Weaving

How to weave Snowmen on your rigid heddle loom

Snowmen are not something you might naturally think of when wondering what to weave next on your rigid heddle loom, but I love any excuse to make pictures on my loom, especially if they are as cute as these little snowmen guys are!

Weaving snowmen on your rigid heddle loom may not be as difficult as you think. We employ a type of overshot technique to create floats. Depending on the length of each float, we can then arrange them to make pictures. We warp the loom as we normally do for plain weave.

Overshot usually uses a thicker weft for the patterning (or floats) and a thinner, contrasting weft for the background (plain weave, commonly known as “tabby” when used in this way).

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The weft floats do not become incorporated into the fabric, they literally float on top, which is why we use tabby in between pattern rows to tie the whole thing down and create a stable fabric. It also gives that lovely, slightly 3D effect of the pattern or picture being slightly raised.

Because of the varying length in floats, there is something you need to keep in mind when doing this kind of weaving. Quite often, and particularly with a thicker yarn like I’ve used for this sample, the floats at the back of the work will be long. This might make the piece unsuitable for some uses. For example, a kitchen towel with long floats on the back is not ideal. The floats will catch on things and likely become a bit ratty and not neat looking over time. That is the other consideration – the back does not always look attractive and you may not want it on show. In my sample below, you can see the added untidiness of my having embroidered on details like the scarves.

A way around this issue is to plan to use this technique in a pattern where the back of the work will not show. Some ideas are notebook or journal covers, a table centrepiece or runner where you intend to sew a backing to the piece, a cute Christmas wall hanging and so on.

Here is what you will need to weave a sample like this one:

A rigid heddle loom (I used my 24″ but a Sampleit size is fine if you just want a small sample)

10 dent reed

A pick up stick

A knitting needle is handy but not essential

Yarns-

There are no set yarns for this project, but I will share what worked well for me and give suggestions for possible alternatives.

For the warp I used a fingering weight (Australian 4 ply) cotton in a hand dyed medium to dark blue. Rug warping cotton would work fine.

My tabby weft (background weft) was a lighter but strong coloured light worsted/dk weight (Australian 8 ply) in wool.

For the pattern weft, I used a cream coloured aran weight (Australian 10ply) in wool.

For the little hats, I used some black fingering weight wool – you don’t need very much of that.

I love to use wool, particularly for the patterning in this type of weaving because it works so well. Because it has that lovely fluff and bounciness, it fills in any gaps between pattern wefts and makes the design look full. You will notice that my pattern weft is only slightly thicker than my tabby weft, but the pattern weft still stands out due to it’s loftiness.

The embroidered details are what really bring these little snowmen to life. Stick arms, scarves, eyes, carrot noses, buttons down the front – the amount of detail is up to you. You don’t need to be a great embroiderer as the details are all just worked in simple straight stitches. For the scarves, to give them that really nice shiny look, I used Bambu 7. This yarn can be quite difficult to obtain, so here are some alternatives:

5/2 bamboo weaving yarn

Pure Bamboo yarn

DMC Embroidery floss (my favourite brand)

Anchor Embroidery floss

If you decide to use embroidery floss, don’t separate the strands, use all 6 of them for just the right snowman thickness.

If you would like to weave some snowmen of your own, here is a printable PDF that gives you the weaving sequences and details:

Snowmen-on-a-rhl Download

You will also want to watch and follow along with the instructional video to see the weaving in action:

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! Let me know if you weave some little snowmen of your own, and as always, leave any comments or questions underneath, I love to hear from you!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

7 Tips for weaving on an Inkle loom plus free pattern!

by Kelly 25 Comments

Inkle loom weaving is so fun, easy to learn and affordable to begin.

If you’ve been thinking about starting to weave on an inkle loom, I strongly encourage you to have a go. Inkle looms are simple devices that won’t take up much space and won’t break the bank either.

If you’re an absolute beginner weaver, an inkle loom is the perfect way to test the waters without making a big investment. Ashford makes two sizes, the Inkle Loom and the Inklette. The Woolery have put together a nifty starter’s kit that includes an Inklette, yarn to get you started, and Anne Dixon’s fabulous pattern book.

*This post contains affiliate links

There are only two sheds on an inkle loom – up and down. In the warping process, you alternate between heddled and unheddled warp threads. When you are ready to weave, you an either push down on the warp threads to achieve a shed or lift them up to achieve the other shed.

If you’ve never seen an inkle loom in action, my Youtube series in which we weave a lovely floral band, from start to finish is an excellent place to start:

If you want to learn more about the basics of inkle looms, I wrote a blog post about it here.

First we will go through the tips I want to share to help you weave better inkle bands, and then we will talk about all the details of the free project.

Tip 1- Use a warping stand or similar to feed the yarn easily off the cone while you’re warping the loom.

This is not essential but it just makes the warping process so much easier. I don’t have to worry about yarn cones toppling over or not feeding off the cone smoothly. It also helps to keep the cones separate and far enough apart that the threads won’t tangle with each other as you’re changing colours. I just pop the warping stand underneath the table that I have the loom sitting on for warping and away we go.

You can purchase warping stands complete and ready to go, but if you want to save some cash, you could make one yourself like my husband and I did:

Tip 2- Find a comfortable position in which to weave

One of the bonuses of an inkle loom is that you can take it anywhere. But it’s still important to think about your posture and find the most comfortable ways to weave, especially if you’re going to be at it for a while.

Some inkle weavers will clamp the loom to a table to keep it sturdy but I like to have it close to my body where I can comfortably reach to change sheds and beat. I also like to rest the loom against my body to keep it sturdy, as I find that feels most natural to me. If I’m using a table to rest the back of the loom on, that position would look something like this:

Note the comfortable, high backed chair with additional cushion to keep my back comfy. The loom rests on the edge of the table by placing the horizontal wooden bar against it, and the front of the loom rests at about the bottom of my bra level (sorry, couldn’t think of a better description!)

My favourite position is sitting in my recliner with my feet up. That’s my idea of relaxation!

Once again, the front of the loom is pressed against my body for sturdiness and ease of beating.

Tip 3- Additional warp tensioning

You should do your best to achieve really good tension using your tensioning peg, but if you feel you are lacking a little, you can take a small section of cardboard separator and wedge that in at the starting peg, underneath your band.

You can also wedge an additional piece at the top back peg if needed. It really does make a difference!

Tip 4- Weft tensioning is different to other weaving.

If you come from rigid heddle weaving, you will be used to fixing up your edges as the weft travels around the warp threads, especially if you use my neat edges technique. But inkle weaving is different. Your warp threads are under high tension and the weave is warp faced, not balanced. If I’m asked how much tension to place on your edges with your weft thread, I would say probably more than you think. You want to really pull each weft pick into place and feel it move to create a very firm band. This is something that each inkle weaver needs to find a sweet spot for, but a hint is that you need enough tension so that your weft thread is not looped, bubbled or otherwise really visible at the edges, but not so much that your edges end up bumpy, lumpy or wavy rather than nice and straight.

Tip 5- Use the first 2 inches as practice

To be honest, your first 1.5 – 2″ is probably not going to be so pretty. It takes a little time for the warp to come together and for you to find the right amount of weft and warp tension, as well as a suitable beat. Don’t worry about those first couple of inches, I generally cut that part off and don’t use it.

Tip 6- Your woven band will be much, much narrower than your warp

I have some measurements here to demonstrate just how much narrower.

Here is my warp before I began weaving and the threads are all sitting in order. They are not pushed really close together or anything, so there is a little bit of natural spacing.

As soon as I start to weave, the band begins to narrow and draw in. It’s up to me to practice and find the right amount of draw in and tension to make a firm, consistent band.

And, by this stage I’m in my happy place with tension and the band remains a consistent width as long as I keep tensioning in the same way.

Tip 7- Your tension will improve

At the very beginning of your band, you may find it hard to get as tight a tension as you would wish for. If that is the case, try tip 3, but also know that when you have woven a little and can advance your warp for the first time, your tension will improve dramatically. Actually, the same can be said of all the looms I own. The initial weaving is a little “getting to know you” session and once you are over the first hump (advancing the warp) everyone becomes much more settled and happy.

OK, that was the last tip I have for you today, so let’s get onto the free project discussion!

I must admit that I’m quite smitten with this inkle band and that’s why I knew I had to share it with all of you.

I have included the pattern draft I designed in the PDF, but if that is a bit beyond you, don’t worry, I’ve also included the colour order so that you can weave this band, regardless of your level. You can download and print out the pattern here:

Free-Inkle-band-pattern Download

If you are interested in using the exact same yarns that I have for this project, here are the details:

8/2 Maurice Brassard unmercerised cotton in Navy

8/2 Maurice Brassard unmercerised cotton in Fuchsia

8/2 Maurice Brassard unmercerised cotton in Limette pale (green)

8/2 Maurice Brassard unmercerised cotton in Peacock

8/2 Maurice Brassard unmercerised cotton in Jaune Fonce (yellow)

I’m not going to give exact quantities, but this band does not use an awful lot of yarn and is a great way to use up smaller quantities of leftovers. I made the shortest warp that my inkle loom takes. I used navy as the weft, as it is best to use the same colour as your warp edges, it helps to blend it in and make neat looking edges.

My band measurements when finished and off the loom were about 59 x almost 1.5 inches.

I hope you enjoy weaving your own band! If you are interested in increasing your knowledge or want access to a lot of pattern examples and types for your inkle loom, I highly recommend Anne Dixon’s wonderful book The Weaver’s Inkle Pattern Directory. I do have this book listed in my Amazon shop as well, but for some reason it is crazy expensive to buy on there at the moment!

Be sure to check out my Inkle weaving tips video on Youtube to see some of the tips in action:

If you’re looking for comprehensive Inkle instruction, check out my Inkle Weaving Course online.

Leave me any questions or comments you have down below, I love to hear from you!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

How to weave Krokbragd on a rigid heddle loom

by Kelly 8 Comments

Krokbragd weaving has captivated my weaving heart and mind ever since I first laid eyes on it. So, what is it krokbragd? And how is it pronounced?!

Krokbragd is a twill weave structure that has Scandinavian origins. It is woven on 3 shafts and is weft faced (meaning the weft is dominant, covering most of the warp). It is pronounced “croak-brod”, or sometimes “croak- brog” or “croak bra-rg”, “crok -brog” or “crok – brag”. Clear as mud? 😂

I was thrilled when I discovered years ago that krokbragd could be easily woven on my rigid heddle loom. The idea of weaving this colourful, detailed cloth without having to use a bunch of shafts and without having to purchase extra tools was very appealing to me.

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

This weave structure produces bold and colourful patterns. These patterns can be built into little pictures as well. The weaving sequence has three simple steps and does not change, so the patterns are formed by changing colours. It’s quite magical!

The more you experiment with krokbragd, the more you feel that the possibilities are really endless. Choosing contrasting colours is one of the keys to success, as this keeps the patterns distinct. Another important consideration is to ensure your warp yarn is thinner than your weft yarn to ensure good coverage. The aim is to not have any warp yarn showing at all.

Because the weft is packed in, krokbragd produces a dense, heavy fabric. Historically, in Scandinavia, items with this structure were mainly heavy duty pieces such as chair and travel cushions as well as for warmth in the form of bed coverings. It was also used artistically, mainly for wallhangings. It is likely that some wallhangings served a double purpose of keeping the home more cosy, as hangings were sometimes used as door coverings to keep out cold draughts.

I wove this beautiful krokbragd sampler on my Sampleit loom.

Once your rigid heddle loom is set up and threaded for krokbragd (which can be done either with a single heddle, pick up stick and heddle rod OR with two heddles), the same three step sequence is woven over and over, the only thing that changes is your weft colours. This is how you build patterns, by altering the colours. Three rows of weft passes equals one completed krokbragd sequence.

Let me give an example:

If I weave my 3 pick sequence in just one colour (lets say blue), I will have a solid row of blue once I’ve packed the weft down with my tapestry beater. The instructions would look like this: (“B” stands for blue)

B,B,B x 1

If in my next sequence I introduce another colour, I will start building a pattern: (“Y” stands for yellow)

B,B,Y x 1

Even better than trying to explain how it works is to show you how it works. This free beginner video will show you how to get started, give you the information you need to set up your loom and then give a basic krokbragd pattern for you to try-

Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can move on to some more adventurous, but still fairly simple patterning, like these little birds-

And one of my favourites, tulips!-

Once you have been through these videos you can start to design some of your own krokbragd pieces. There are a couple of ways to do this – either on the loom, as you are weaving or as a separate design, either on graph paper or using weaving software. I like both methods for different reasons!

Designing on the loom is very intuitive and relaxing, You can write down the colour changes as you go, that way if you find a design you love you can revisit it later because you have the instructions ready to go.

Designing off loom is also very beneficial. It allows you to plan out very specific designs to try on the loom. If this concept interests you, I recommend Debby Greenlaw’s book Krokbragd – How to Design and Weave, which I reviewed in this post.

Over at my Online Weaving School, there are three krokbragd classes available. The first one, is the Krokbragd Mug Rug Weave along, which is available to members only. This is a great class that provides instructions for different threading methods, so you can choose to use pick up sticks and a heddle rod or instead use two heddles.

Then there is the Krokbragd Bag, which is a gorgeously fun and functional project. This class uses two heddles to achieve the three shafts, which is not as difficult as it sounds! You can see a roundup of some of student’s beautiful pieces from this class in this post.

And thirdly, my newest offering is Krokbragd 101, which is an “all you need” comprehensive course to get you weaving beautiful krokbragd.

Krokbragd can even be woven on an inkle loom by turning the warp faced draft into a weft faced draft. I wrote about a Krokbragd inkle band I wove in this post.

Krokbragd is such a captivating and addictive weave structure, I hope you will love it as much as I do. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them down below, I love to hear from you!

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Wash Your Hands Towels Free Rigid Heddle Loom Project

by Kelly 93 Comments

How many times have you heard “wash your hands” lately?

Probably more than you can count! Why not turn this routine into a joy with beautiful, handwoven towels? This free project is perfect for both beginner and experienced weavers, offering a fun and creative way to brighten your home while practicing essential weaving skills.

*This post contains affiliate links

Why Make Handwoven Towels?

If we’re washing our hands frequently, we might as well enjoy the process! These towels are practical, vibrant, and customizable. With bright colors and soft cotton yarn, they’re designed to bring happiness to your daily routine.

This project is beginner-friendly, but you’ll need to know how to warp, thread, and set up your rigid heddle loom for plain weave. If you’re still learning, check out my Woe to Go! Beginner Rigid Heddle Weaving class. for step-by-step guidance.

Both towel designs are quite adaptable and can be varied in many ways. I give you some ideas on how to go about this in the video class.

Tools and Materials Needed

Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

*Rigid heddle loom 24” weaving width or wider (yes, you can also use a smaller loom with the understanding that your towels will be narrower than mine).

*1 x 10 dent heddle (or a 7.5 – 8 dent heddle if using Sugar n Cream yarn)

*3 stick shuttles longer than the width of the project. (For the first towel we are weaving with 3 weft colours).

*1 pickup stick longer than the width of the project (additional pick up stick to aid transfer of pick up is optional – a stick shuttle can be substituted.

*Reed and threading hook

*A sewing machine and serger are very handy for hemming but not essential

I used a beautifully soft and lofty cotton to weave these towels on my rigid heddle loom. We will be using the same warp for both towels, but as you can see, using different techniques makes the towels wonderfully varied in how they look.

If you’re in Australia, my yarns were from Bendigo Woollen Mills in the following: Pomegranate, Peacock and White cotton 10ply. But, if you need substitutes, here are my recommendations:

Sugar n Cream in red

Sugar n Cream in white

Sugar n Cream in aquamarine

I Love this Cotton

Knit Picks Dishie

Two Towels, One Warp

Both towels use the same warp setup, but different techniques make each unique. This project includes a downloadable PDF with warp calculations, weaving instructions, and pickup sequences.

Wash-your-hands-towels-1 Download

Towel 1: Plaid Design

The first towel uses the same color sequence for the weft as the warp, creating a vibrant plaid pattern. This is a great opportunity to practice frequent color changes by cutting and introducing new colors.

Key features:

Plain weave borders.
Simple pickup design in the center.
Alternating weft colors (4 picks each color).

Tips for Beginners:
If you’re new to using pickup sticks, check out my pick up tutorial for a quick guide before starting this towel.

Towel 2: Classic White

The second towel uses white yarn for the entire weft, with some simple pick up floats, creating a clean and elegant look.

Want to experiment? You can modify these designs with different color sequences or patterns to make them your own.

Color Handling Options

Cut and Start: Cut each color after 4 picks (as in Towel 1).
Carry Colors Up: For tighter color changes (e.g., 2 picks per color), carry the yarn along the edges instead of cutting.

Watch and Weave

This project includes step-by-step video instructions to guide you through the weaving process. Download the free printable PDF, follow along with the videos, and start weaving these beautiful towels today.

This free class is also available at my Online Weaving School.

Share Your Creations!

I’d love to see your finished towels! Tag me on Instagram so I can share your work in my stories. And if you enjoyed this project, please share it with fellow weavers!

Have questions or comments? Drop them below—I’d love to hear from you.

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

How to weave on an inkle loom

by Kelly 33 Comments

Have you ever wondered how to weave on an inkle loom—what it is, how it works, and what kinds of beautiful bands you can create with it? You’re in the right place!

An inkle loom is a simple, portable loom that’s perfect for beginners and experienced weavers alike. It’s designed for weaving strong, narrow bands that can be used for everything from belts and bag straps to decorative trims. In this post, I’ll walk you through what an inkle loom is, how to set it up, and what you can weave on it—so you can start your own inkle weaving journey with confidence!

An inkle loom is basically a wooden frame with pegs for your warp to wind around and be tensioned on. There is also an adjustable tensioning peg to release or increase tension.

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

Once you’ve wound on your warp, you create an extra shed for plain weave by using heddles to pick up threads. By the time you’re ready to weave, you will have shed 1 and shed 2 or heddled and unheddled threads. Pretty simple!

The weave structure that you use on an inkle loom is warp faced plain weave. This means that, although you are weaving plain weave, you place your warp under very tight tension and beat each pick down hard with a belt shuttle so that the warp colours remain visible but the weft threads do not. The warp threads become very condensed together, forming a thick, tight fabric, or band.

Now I’m going to address some commonly asked questions about inkle loom weaving:

What do I get when I purchase an inkle loom?

Whichever brand of inkle you choose, it should come standard with certain pieces. Firstly, the loom itself, commonly made of strong wood and usually requiring some basic assembly, comes with a built in tensioning peg.

You should also receive a belt shuttle, a clamp (this gives you the option of clamping the loom to a table or similar) and an instruction booklet.

You may or may not receive some string heddles, but you will need these, so check before purchasing if they are included. Of course, you an always make your own with some tapestry warping thread or seine twine.

What can I make on an inkle loom?

An inkle loom is for weaving bands. What you can then use the bands for is up to your own imagination!

Some ideas are: key fobs, dog leads, shoelaces, bag handles, decorative trim for other craft or sewing projects, tabs to sew onto your handwoven towels to hang them, stitched together to make a larger project like a bag or purse, bracelets, lanyards, belts, guitar straps… lots of possibilities!

What width and length can I weave on an inkle loom?

I will talk about Ashford inkle looms, as that is what I own and know best. There are 2 sizes available:

Ashford Inkle loom. (just over $100USD)

This is the inkle loom that I have. You can warp it to a length of 110″ and achieve a weaving width of up to 3″.

Ashford Inklette loom (under $100USD)

This is a smaller alternative. You can warp up to a length of 72″ and a weaving width of 2″.

Why is an inkle loom a good option?

You may find the thought of an inkle loom limiting because you can only weave bands on it. However, there are so many variations for the actual bands possible that inkle weaving can keep you very busy for a very long time.

I’ve had my inkle for a few years and feel like I’ve only just scratched the surface. For example, last year I experimented with krokbragd on my inkle. I hear you saying “but you said an inkle is a 2 shaft loom!”

Indeed, it is, just like a rigid heddle loom is, but by doing pick up and adding extra heddles, we can make those extra shafts we need for more intricate patterns.

Weaving this krokbragd band was a fascinating exercise in taking a normally weft faced pattern draft and turning it to produce a warp faced pattern draft. And look at how gorgeous it is! If you want to know more about this project, I wrote a blog post about it here.

It is also such a light and portable loom. I like to sit in a recliner and weave on the inkle in the evenings while watching a movie with my family or chatting with someone. It’s small enough to take just about anywhere.

And of course, in the world of looms, this has to be one of the most affordable. Some weavers make their own, so make friends with google if that idea interests you.

Which yarns are best for inkle weaving?

I have mostly used 8/2 cotton. If you are familiar with me, you will know that I’m not a huge fan of mercerised cotton, aka Perle cotton, but for inkle weaving I have used it many times. It gives a lovely sheen to the bands.

I have also used unmercerised cotton a lot on my inkle. Both are perfect for the task. The colours of your band are all made in the warping process (remember, it’s a warp faced weave).

Here is a little tip – choose your weft colour according the colour of the edges of your warp, that way when you take the weft around the selvedges at the shed change, it will blend in nicely.

Where should I start?

The instruction booklet that comes with your inkle loom should help you a lot to get set up for your first project, however it won’t be long before you want to branch out and learn more. The best book that I have found on inkle weaving is Anne Dixon’s The Weaver’s Inkle Pattern Directory, which is extremely comprehensive and useful for both beginners and experienced levels.

Anne has over 400 patterns to try in all different styles and variations of difficulty. It’s quite an amazing book!

You will also find my Youtube series on weaving a floral inkle band invaluable, as it takes you right through from how to set up your loom to finishing your band after weaving. You will definitely want to check it out and be sure to watch all the videos so that you don’t miss any crucial steps:

You can download and print out this free floral pattern here:

Floral-band-inkle-pattern Download

Also, be sure to check out my article 7 Tips For Weaving on an Inkle Loom which includes yet another gorgeous and free downloadable pattern for you to weave on your inkle loom.

If you’re ready to get more serious about learning to weave on your inkle loom and also delve into tubular weaving, baltic pick up and all the tips and tricks, check out my online Inkle Weaving Course.

Inkle Weaving

Learn the fun and fascinating art of band weaving on your inkle loom!

3642 students enrolled

Last updated Apr 28th, 2025

Select a Pricing Plan

Inkle Weaving course$40

Buy now

I hope this article has peaked your interest in inkle weaving and helped you to see the many benefits of this little loom.

I love to weave on my Lojan Inkle Loom! I am a reseller for Lojan products in Australia, if you are interested in ordering please get in touch.

If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below, I love to hear from you (and it helps me to not feel like I’m talking to myself here 😆)

Until next time…

Happy Weaving!

Van Gogh inspired freestyle tapestry!

by Kelly 5 Comments

It’s hard to know what to say about the present world situation. Strange. Unprecedented. Uncertain. At times, scary.

Many people throughout the world are in isolation or quarantine – some self imposed, others enforced. Countries in lockdown.

My mind can’t help thinking that it all feels very much like a suspense movie or novel. But no, this is the reality of 2020 and coronavirus for all of us. Strange times indeed!

Beyond the feeling of bewilderment though, is one of hope and unique opportunity. We may be isolated in our homes, but we live in the age of the internet, where it easy to stay connected to others and share burdens. Many people have more time than they usually would, to explore interests and hobbies. My Youtube channel and Online Weaving School are great places to be right now!

With that in mind, I have a new Youtube project that is long, slow and relaxing. We could all use a bit of that right now!

The project is inspired by the wonderful Van Gogh painting, The Starry Night. I have long admired this art work for it’s colours, movement and mood. I thought it would translate really well to a tapestry, not as a replica but as inspiration.

I thought this would be a great, calming project because it is adaptable, doesn’t require much planning, is relaxing and free flowing. Oh, and the idea is to use stash yarns so you don’t need to go out to buy more!

All the materials plus the warp calculations are provided in this printable PDF-

Van-Gogh-inspired-tapestry Download

Some of my stash yarns included wool, cotton, silk, acrylic and handspun, tencel and metallic. Weights included 8/2, lace weight, fingering, light worsted/dk and aran. My favourite weight ended up being the fingering.

The video/s are mostly in real time, something I have not done before. It means long videos, but I was figuring some people might appreciate sitting and weaving with me at this time – step by step and no hurry. And I know how some of you love to know all the details.

Begin with video one, which explains my aims for the tapestry and shows you the yarns I used:

Some additional resources that are relevant and helpful are:

My first freestyle tapestry series for Youtube –

You may be interested in my online course, Tapestry on a Rigid Heddle Loom to learn traditional tapestry techniques.

Then there is my review of the Mirrix Big Sister Tapestry Loom –

And my Tapestry Necklace project –

Choosing and using yarns in weaving

by Kelly 44 Comments

As weavers we are really spoiled for choice when it comes to yarns. You would think this would make the task of choosing appropriate yarn for our projects easier, but for beginner rigid heddle weavers it can be a very difficult field to navigate.

One of my most asked questions is “How do I know which yarn to use with which heddle size for which project?” Basically, where on earth do I begin?!

If this topic is interesting to you, I recommend my online class What do all the numbers mean? This class really demystifies the figures involved with weaving and knitting yarns and also gives you some handy conversion charts.

It is a little difficult to know how to best structure this kind of information in an easy to understand format, so I began by going through some of my weaving projects that I knew I could talk about and use as examples to discuss yarns.

*This post contains some affiliate links

In all weaving, you begin with the warp, so it makes sense to start there. Doing a snap test will help determine whether the yarn you want to use for warp is going to be strong enough – you don’t want broken threads. Yes, they are fixable (this video shows you how) but not so ideal.

In choosing for your first projects, I highly recommend knitting wool. It’s economical, easy to use, accessible and thick. I use Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury 8 ply a lot, it is a light worsted/ dk weight and pairs perfectly with the 7.5 or 8 dent heddle that comes with any new rigid heddle loom. It is perfect for wearables, as it’s lovely and soft. Which brings me to the next point.

If you intend to wear your woven piece, give it the face brush test. Hold the yarn up against your cheek and lightly rub. If it feels too scratchy, you’re not going to like wearing it and it’s best saved for something else!

Consider the cost of the yarn you intend to use. If you are a less experienced weaver, don’t go for that beautiful, expensive yarn – it will only put pressure on and stress you out. Use something affordable until you have more confidence.

This scarf is a good example of a balanced plain weave piece using light worsted/ dk yarn with my 7.5 dent heddle. A piece like this is great for beginners and an excellent opportunity to practice neat edges.

Before beginning a project, it’s really important to figure out the best sett for your chosen yarn. All you need is an inch ruler and your yarn. Once you have more experience, you may not need to do the test every time, but it’s a must for beginners. Here’s how:

A good example of a project using wool is my Garden Path Scarf pattern. This pattern is my best seller and I myself love to wear my assortment of GP scarves! I love that it looks a bit like lace knitting.

Woven with a lighter 4 ply Australian merino (fingering weight) it is light and airy but still warm to wear, thanks to the wool. I wouldn’t necessarily say that it’s an absolute beginners project, but it is actually not as difficult to weave as it looks!

I must give a caution at this point when it comes to blended yarns. Depending on what the blend is, it can make a nightmare out of your project.

For this “special” scarf I use a silk/ merino/ sparkle weft and a baby alpaca warp. All painstakingly hand dyed. I didn’t know until later that often, yarns with a silk blend will not always grip other yarns like, say a wool on wool will grip. So, I ended up with uneven weaving resulting in warp threads showing at the selvedges. It was an expensive mistake, but one that I’ve never forgotten (or repeated!)

A lot of spinners also become weavers, and what a wonderful progression and integration of one art form into another. Handspun can definitely be used to weave with, and gives a very different look to commercial yarns. The main things to consider with handpsun:

*Does it hold up to the snap test?

*Which heddle is going to suit best?

Spun yarn can be inconsistent, depending on how it has been spun and what the spinner is wanting to achieve, but if you use your inch ruler to determine sett, you won’t have any problems choosing the right heddle.

Cotton is also a great choice, but should be chosen a little more carefully for beginners. In fact, my Beginner Rigid Heddle Weaving course project uses the popular US cotton, Sugar n Cream. It is an aran weight yarn, thicker than light worsted, so it weaves up quickly. It’s pretty darn cheap to buy too! And, it’s just right for your 7.5 or 8 dent heddle. In Australia, Sugar n Cream is available from American Yarns.

I wouldn’t advise an inexperienced weaver to start out with a thinner cotton, there are too many extra things to consider. Your success is far more guaranteed with a thicker, more manageable cotton.

When you have gained that experience, you may want to explore weaving kitchen towels and other, finer pieces. This is where your 8/2 cotton comes in nicely. It is readily available, reasonably economical, strong and multi purpose. My personal favourite is Maurice Brassard 8/2 cotton because, out of all the cottons I’ve tried, it is the most consistent and reliable. It is unmercerised, which is my big preference over mercerised. In Australia you can purchase Maurice Brassard yarns at the Thread Collective.

My Happy Fibonnaci Towels project is available as a downloadable PDF and also as an online class.

I’ll give cottolin a quick mention, because it’s my favourite yarn for weaving kitchen towels. Linen on it’s own can be difficult to manage, but a blend of linen and cotton is a match made in heaven!

You can buy cottolin in dyed, undid, bleached, unbleached and half bleached – lots of choices! I love the natural look of the half bleached. Once again, Maurice Brassard 22/2 is what I use. Don’t be confused by the numbers, linen is measured differently to cotton, so the 22/2 cottolin is very similar to 8/2 cotton size. Cottolin is so absorbent and after washing, so soft, I love it!

Now onto another personal favourite, bamboo. It’s available in a number of different sizes. One that I use very often is Bambu 7, which is available in Australia from BB Yarn Supply. A suitable alternative is Valley 5/2 bamboo and for a thinner weight, Maurice Brassard 8/2 bamboo.

I used Bambu 7 recently for the scarf project for my Table Loom Weaving course. The results speak for themselves!

Another weaving yarn I love is tencel. This is an interesting fibre, manufactured from wood pulp. It is similar to bamboo in that it has a high sheen and is silky. It is very light and even though it comes in 8/2 size, it seems quite thin. I use Maurice Brassard 8/2 tencel. I’ve woven a number of pieces with tencel and have never been disappointed. It also takes dye beautifully. Once again, not a beginner’s yarn!

The Galaxy Scarf PDF pattern uses a combination of bamboo and tencel, with great effect! The two yarns together have a beautiful drape and work perfectly for light garments.

Last, but not least, we have silk. There is no denying the gorgeousness of silk, but it’s not the easiest yarn to weave with, especially if it’s very fine.

It is extremely light and almost “glows”, particularly if you use certain colour combinations. The project above was woven with 60/2 silk at 40 ends per inch on my floor loom. This yarn in definitely not cheap, so for special projects only.

In the following Youtube videos, I go through lots of my own projects and explain the yarns and heddles used and why. I hope you enjoy them!

Why would you weave with two heddles or more?

by Kelly 28 Comments

When you buy a rigid heddle loom, it comes equipped with one heddle – usually a 7.5 or 8 dent, depending on the company you purchase from. So, if there is only one heddle with the loom, why would you weave with two heddles or more?

Heddle or Reed?

Before I go any further, I just want to say that when talking about rigid heddle looms, the terms “heddle” and “reed” are usually interchangeable but mean the same thing. For the rest of this article, I will use the term “heddle”.

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

What is a heddle?

The actual “rigid heddle” part of a rigid heddle loom is one of the features that makes it such a great loom for learning how to weave. The heddle is a multi purpose piece of equipment. It spaces your warp, allows you to achieve two different shafts and is also your beater. It’s pretty awesome!

One heddle equals two shafts. The holes are one shaft and the slots are another. So, a rigid heddle loom can be called a two shaft loom, though there are some hot debates about this (Facebook, I keep out of these arguments!) as some people argue that a rigid heddle produces sheds not shafts.

Not really worth arguing over in my opinion, as whatever the case, you can weave 2 shaft drafts (plain weave) with one heddle and a rigid heddle loom.

You may assume then, that when you add a second heddle, you can then weave a 4 shaft pattern, but that is not so.

“What? Didn’t you just say that one heddle equals two shafts? Now I’m confused!”

One heddle does equal two shafts when used on it’s own. BUT, adding an extra heddle does not add two extra shafts, because the slots can only be counted as one shaft.

Before you throw your hands up in frustration and storm away from this page, let me give you an example:

Two Heddle Example

I’m using two heddles. On heddle one, I’m using the holes as shaft 1. On heddle two, I’m using the holes as shaft 2. That leaves the slots for shaft 3.

Think of the threads in holes as dedicated – they’re on one set path that can’t be changed once they’re threaded in. If I lift heddle one, all the shaft 1 hole threads will go up and the slot threads stay down. If I lift heddle two, all the shaft 2 hole threads will go up and the slot threads will stay down.

The only way I can make the slot threads go up would be to put both heddles in the down position, forcing the hole threads down. So you see that the slot threads operate differently to the hole threads and can’t be manipulated in the same way.

The Desire for Exploration

It seems that the desire of weavers to explore and push the boundaries of their looms has been influential in loom production. Many commercially available rigid heddle looms now come with a built in double heddle block rather than just the single they used to be made with. This is a pretty good indicator that weavers want to weave with more than one heddle!

But what can you actually do with more than one heddle? Let’s take a look at the possibilities.

Possibilities

Two heddles to increase your sett.

Say you want to weave a yarn at 20 ends per inch (epi). There is no heddle available that can do that for you, the closest sett available is a 15 (which will give you 15 epi), and that just won’t do when you want to weave at 20 epi! If you use 2 x 10 dent heddles, that will give you 20 epi.

2. Two heddles increase your pattern possibilities.

You can set up your loom with an extra heddle instead of a pick up stick to weave all kinds of patterns. You can consider an extra heddle as an extra shaft, so using two heddles will allow you to weave a three shaft pattern. And there are lots of three shaft patterns to choose from!

I really enjoy weaving with extra heddles in place of pick up sticks or heddle rods. The set up time is less and the weaving is more straightforward.

3. Two heddles allow you to weave double width cloth.

This is one of those eye opening weaving revelations that is just so exciting to discover. Your loom is not wide enough for the project you want to weave. With two heddles, you can weave double your loom’s available weaving width. It’s like magic!

Can I Use Pick Up Sticks or Heddle Rods Instead?

Of course! Extra heddles are definitely more of a financial outlay and the same results can be achieved by other means. This article discusses some pros and cons for each method.

Weaving with more than one heddle is such a popular topic that I have several resources available for weavers who wish to explore further:

Online classes-

Weaving with Two Heddles

Doubleweave Baby Blanket

Christmas Table Runner

Krokbragd Bag

PDF Patterns-

Diamond Stripe Towels

The Midnight Shawl

Double Width Blanket Ebooklet

And if you’re up for a challenge, this class will walk you through how to weave on three heddles!

Three Heddle Adventures

I hope this post was interesting and helpful to you, please leave me a comment to ask questions or let me know if you enjoyed this.

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!

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

by Kelly 10 Comments

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!