But, after purchasing my first Rigid Heddle loom, I found out that a lot of workshops and classes require looms with at least 4 and sometimes 8 harnesses. Maybe you don't want to take it out of the house. Figure out which items need to be purchased upfront and what can be put off for the future.Ĥ. Don't forget to factor in any additional costs of items that you may want to purchase. If you are starting from scratch and buying a floor or table loom, you will need a warp board, shuttles, a sley hook, and lease sticks to begin with. Sometimes if a weaver is no longer interested in weaving, they will give you all of their supplies for reasonably cheap. If you are really lucky, someone may be giving away their loom for free. Sometimes they have recommendations of local places to consult or they may know of someone selling a used loom for cheaper than the retail price. It is worth it to contact any local weavers' guilds within driving distance of your house. Don’t be scared away! You will find something in your price range. Small looms start around $130 and large floor looms can cost over $4,400. Price may be a major consideration when deciding which loom to purchase. The amount of money you are able to spend. If you have your own work room, a large space, or are willing to make space in a smaller apartment, you have more options and may want to look at floor looms which can handle bigger projects.ģ. These looms literally sit on your table (or you can buy a stand) and are great for small to medium size projects (I've made scarves, table runners, fabric for zipper pouches, etc.). Table looms are often portable (mine fits in the back seat of my car) and some offer the chance to use up to 8 harnesses. Table looms are a great apartment friendly choice and a lot are in the 24 inch weaving width range. If you aren’t looking to make rugs or large pieces of cloth, small looms are perfect for apartments or those on a tight budget. Weaving loom widths start around 8 inches wide and go all the way to 60+ inches wide. Whether you live in a studio apartment or a palatial estate, there are plenty of great options available. If you are looking to make huge blankets or thick rugs, you will likely need a floor loom (either by itself or as a compliment to a table loom).Ģ. If you want to make cloth with a lot of designs or attend workshops, you will likely need 4 harnesses, so consider a table loom. If you want to weave more detailed patterns, you will need a 4 or 8 (or more!) shaft loom. If you will be happy weaving plain weave cloth, check out a rigid heddle loom (this is essentially a one shaft loom). If you want to create more detailed tapestries, look for a loom where you can vary the distance between warp strands and offers more opportunities for creativity as your weaving evolves. If you have your heart set on only weaving the big fat chunky yarn tapestries that are popular on Instagram, a basic tapestry loom frame will do. Keep in mind that many weavers have more than one loom and purchasing one loom can lead to more! Below are some considerations.ġ. At the end of the day, a table loom is a great way to start (and some people only use a table loom), but there are tons of other options. After a few months, I wanted to be able to weave more complex cloth and purchased a lightly used 40" Macomber Ad-A-Harness and shortly thereafter purchased a used 25" Rasmussen table loom so I can take it to classes. I started with a 32” Ashford Rigid Heddle and later impulse bought a 12" Ashford Knitters Loom, which is portable. After I read a lot of reviews, most of which used terms that I did not fully understand, and watched the few videos that I could find, it became a process of elimination for me. When I was first serious about weaving in 2014, I searched high and low for information about which loom is “best” for beginners and was surprised to learn that there is not one answer. Which Loom is Best for Beginning Weavers? At the outset, I want to say that no matter where your weaving journey takes you or which direction you decide on, I hope you have a great time weaving. It is often difficult to decide where to start, so I put together the information on this page in case it helps you. With the current resurgence in the popularity of weaving, this is a very exciting time to get started. Welcome to Warp or Weft! I imagine that you are interested in learning to weave if you are on this page.
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