My First Weaving Project

Posted byMeg HansonPosted inYarnTags:,

Learning to weave has been one of the skills on my bucket list. I pictured one of those ginormous looms the size of a small room.

There are many different types of looms that can make everything from a simple narrow strap to a wide fabric with a complicated pattern. After seeing Torri Hanna use a floor loom at Tangles to Treasures, I realized that was a bit ambitious for a beginner. Instead I bought a “Rigid Heddle” loom that sits on a table or stand, and can make a project as wide as 15″.

  • Floor Loom
  • Rigid Heddle Table Loom

The loom I bought came with the parts in a box, like a piece of IKEA furniture.

The table loom before assembling

There is a whole new vocabulary to learn in order to put the loom together and set it up for a project. The next photo shows the assembled loom with the “warp” yarn measured out for a scarf.

The “Warp” yarn is measured out

After the warp yarn is measured out it is attached to “apron bars” (like dowels) at both ends and wound up around the back “warp beam” (a thicker dowel). The project is rolled from the back “warp beam” to the front “cloth beam” as weaving progresses until all of the warp yarn is used up, or until your project is the right length. Following is a photo of my loom all ready to begin the actual weaving.

“Warped” and ready to begin weaving

I forgot to take a photo showing my weaving in progress. Instead I have a picture of a scarf Torri was making on a rigid heddle table loom, the same thing as what I bought, so you can see what it looks like. The yarn that is woven back and forth is called the “weft”.

Torri’s project in process

My first completed scarf is about 7 or 8 inches wide. Most of the yarn I used was already in my stash, leftover from previous projects. I alternated the different yarns in a random way. The final result has a few problems, for one thing you can see where the weft yarns are too loose at the sides in some places. I learned a new technique for making fringe. Overall it turned out OK for my first try.

Yarn from my stash used for the weaving project
My first completed woven scarf
My scarf up close

There are so many options for using yarn and fiber in creative ways, and always more projects in my head. I look forward to making another scarf soon, improving on the skills I learned with the first one.

Published by Meg Hanson

Hello. I am a recently retired empty nester. My husband and I moved to Jewett Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, after living most of our lives in the Minneapolis area. I have no trouble keeping busy with knitting and spinning of wool, selling yarn and handmade goods, reading, walking, watching movies, surfing on the internet, traveling, doing bookkeeping for our family cabin, and spending time with family.

7 thoughts on “My First Weaving Project”

    1. The directions that came with the loom for assembling it were pretty clear, and I also found a couple of youtube videos with instructions. The yarns used were not all the same thickness, which I Iike. It is pretty wide open what yarn you use. The warp yarn just has to fit in the little heddle holes. The heddle that came with the loom is designed for worsted weight, but you can get other heddles for thinner or thicker warp yarn. The weft yarn can be anything.

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  3. Wonderful first attempt. I too have thought of learning to weave. I have lots of new things on my bucket list too. It’s so nice that we have time to explore! I’ll keep reading. May I share this post with Sofia from HHS? She has that same loom but hasn’t used it yet. Inspiration 🙂

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    1. Yes for sure please share with Sofia! It was not hard to figure out how to assemble the loom. And even using it was not that hard, although I had watched Torri show people how to use it at Tangles to Treasures. I found youtube videos showing how to use it too.

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