# Weaving-I am in need of your opinions please



## madknitter07 (Mar 23, 2012)

I am contemplating purchasing a weaving loom - only a small one - and as I have never done this craft before is there anything I need to 'look out for'. 
(1) Can you use ordinary knitting yarn or do you have to purchase special yarn. 
(2) What is the smallest loom I should consider purchasing and 
(3) Apart from scarfs, what are the usual things people make.
Thanks for reading this and thanks in advance for any help you can give me.


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## RobynMay (May 14, 2012)

I LOVE my samplet loom from Ashford. It is a rigid heddle so is not complicated. LOTS can be done on it. I also have a wider one and then a floor loom which I think is 180cm wide. I like to make blankets on the wide one and wraps. Bags come up well. Placemats, cushions, hats (fashionable cats ears ones). There are a lot of books on RH looms. Lots of patterns that can be done on them and lots of fibres that can go through them. There are heaps of You Tube vidoes on how to use them, which is helpful for beginners. There is an Ashford dealer near you in Canberra at a town I cannot remember .... and I can't find it on the net either at the moment.


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## IndigoSpinner (Jul 9, 2011)

When I got into weaving, I bought a 24 inch Schacht rigid heddle loom, thinking that the wider width would make it more versatile.

But it was so _BIG!_

It took forever for me to warp and was just big and ungainly. It really discouraged me from doing more weaving. My daughter wanted to learn to weave and I gave it to her. I didn't finish my first project, and she didn't either.

I think that if I'd bought a smaller loom, I'd have used it more and given it a fairer chance. I like my smaller looms better. I've used my inkle loom much more than the big one, and I keep finding projects for it. Hatbands, under-chin straps for hats, straps for bags (knitted ones stretch out), and much more has been done on my inkle loom.

Lately, I've been looking at the Ashford Sampleit loom. It's a 10-inch loom, and fairly small for what it is. Compared to other 10-inch looms, it's probably the most inexpensive. It comes with heddle blocks that let you use two heddles if you want. It doesn't fold, but it's smaller than most looms its size. Looms are sized by the width of the widest finished piece that you can weave on them. But bear in mind that the width listed means the loom will probably be around 5 inches wider than the maximum width it can weave.

http://woolery.com/nsearch?q=sampleit%20loom

The Sampleit loom has some extra expandability standard with the block for two heddles, it's cheaper than anything else it's size, and small for the size it can weave. You can make a nice scarf on it, and it's a reasonable width to sew strips together to make something bigger. It's small enough to haul to workshops and spinning/knitting meetings to do something different from everyone else. I think it's a great beginner loom. If you find you like weaving and want a bigger loom later, I think you'd still use this because it's so transportable.

It's not just a good beginner loom, but I think it's a loom you'd continue to use even after you got a bigger one. And I think it's one that will teach you enough to let you decide if you want a bigger one.

If you get one, let us know how it goes. I've been looking at this a drooling for a while.


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## wordancer (May 4, 2011)

Wow, I just watch the little video about using the Ashford Sampleit loom, why it doesn't look scary at all. ????


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## IndigoSpinner (Jul 9, 2011)

wordancer said:


> Wow, I just watch the little video about using the Ashford Sampleit loom, why it doesn't look scary at all. ????


No, it's not scary. I hadn't seen this method of warping when I gave up on my big loom. This is quick and easy. What I had learned previously was not. I hated warping.

The SampleIt is a good combination of quality, low price, and ability to expand to a second heddle. I think you should be able to do a three end twill on this with two heddles. That's a nice weaving pattern for a man's scarf. If you're willing to just do tabby, you could probably (with two heddles, although you might need three?) do a piece of cloth that's 20 inches wide. You could certainly do tapestry weaving with just one heddle, or even no heddle, although the heddle would make it easier.

You can use knitting yarn with it, so you could make a woven scarf with a matching knitted hat and mittens. There's no end to what you could weave on this.

It's not portable in the same way as a sock or scarf that can be knit on a bus ride or waiting room, but it's small enough to take to workshops, etc.

I'm trying hard not to talk myself into one, but you can probably see it's not working too well.


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## wordancer (May 4, 2011)

IndigoSpinne said:


> I'm trying hard not to talk myself into one, but you can probably see it's not working too well.


I can't believe I'm seriously considering a loom. But what I'm going to do is put it on a holiday wish list ... Divide that wish between three kids.....bingo, got a loom. By then I should have lots of hand spun for it.


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## wordancer (May 4, 2011)

OK, I know nothing about weaving except what I been reading. And right now not much makeS sense to me, Well some does and more doesn't.

So my first question, fringes. UGH! With this cute little machine, would there be away to finish a item without fringes. Don't need a detailed answer right now, just a yes or no


IndigoSpinner said:


> No, it's not scary. I hadn't seen this method of warping when I gave up on my big loom. This is quick and easy. What I had learned previously was not. I hated warping.
> 
> The SampleIt is a good combination of quality, low price, and ability to expand to a second heddle. I think you should be able to do a three end twill on this with two heddles. That's a nice weaving pattern for a man's scarf. If you're willing to just do tabby, you could probably (with two heddles, although you might need three?) do a piece of cloth that's 20 inches wide. You could certainly do tapestry weaving with just one heddle, or even no heddle, although the heddle would make it easier.
> 
> ...


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## IndigoSpinner (Jul 9, 2011)

Yes. It's possible. 

Basically, it's like finishing something knitted that has dozens of ends to weave in.


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## RobynMay (May 14, 2012)

As far as fringes go- I am not a fan particularly but there are ways of finishing like an embroidery stitch over the end and cutting the fringe short. I mostly just tie mine in knots every 4 or so threads the using my quilting ruler and rotary cutter cut them to about 3" in length. They look OK! I do have a fringe winder but that is more fiddly compared to just knot tieing and cutting!
I highly recommend weaving - like spinning knitting and crochet it is a quiet calming passtime.


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## mama879 (Jan 27, 2011)

There are many videos on finishing weaving. One is just hemming roll 2x's iron and zig zag over it. There is a stitch you can do to that kinda holds the weaving together. I have been weaving more then knitting lately cause I knit like a snail I can weave and get faster results although I'm in a slump now the shawl I'm working on is fighting me all the way but I'm fighting back. If you are just wanting to start out try an smaller loom if you think after looking into it you might want maybe a 15 inch you can do so much more with them.


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## sockyarn (Jan 26, 2011)

The first thing I would do is not buy one. I would fined a place that gives lessons and try one out. You will either love weaving or you will hate it and never want to do it again. Give it a try first before buying.


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## mama879 (Jan 27, 2011)

(1) Can you use ordinary knitting yarn or do you have to purchase special yarn? Mostly cottons or wool that can not be broken very easily. I have seen people use acrylics I'm new to weaving they say not to use them first off.

(2) What is the smallest loom I should consider purchasing? Depends on what you want to make a 15 inch loom gives you lots of room to wiggle, you can make smaller items on the larger loom.

(3) Apart from scarfs, what are the usual things people make? You can make dish towels, place mats, pocket books, Any type of clothing you can sew together pcs. Lots of stuff can be made if you use your imagination.


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## engteacher (Jul 9, 2011)

I have the 10" SampleIt and love it. Just finished a placemat with I Love this Cotton. Turned out nice. A little narrow but we have a narrow table. Starting to practice double weaving for a wrap. Using cotton thread to practice.


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## Bummy (Sep 6, 2013)

wordancer said:


> OK, I know nothing about weaving except what I been reading. And right now not much makeS sense to me, Well some does and more doesn't.
> 
> So my first question, fringes. UGH! With this cute little machine, would there be away to finish a item without fringes. Don't need a detailed answer right now, just a yes or no


Yes! I do dish towels and I hem them - the fringe doesn't do well with repeated washing - gets to looking a little shabby. I weave the beginning and end of the towel with thread instead of yarn....maybe 1" or so, then when you're finished and cut them apart, you can turn up the ends and hem them..less bulky than turning up a hem woven with the same yarn as the body of the item


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## Reba1 (Feb 5, 2012)

I had a very basic 10" rigid heddle loom (simpler than the Sample-it - basically a frame loom with a heddle). I used it once and decided a) I like weaving, but needed a better loom and b) I wanted a wider loom. 

I got the Ashford Knitters Loom in the 20" width. I love it - I can do a small project or a full width of the heddle project. It is portable, I can fold it up with the warp/project on it and go. But I don't think I would have spent the money on the AKL if I hadn't already used the smaller one to find that I did like the whole process.

Think of the types of projects you may want to do - I have just started also, but I've made a table runner, placemats, scarf, and coasters (the little loom) so far. 

I am a machine knitter, so I have many, many cones of yarn. I have used crochet cotton, wool, and some slightly heavier coned cotton so far. Right now, the project I am using has a cotton warp and acrylic sock yarn weft. You will probably find that acrylic won't work well for most warps as it has too much stretch. At least for me, that is what I have discovered. But they would be great for weft for some projects.


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