Table loom weaving

Which loom to begin with? Table loom and Rigid Heddle Loom Comparison.

When you’re starting out on your weaving journey, it can be confusing when you are faced with the variety of looms for purchase. How do you know before buying which one is going to suit your needs the best?

I get asked this question a lot, so I’ve put together a list of things to consider before purchasing. Specifically, I will compare the rigid heddle and the table loom, as these are the most common “beginner” looms available.

*This post contains affiliate links.

My first recommendation when considering the type of loom you might want to purchase is to try actually weaving on one. I know it’s not always possible, but if you have a friend who has a loom or you can get in touch with a guild that has looms for you to try, it can be a big bonus. Many shops that sell looms will be more than happy for you to come in store so that you can physically see and try a loom before buying too.

When I was looking for my first loom, a few factors contributed to my final decision.

The price
Simplicity of the loom
Recommendations

My first loom purchase was the Ashford 24″ rigid heddle loom. I found that I could buy the loom and stand for a fraction of the price of a table loom. Having never woven anything in my life, I didn’t want to spend a heap of money up front, not knowing whether it was something I was definitely going to enjoy.

Being a complete newbie also helped me to decide on the RHL. I could see just by looking at it that it was a more simple loom, and I didn’t want something that was over complicated, as I was going to be weaving on my own.

I chatted with some craft friends online who already owned a rigid heddle loom, and their recommendations also helped me to decide that it was the right choice for me.

Now I’ll go over the pros and cons of the rigid heddle loom (in my opinion!):

Pros–

It’s very lightweight and portable, making it easy to travel with or carry from room to room.
Easy to learn. Like anything, becoming comfortable with a RHL takes time, but as long as you have good information, enthusiasm and practice, becoming a good weaver on a RHL is very achievable.
Time efficient. I guess this comes under easy to learn as well, but the RHL is really quick and simple to warp and get weaving.
Even though it’s a 2 shaft loom, it has more capabilities than meets the eye. By using pick up sticks, heddle rods and extra reeds, you can turn a RHL into a multi shaft loom. If this sounds interesting to you, I have an in depth class showing you how to convert 3 and 4 shaft pattern drafts to your RHL. You can find that class here. I also have a class that shows you how to achieve 4 shaft patterns by weaving with 3 heddles. You can find that class here.
Very little loom waste (you gotta love that!)
Very comfortable to sit at and use
Affordable to get started

Cons–

When I mentioned the possibilities in the “cons”, this means a little extra work and thought for the weaver. You may need some pretty good guidance to be able to set up your loom for more shafts or patterned weaving. A loom that is already set up for multi shafts is more efficient in this respect.
Limited reed sizes. The smallest dent reed currently available is a 15 dent from Ashford. This is due to most reeds being manufactured with heavy duty plastic in a wooden frame. It can only go so small.
It is hard to achieve good tension with finer yarns.
I tend to use my rigid heddle loom with thicker yarns as I feel it is better suited. Is that a con? It’s not really, it’s more of a consideration!

Some weavers ask: “So why would you bother buying a table loom if you can do so much on a rigid heddle loom?”

Well, for me, I was keen to level up my weaving without the full investment of a floor loom. I admit that after weaving on a RHL for a few years, I had loom envy! I felt like everywhere I turned I saw wonderful 8 shaft patterns tempting me, and convincing me that I just had to be able to weave them! If you are completely content with your RHL, I admire you, I really do. I wish I was more like you! 😄

But seriously, I did want the challenge of learning to weave on a multi shaft loom. And I wanted to achieve intricate patterns on a loom that was built for that very purpose.

My first table loom was the Ashford 8 shaft, 32″.

So let’s look at some pros on cons of a table loom.

Pros–

A more affordable way to set up for multi shaft weaving than a floor loom.
All the shafts are there, once you have “dressed” the loom (warped, threaded, sleyed and tied on) you can just enjoy the weaving without further set up necessary.
Boat shuttles work well.
Castle is collapsable, so even though it stands somewhat tall it can be compacted down.
Easy to use when it’s just sitting on a table.

Cons-

You need a sturdy table to place it on
Depending on the size of your loom, you may need help to move it.
Some table loom weavers stand while weaving – that is not going to appeal to everyone (me included!)
Not quite as comfortable to sit at as a RHL and it is best to have a good, height adjustable chair.
Heddles are not moveable once your project is threaded. You can make extra heddles if you need to, but cannot move the shafts during a project.
Dressing the loom is quite a time commitment!
Shed can be small
Depending on the size of the loom, you may not be able to advance the warp from a seated position.

It seems like there are quite a few cons for the table loom, but I try to give as much information as possible and don’t want to leave out any observations that I think are important.

I do think table looms are awesome, and for me, my table loom was a huge leap in my weaving knowledge and ability, especially towards my journey of owning and using a floor loom.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also want to watch the companion video:

If you want to learn more about table looms, please go to this post. Or, if you are interested in rigid heddle looms this post will help. Actually, I have a lot of rigid heddle posts here, so you can also use the search bar at the top of this page and type in “rigid heddle” and you will be spoiled for choice.

I hope this post was really useful to you, as always, you can speak to me in the comments or ask any burning questions you may have.

If learning to weave on a rigid heddle loom is interesting to you, my From Woe to Go! Beginner Rigid Heddle Weaving class is for you 😊

Or, if table loom weaving is your thing, my extensive Weaving on a Table Loom course is what you need.

I also have a comprehensive First Loom Buyers Guide that covers a range of looms to help you make an educated choice in purchasing.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Table loom options

by Kelly 27 Comments

When it comes to selecting a table loom to purchase, we are not as spoiled for choice as we may be for rigid heddle looms.

This can actually be a positive rather than negative thing, as it can be easier to choose when the selection is more narrow.

In this post I’m going to provide details for table looms currently available commercially (if I miss any brands it would be because they are obscure and not easy to obtain.) I will also give the retail prices of each so that you can compare.

*This post contains affiliate links

As a little disclaimer, the only brand of table loom I have actually used and am really familiar with is Ashford. So, I’m not giving an opinion or appraisal on the other brands, but rather providing available information and pricing.

Most of the looms I mention here do not come with extras like stands, benches or raddles. These things are available as separate purchases.

Let’s dive in!

I’m going to start with Ashford table looms, for the reasons already given above. There are quite a few options with Ashford and pricing is quite reasonable by comparison. Please note that the photographs are all courtesy of the manufacturers and all prices do not include stands.

All prices are in US dollars.

The entry level table loom from Ashford is a 4 shaft and is available in weaving widths of 16, 24 (pictured) and 32 inches. Prices start at around $840USD for the 16″.

The cool thing about a 4 shaft is that there is room on the castle front to upgrade to 8 shafts later if you choose to, so if you’re not sure you can always start out on 4 and see how you go.

There are also stands available separately, and these come with the option of also purchasing a treadle kit for more of a floor loom experience.

Then we have the 8 shaft range, also available in 16 (pictured), 24 and 32“. 8 shaft prices start at $890USD.

There is even a 16 shaft table loom for those who love the idea of having lots of shafts to play around with.

All the Ashford table looms have a folding castle for compatibility, meaning they are a good travel or teaching loom. The beater is overhead and easy to use. Each loom comes standard with a stick shuttle, threading and reed hook, 10 dent beater and 640 texsolv heddles to get you started. All Silver Beech wooden pieces come lacquered and ready to assemble.

If you need help to assemble your new Ashford table loom, I have instructional videos:

Le Clerc has several table loom options. Their looms look to me to be made in a more traditional style with dark wood, straight lines and metal heddles plus a boat shuttle included.

The Dorothy table loom comes in 15.75 or 24″ weaving width and may have 4, 8 or 12 shafts. Starting price is $750USD. Le Clerc also make the Voyageur, which goes right up to 16 shafts. You have the option of buying a stand with these looms and I must say that I really like the way their stands are basically a sturdy little table with side shelves – shelves are a great thing to have with any loom in my opinion! There is also the option here to purchase a treadle stand.

Your options for table looms with Schacht are a little narrower, to be the best of my knowledge they just make one model of table loom, but in a variety of weaving widths and a choice of 4 or 8 shafts. These looms are constructed with maple wood and you actually get a choice of reed size, which is a nice bonus! Prices start at $742USD. A stand is available for separate purchase, as is a double back beam kit.

Glimakra makes the Victoria Table Loom. Once again, there is not a lot of variation as this is their only table loom and it is only available in 4 shafts with a 27″ weaving width. Something I find interesting about this loom is that it doesn’t fold and isn’t very portable, but just looking at it you can see that it’s a solid, sturdy loom. The starting price for this loom is $1,100USD and once again you have the option of purchasing a stand and treadle kit.

Toika makes a table loom in only one size (23.6″) but with a choice of 4 or 8 shafts. It comes with an 8 dent reed and 200 texsolv heddles. The levers for this loom look a little different as the ends that you grip on to for shaft manipulation are rounded pegs. At first glance, I wonder whether the shape of these pegs cause hand fatigue for the weaver, I do think that would be a possible problem for me. Prices start at $825USD. This loom can apparently be mounted on a stand, however I don’t think Toika actually make a stand specifically for this loom.

Lastly, Louet make a few different table looms. I have to mention the Klik Table Loom first, as it’s such a different concept to your regular table loom. The shafts are actually operated (raised) from the side based on a spring and click system. Then you beat with a swinging beater. The loom comes with 4 shafts, but up to 16 shafts can be added to the space. This loom looks very lightweight and portable, which would make it an ideal “take with you” loom. A couple of thoughts that spring to mind though. 1. You have to lean around to the side to operate the shafts, possibly not good for back or shoulder injuries? 2. The loom looks like it would sit flat on a table, but at the same time the shafts look lower than the bottom edge of the loom? And what about those handles, could you not do a full rotation if the loom was on a table? Therefore, would it possibly be necessary to purchase the stand to use this loom effectively? So, while the concept is very interesting, I would definitely want to try this loom before buying. Price for the Klik is $750USD.

Louet also make the Jane (pictured) and the Erica table looms. I have heard very good things about these two looms and they are definitely gaining popularity. The Erica starts at $555USD for the 4 shaft or you can start with the 2 shaft at $370USD and upgrade to 4 later. The Jane comes standard with 8 shafts in 2 different weaving widths, and a built in raddle (no separate purchase for that) starting at $1,195USD. These looms fold down and are light weight to transport.

The links I’ve provided in this post are from Amazon and The Woolery.

If you are in Australia and interested in purchasing an Ashford loom, I recommend Tracy from Knit Spin Weave.

If you are in Australia and it’s a Louet you’re after, I recommend Nicky from The Thread Collective.

Have I missed any table looms that should have been mentioned? If so, please tell me in the comments below.

If you are interested in table loom weaving or already own one but need help to get going, my Table Loom Weaving course would be perfect for you!

I hope this has been useful to you!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

What is a table loom?

by Kelly 39 Comments

A table loom enables multi shaft weaving without the space or financial investment that a floor loom requires.

*This post contains affiliate links.

A table loom usually comes with four or more shafts. Four and eight shaft looms are the most common, but they can have more. Ashford, for example, manufacture a 16 shaft table loom!

Ashford 16 shaft table loom. Image from Ashford website.

Table looms are often favoured for their portability and affordability. They make a great loom to take along to workshops, or anywhere you want to take a multi shaft loom. Some will come with a handy carry bag and many will fold down to be even more space efficient. They are also often used for sampling, as you can test out your yarns or pattern before committing it to the floor loom.

Table looms come in a variety of sizes, meaning that if you only require one for sampling or you have a very small space to fit the loom, you could choose a 16 inch or lower weaving width. This size would also be suitable if you only wanted to weave narrower pieces like scarves.

The mode of operation for weaving on a table loom differs to other looms and makes it instantly recognisable. The shafts, rather than being operated by raising or lowering a heddle/reed (as in rigid heddle weaving) or being foot controlled (such as treadling on a floor loom) are raised by the manoeuvring of levers that sit at the front of the castle (the upright part of the loom) and are tied to the shafts underneath. These levers are very simple to operate and as lever 1 corresponds with shaft 1 and so on, it is visually simple – you are actually looking at the levers right in front of you, making it difficult to mix up and get the pattern wrong.

Table looms are also adaptable. In the last paragraph I explained that the levers are hand operated, however if you want more of a floor loom experience, you can purchase a stand along with treadles. The treadles are tied to the shafts in place of the levers, allowing you to lift the shafts by depressing treadles with your feet.

Some looms can be purchased as a four shaft and upgraded to an eight shaft later on. This is a terrific option for those who:

Wish to start out on four shafts only OR
Don’t wish to make the financial commitment of an eight shaft loom right away.

To weave on a table loom, you will need a few things apart from the tools that come standard with the loom:

*A table space to keep the loom on whilst weaving (unless you also purchase a stand, which is available separately). If weaving at a table, some weavers choose to stand. My back is no good for standing so I like to use an adjustable height office chair that I find comfortable.

*A warping board. A table loom is warped indirectly, so you make your warp on the board and transfer it to the loom.

*A raddle kit. This is necessary for spacing your warp before taking it to the loom. You can buy the raddle kit that fits your size of loom. Some weavers choose to make their own.

You can see a short overview of the Ashford 8 shaft, 32″ table loom here-

And you can see a demonstration of me using the loom here-

I have some exciting news regarding table looms too! I recently purchased the Ashford 16″ 8 shaft table loom to use for teaching. My husband and I made a two part video that shows you how to assemble it.

But that is not all! My primary purpose for buying this new loom is because I have had so many requests for a table loom class and I am happy to say that I’ve put together a very comprehensive class, Weaving on a Table Loom.

I hope this post has been useful to you, let me know in the comments if you have any questions or simply want to leave me a comment.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!