bumping!

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

PRINTABLE TABLE LOOM SETUP CHECKLIST

Let’s make your table loom setup just that little bit easier by using a checklist. This free checklist is printable and contains empty checklist boxes that you can tick off as you complete the steps – no more mistakes! 😀

Table loom setup checklist Download

If you’re looking to level up your table loom weaving skills, I recommend my comprehensive online course Weaving on a Table Loom.

I hope this article was helpful to you and until next time…

Happy Weaving!

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.

How to organise string heddle bundles

by Kelly 2 Comments

String heddles are commonly made of texsolv nowadays, making them very strong and simple to use.

String heddles will generally arrive tied in neat bundles when you purchase them brand new. These bundles are very orderly and can just be slipped right on to your shafts. They can then be cut apart and ready for use

But there are times when your string heddles may be less than organised. I call this “string heddle spaghetti!” Having your string heddles in a pile and out of order is not ideal (not to mention a bit of a time waster) but there is a simple way to get them organised into lovely neat bundles once more.

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

Once you know how to make these bundles, you can continue to use the technique to ensure that your string heddles are always in order and ready to use.

I recently purchased some used string heddles, and many of them arrived packed into a bag singly and without order. Time to make some bundles!

I use my warping stand (if you’re interested in making your own, check out this tutorial). A raddle also works really well if you have one. Two warping pegs, clamped to a table would also work. Even a box with 2 chopsticks is a suitable alternative!

You also need some twisty ties. If they are a different colour to your string heddles, that improves visibility, but if they are the same colour, don’t worry, you can still use them.

If your string heddles are already separated, grab one and have a look at it. There should be 2 large loops on either side that you can hold on to. There should be the eye of the heddle in the middle of these loops. When you hold the loops, you want the whole string heddle to lay flat – no twists!

Keeping the string heddle flat, place one of the looped ends over the left peg (or raddle nail or chopstick).

Place the loop at the other end over the right hand peg. If you have a central peg like I do, it doesn’t matter which side of it the eye of the heddle rests against. It is best however, to have it rest on the same side of the central peg for each heddle, to keep the laid out order the same.

Drop the loops so that the string heddle rests on the base of your pegs.

Grab your next string heddle and repeat the same action of holding the loops and placing them on the pegs. Pretty simple? 👍 I like to keep going until I’ve laid out around 100 heddles.

When you have enough to make a bundle, take a twisty tie and take one side of the larger loops on one end of the bundle. Because of the way the heddles are laid out, you will easily be able to see the separated sections.

Take the tie and twist it around this section, twisting the ends of the tie together to secure it.

Take another tie and do the opposite side of the same loop, securing it in the exact same way. Do the same for the loop at the other end of the bundle so that you have 4 ties total.

Slip your bundle off the pegs and it’s ready to use!

If you would like a video tutorial on how to make bundles, check out the one below:

I hope this tutorial was useful to you, please leave your questions or comments down below.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

How to use floating selvedges

by Kelly 2 Comments

In my last post I talked about what floating selvedges are, how they can benefit your weaving and included a photo tutorial for how to install them.

Today, we’re going to have a look at how you actually use floating selvedges in the weaving process.

It’s very simple, but there are a few little rules and things to remember:

“Over, under”. This is going to be on repeat in your mind as you weave with your floating selvedges in place. The photo tutorial will show you how this works.

You will need to adjust your weights as you weave and advance the warp. This is because your floating selvedge (FS) threads will roll on to your front cloth beam along with the warp threads as you advance.

The weft should always wrap around the FS on each side. This also relates to the “over, under” action and will be clear for you to see when you’re weaving.

The yarn that you use for your FS can be the same yarn as either the warp or weft. Most of the time, I will use the exact same yarn for the FS as I’m intending to weave with (weft). But, if I have frequent colour changes and more than a few colours in the weft, I will use the warp yarn to set up my FS.

In this tutorial, I’m imagining that you have already set up your floating selvedges and you’re ready to start weaving. If you haven’t done that yet and need a step by step tutorial, please view this post first.

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

This tutorial is specifically for rigid heddle weavers, but I also have a video tutorial for table/floor loom weavers.

I am starting with my shuttle on the left and my heddle is up. (It doesn’t matter which side your shuttle is on or which shed you’re in, but I wanted to be specific so that the photos make sense!)

When I enter my shuttle from the left, my shuttle (and therefore my weft yarn) goes OVER the floating selvedge. As my shuttle exits the shed on the right, it goes UNDER the floating selvedge. Beat.

Now I change my heddle to the down position. As my shuttle enters the shed from the right, it will go OVER the floating selvedge. As it exits the shed on the left, it will go UNDER the FS. Remember, OVER, UNDER. Beat.

Here is how your shuttle should look for that second pick (weft row).

Back to the up position for the third pick. The shuttle will go OVER the FS on the left and come out UNDER on the right.

It’s important to note that using floating selvedges does not change the way we weave. We still need to arrange and tension our weft picks to ensure neat edges. If you are not familiar with my pinching technique, I have a free video tutorial that will make a huge difference to your edges:

If you are having trouble remembering whether you are supposed to be taking the shuttle over or under the FS in your next shed, you only need to look at how your last weft pick is sitting.

For example, you can see clearly in this photo that the last weft pick is sitting UNDER the floating selvedge. This tells me that, to ensure the weft yarn wraps around that FS edge, I will need to take it OVER the FS as the shuttle re-enters the shed.

When your heddle is in the up shed, you can see that the floating selvedge also sits up a little with the warp. The easy way to weave is to just depress the FS with the tip of the shuttle as you enter the new shed.

See how the weft yarn wraps around the FS as it you enter the shed?

As you weave, the FS becomes a part of the fabric and provides a straight edge. The floating selvedges are not removed when you finish weaving, like you would remove fishing line if using the Lifeline Technique, they are truly a part of the piece and that is why we match the yarns when we set up our FS in the beginning.

Continue to tension and angle your weft as you weave. I think you will be very pleased with the results!

If you would like to see me weaving on the table loom using floating selvedges, please view this free video tutorial:

I hope you found this tutorial valuable.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

What are floating selvedges?

by Kelly 17 Comments

If you’ve been weaving for a little while now it’s very likely that you’ve come across the term “floating selvedge”.

What is a floating selvedge?

Floating selvedges (FS) are used on either side of a warp and are replacement threads for the original edge warp threads. This may lead you to wonder why you would want or need to replace your edge threads?

When weaving a simple plain weave, the interlacement of weft and warp doesn’t change. You alternate between the two plain weave sheds and the weft thread always naturally wraps around the outer most warp threads.

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

But when you are weaving something other than plain weave, you will often find that the weft skips the outer warp thread – either in every shed or, more likely just in certain sheds. If you don’t do anything to combat this problem, the result will be messy edges and a cloth that lacks integrity at the selvedges.

Now, there is a manual method you can use to prevent this from happening, but I find it easy to install floating selvedges and I also love the neat edge finish this gives me.

How does the floating selvedge work?

A floating selvedge will provide you with an unchanging edge thread, unlike your natural edge thread that may change according to the pattern, or the way you have threaded your loom. The path of the weft thread is determined by your action with the shuttle when you begin weaving, ensuring that every edge warp thread (now your floating selvedge) is wrapped with weft yarn.

When we install floating selvedges, they are usually not a part of the original warp. They are always threaded into an empty slot next to the last naturally occurring warp thread. This makes them independent of your warp and pattern, and means that we can adapt them to our own purposes.

Although floating selvedges are not necessarily a part of the original warp, they do become a part of the finished woven piece – they are not removed afterwards.

For this reason, it’s important to choose a colour that will blend well with the project. If I am weaving my piece with just one, solid coloured weft, I will choose that same yarn and colour for my floating selvedges.

If I am going to be changing the weft colour multiple times within that one piece, I will choose the same yarn and colour as my warp.

The idea is that, once your piece is off the loom and finished, you won’t be able to tell that there was a floating selvedge introduced (other than the fact that your edges will look really nice!)

Can you use a floating selvedge on any loom?

Pretty much. I use them mostly on my floor loom and table loom, and on my rigid heddle loom if I’m weaving something other than plain weave.

Today’s tutorial is specifically for the rigid heddle loom. Scroll to the end of this post to find a video tutorial specifically for table loom floating selvedges.

I like to install my floating selvedges when the warp is all tied on and I’m almost ready to weave.

The photos from this tutorial are taken from my member’s only Floating Selvedges on a Rigid Heddle Loom class.

I most often use the same yarn for my floating selvedges as I use for my weft. So, in the example above, I will be using a white weft.

I don’t do this every time though. If I am weaving a project where I intend to have multiple and frequent weft colour changes, I will use the same yarn that I used for warp for my floating selvedges.

Step 1. is to measure out a length of yarn that is similar to the length of your warp. A little more is fine, a little less is not so great, as then you may have to install the floating selvedges again in the same project. It’s doable, but preferable to have a little more than you need so you don’t run out.

Cut your length of yarn and tie one end in a secure, double knot to the front apron rod on one side of the warp. It makes no difference whether you do the right or left side first.

Drape the tied yarn over the top of the heddle. It doesn’t really matter what position the heddle is in at this point, but it make sense to have it in the neutral or resting position.

Find the next slot, next to your outer most edge warp thread that is empty. This is the slot you will thread your yarn through. Having the floating selvedges in a slot makes them a “free agent” that we can then manipulate in the weaving process to ensure that our edges are always wrapped with a weft thread.

Pull the thread right through the slot and over the back beam and leave it hanging.

Now repeat the exact same steps on the opposite side of the warp.

Now you have two threads in slots on either side of your warp and they are ready to be weighted. If you don’t weight them, they won’t work, they need to be under tension!

Make a slip knot in the hanging thread. You can do this half way down, or further towards the floor, the main thing is that the weights are not resting on the floor, you want them to dangle and place tension on the thread.

Place an “S” hook or something similar through the loop of the slip knot and allow it to hang. You can tighten up the slip knot to prevent your hook from jumping out of the loop. I have a bunch of S hooks, they are so handy for tensioning broken or loose threads and I always use them on my floating selvedges.

Do the same for the other floating selvedge thread, and you’re ready to start weaving!

As a side note – this method is not the only way to install floating selvedges. Some weavers prefer to allow for the additional two threads when calculating the warp, and then roll the FS on with the rest of the warp. They would then thread the FS threads through an empty slot rather than threading as part of the pattern.

If you’re interested in knowing more about floating selvedges and viewing a tutorial for installing them on a table loom, please view this video:

In the next post I will have a tutorial for how to actually use the floating selvedges when weaving, so look out for that one.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

All about hemstitching

by Kelly 10 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!

My loom just arrived. Now what?

by Kelly 5 Comments

You have made the big leap and purchased your very first loom! You can hardly contain your excitement and you start to wonder whether it’s normal to have been stalking the delivery guy like you have been!

You are well prepared, you’ve done your research, watched a ton of Youtube videos and read a heap of weaving related articles. You just cannot wait to get your hands on that loom!

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

Am I over exaggerating here? Well, this was me waiting for my first loom to arrive so I’m sure many of you have felt the same.

Depending on the loom that you purchase, it can arrive to your door in any number of ways. I’ll discuss each of the main loom categories so that you know what to expect when your order arrives.

Inkle Loom

My Ashford Inkle Loom arrived with some assembly required. The assembly was very basic and did not require complicated tools to put together.

You need to glue and tap the pegs into place. That glue then needs to be left for 24 hours to completely dry, which is an important step in the future stability of your loom.

Then it’s a simple matter of installing the small pieces of hardware provided (the rubber feet, the tension peg etc).

Ashford do recommend to use a wax or other sealant on the wood of the loom once you have assembled to protect the wood from sun and moisture damage or other stains.

Rigid Heddle Loom

A rigid heddle loom will arrive flat packed in a box. Depending on the company, the loom pieces that are wood may or may not be finished. Ashford rigid heddle looms are not finished, so if you want to wax or lacquer your loom you will need to do that, then let the pieces dry before beginning to assemble.

The knitter’s loom, which I wrote about here, comes with the wood finished and ready to assemble, so that is something to bear in mind.

The length of time to assemble will vary and may depend on your aptitude to follow written instructions. I noticed that Ashford did recently upload this rigid heddle assembly video, which should be a good help to many.

A rigid heddle loom is not too difficult to put together and depending on the size you have purchased, should take 1 – 3 hours (not allowing for glue drying times where applicable).

Tapestry Loom

It’s more difficult to talk about a tapestry loom as there are many different types – some are made of wood and some of metal.

The assembly of my Mirrix Big Sister was a very simple affair as there really are not that many parts. There was no screwing wooden sections together, it was more just placing pipes within other parts and tightening up. So, even if you were challenged by written instructions, you could easily have this type of loom put together in under an hour.

If you are interested in this type of loom, I’ve written a review here.

Table Loom

Table looms will also mostly come flat packed in boxes and the pieces are all finished and ready to assemble. There are a lot more parts to a table loom than a rigid heddle. I remember the first time I bought a table loom, those boxes were very exciting but quite confronting as well!

Luckily for you, if you have purchased or intend to purchase an Ashford table loom, my husband and I have put together two detailed videos that take you step by step through the assembly process.

I have loved to have a video like this for my first table loom assembly, but I’m very happy to think so many new weavers don’t have that same headache and can instead follow our instructions to get it done.

You can watch the first video here:

I recommend that if your table loom has just arrived, set aside a day where you don’t have much happening to put it together. With drying times, you may find it easier to work on it over several days, getting a few steps done on each day.

That makes the process not too overwhelming and tiring. Don’t worry if it takes you a bit of extra time to put together, you will get it done and it will be worth it.

Floor Loom

This is a biggie. Literally! The size of a floor loom means that the pieces are plentiful and large. Floor loom pieces should come finished and ready to assemble. Most of the time they will be flat packed, but not always.

Of course, if you purchase second hand, or are lucky enough to get a floor stock loom from a shop, it will be either fully or partly assembled.

If your floor loom is new and in pieces, it is super helpful to lay out all the pieces in the approximate correct shape of the frame of the loom on the floor. This helps you get a good look at how and where the pieces will go.

Don’t expect to get assembly done quickly, it can easy take several days and you will need a good amount of space where you can leave partly assembled parts and non assembled parts laid out where they won’t be disturbed.

My Louet David was laid out on a carpeted floor in a non foot traffic area of our home, which made it all so much easier and meant that none of that beautiful, smooth wood got scratched or damaged in any way.

General Assembly Tips

When your loom arrives and you unbox it, keep all like pieces together (screws of a certain size etc).

Using the instructions provided, go through every piece to ensure it is there. Factories can make mistakes, it happens occasionally that a piece will be missing. If that happens, you want to know about it before you begin assembly rather than half way through.

It also means you can contact the company right away and tell them a piece was missing in the beginning. If you find a piece is missing part way through assembly, you can’t be absolutely sure whether you may have lost a small piece yourself. Trust me, it’s worth checking!

Lay all the pieces out in a space, if you have the space. This helps you to visualise how the loom will look and gain an understanding of what the parts do.

Teamwork is awesome! If you have a spouse or someone else who can assemble the loom with you, that is very helpful. Not only are four hands better than two, two brains are much better than one! It can make all the difference to have another mind at work beside you, to see things from a different angle to you.

Take your time. You will only need to put the loom together once, so it’s worth doing it properly and not to rush. You will get to weave on it, you just have to be patient!

Are there any other tips you would add to these? Please share them in the comments for the benefit of other readers. Thank you for your contribution!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

How is a knitter’s loom different to a rigid heddle loom?

by Kelly 42 Comments

As you probably already know, I’m a big fan of Ashford looms, I have four of them myself. I have found their looms to be reliable, easy to obtain, excellent learning tools and affordably priced.

Ashford make a variety of looms including the rigid heddle, knitter’s loom, inkle looms, table looms and floor looms. They also make a big range of weaving tools, yarns and accessories, as well as all their other supplies for fibre artists.

*This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure for more details.

Ashford rigid heddle loom, photo courtesy of Ashford website.

I also love that the Ashford factory is based in New Zealand, my second favourite country (after Australia, of course!) and all the wood used is sourced from there too.

But today I want to focus on two of their looms that are very popular but also cause some confusion among new weavers – the knitter’s loom and the rigid heddle loom.

If you’re interested in knowing more about looms prior to purchasing, or just out of interest, I have a list of articles and videos that will be a big help to you.

Ashford Knitter’s loom, photo courtesy of Ashford website.

Having never actually used a knitter’s loom myself, I knew it was time to call in some expert knowledge on the subject, and who better to answer my questions than Kate Sherratt from Ashford.

Kate was very generous in not only answering my questions but in giving me extra information for all of us to learn from. Let’s start with a little history of the rigid heddle and knitter’s looms:

Ashford’s have been making Rigid Heddle looms for over 70 years. Pictured below is Richard Ashford’s mother, Joy with one of their early looms.

The Knitters looms are a more recent addition and were introduced in 2005. These looms are a type of rigid heddle loom but with some differences.

One of the aims of the knitters loom was to change the mindset that you can only weave with weaving specific yarns. It paved the way for knitters, who already had a healthy stash of knitting yarn, to ease seamlessly into weaving and continue to utilise the yarn they already knew and loved.

The release of the knitter’s loom brought a whole new wave of crafters and fibre artists into the weaving world. It had features that were very attractive to the brand new weaver who wanted to get up and weaving really fast.

It folded with weaving in place, it was lighter and more compact than previous rigid heddle looms, it had the factory lacquer finish and it was assembled.

So, which loom is the right one for you?

Ashford now make three types of rigid heddle looms – The Standard Rigid Heddle looms (RH), the Knitters looms (KL) and the SampleIt looms (SL).

Kate points our that all these looms are exactly the same in the way they function – you warp and weave on them in the same way.

The difference comes down to personal preference:

What size do you prefer? What do you intend to weave the most?

How much money do you want to spend?

How much space do you have?

Will you want your loom to be as portable as possible?

Let’s take a look at the differences between the three types:

RH come in four weaving widths 40cm (16″), 60cm (24″), 80cm (32″) and 120cm (48″).

KL come in three weaving widths 30cm (12″), 50cm (20″) and 70cm (28″)

SL come in two weaving widths 25cm (10″) and 40cm (16)

KL come assembled and have a factory lacquered finish and include a carry bag, making it very convenient to take to a class or outing.

RH come kitset and unfinished timber. This means you need to do your own lacquering, painting or waxing and assembling.

SL come kitset and unfinished.

KL fold in half for storage and transportation, can fold with weaving in place. Are made of the lighter timber.

RH are made of thicker more solid timber and do not fold.

SL are smaller, lighter and more compact – the most prominent difference is the depth of the loom – which will only effect the weaving when using non elastic yarns like cotton.

RH have more accessories available – the freedom roller, the table stand, and the warping pegs are exclusive for the standard rigid heddle looms.

What these three looms have in common:

6 different dpi reeds are available for all.

Vari dent reeds are available for all.

Stands are available for all.

They all can be warped the same.

They all can be woven on the same ways.

They all are affordable.

They all work extremely well, are well designed and do what they are supposed to do.

I also had some specific questions for Kate. These are things I am often asked by students.

*Can you use two heddles on a knitter’s loom?

All our rigid heddle looms come standard with the double heddle sideposts – as far as using three heddles go, I cannot personally comment as I have not tried it myself but I have seen people using three heddles on all our rigid heddle looms – including the SampleIts (see Amy McKnight’s recent posts).

I will also add here that I have several classes available on using more than one heddle. The most popular classes are Three Heddle Adventures and Weaving with Two Heddles

* Students have told me they have trouble when weaving the down shed on their knitter’s loom. They say that the heddle slips out of place.

On the Knitters loom the reed is held in the bottom position by the warp tension. It does not click into place or stay there when there is no warp on it, it is not supposed to. (the standard rigid heddle reed does not either, it only hangs from the upper rail, and as the KL has to fold the rails needed to be different).

*Students have also mentioned that they need to angle the back of the knitter’s loom in order to weave. Can you explain this?

See the attached snippet from the Learn to Weave on the Knitters loom booklet (that comes with the loom) – the design of the loom, so it could fold etc, requires the back half of the loom to be angled up when weaving. This is probably the number one issue people have when starting out “help I have no shed” – to which the simple answer is lift the back up into the correct position.

*Are the heddle positions the same on each loom?

The heddle position are actually the same on all the looms – the distance is the same from the top to the bottom and to the neutral positions – it has to be the same as our reeds (the distance from the top rail to the eye and to the bottom rail) are all the same. And the sheds are the same…..

*How long a warp can you fit on each of these looms?

This does depend on a few things – yarn type, sett, warp separators etc. The limiting factor is the distance the cross rails are from the rollers – which varies from 7cm to 10cm. So you can fit quite a length!

*Is there anything else you think is important that people know about the looms?

You can do the same things on all the looms – there is not one that performs better technically – it really does come down to personal preference – and my personal preference is the good old work horse – the standard rigid heddle.

The question when buying a rigid heddle loom should not be “what can I do on a rigid heddle loom?” it should be what can’t you do! And although I do have Jack and Katie (and a couple of table looms) – my Rigid heddle looms (of course there are several) hold a special place in my heart – my love of weaving came not only from being taught to weave on a rigid heddle loom but more from all the possibilities there was from a simple piece of equipment – I know it sounds corny but there really are unlimited possibilities!

I get a little cranky when I here people say “oh you are limited on what you can do on a rigid heddle” – because really when you control the type of yarn (or fibre) you use, the colour you use, the texture you use, the sett you use, the patterns you create – the limits don’t really come from the loom they come for your imagination. And as 75% of the woven fabric in the world is plain weave – do you really need something else?

Wise words, thank you Kate!

One more thing I want to clear up is how to clamp the knitter’s loom to a table. This can confuse new weavers, because although clamps do come with the knitter’s loom, there are no holes present to insert the clamps into, like there are with other RH looms.

The answer is very simple, as you can see here:

These instructions, and more, are available from the Ashford website.

I hope this post has helped to clear up any confusion and answer some of your burning questions. Of course, you are welcome to leave any additional questions in the comments.

Do you own a knitter’s loom? A rigid heddle loom? A Sampleit? Was it a difficult decision for you? What helped you decide? Let’s keep the conversation going!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Hand woven fabric Yo- Yo tutorial

by Kelly 8 Comments

Many hand weavers these days are keen to sew finished pieces, particularly clothing from their hand woven fabric. This is a wonderful development for any weaving journey, as sewing opens up a vast amount of finished objects the weaver can make.

One side effect of all the sewing with hand woven fabric that is starting to happen is that there will be inevitable leftovers. Sewing, particularly clothing usually requires cutting shapes out of your hand woven, meaning that you will have smaller pieces of “waste” fabric leftover. I say “waste” but it’s only waste if you waste it!

*This post contains affiliate links

There are some fun and exciting projects that can be made even with very small pieces of hand woven fabric. One of these is the lovely Suffolk Puff or as it may be more commonly known these days, especially in America, as the Yo-Yo.

What is a fabric Yo-Yo? It’s a small, gathered circle of fabric, usually covered in the middle by a button or similar. They have been around for quite some time, seemingly dating back as far as the early 1600’s in Suffolk, England.

Suffolk Puffs were made from old clothing, quilts, bed sheets and so on, and given new life when joined together as quilts and cushion covers.

The idea is to gather a small circle of fabric at the outer edge with a running stitch. When gathered, the circle forms a sweet little “puff” that can then either be topped with another, smaller puff or a button can be sewn into the centre.

With the finished YoYo you can embellish clothing or bags, sew many of them together as in the days of old, hot glue them on to hair accessories (I’ve done this a lot for my 3 girls) or sew on a brooch backing and wear it as a one of a kind brooch.

Let’s begin with what you will need to sew a YoYo similar to mine.

*A 5 x 5″ square of handwoven (or commercial) fabric

*A 5 x 5″ square of light, fusible interfacing

*Strong sewing thread (I use Gutermann Sew All)

*A sewing needle

*A button to finish with

Begin by cutting the fusible interfacing to fit on the fabric piece. My original fabric piece was larger than 5 x 5″, so I place the interfacing on first. Make sure that you have the correct side of interfacing facing the fabric, otherwise you may destroy your iron! Place a pressing cloth over the top of the interfacing for extra protection. Iron it on and allow to cool once properly fused.

Use an object as a traceable template (I used masking tape) to draw a circle onto your interfacing. It’s fine to use pen, as it only marks the interfacing and will provide a cutting line.

Cut out your circle. Sharp scissors are very handy at this point.

Thread your sewing needle with around a 15″ length of thread and knot the end. Take the needle down through the interfacing side, about 1 centimetre in from the edge.

Stitch a running stitch, making the length of your stitch also around a centimetre in length and maintaining a fairly consistent distance between the stitches.

Continue all the way around the circle.

Pull gently on the end of your thread and the fabric will begin to gather up.

Continue gathering until the fabric forms a hole in the centre and can’t gather anymore.

Now you can decide what you will place in the middle. I’m using a Dorset button that I made previously. If you’re interested in learning more about Dorset buttons or making one yourself, I recommend GinaB Silkworks.

My button is flat backed, so I’m taking my still attached thread through the back of it to begin stitching it on.

Continue to stitch through the button to the back of your puff with small stitches until it’s fully attached and none of the raw edges of your circle hole are showing. Knot off the thread and sink it into the back of the puff where it won’t be seen.

Ta da! What an easy peasy use of scrap fabric! I think these ones should be made into brooches so they can be shown off well.

If you are interested in learning how to make buttons with your hand woven fabric, I have a members only class that shows you how to do that.

This tutorial is available in video format here-

What do you think? Do you have any scraps of hand woven that could be used to make a YoYo? And what about the Dorset buttons, are you interested in having a go at those too? Let me know in the comments, I love to hear from you!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!