Basic Instructions for Loom Weaving
Delicate Indian silk sarees, ornate Persian rugs, brilliantly colored Central American ponchos -- the possibilities of loom weaving are endless. However, the terminology and setup can be a sizable initial hurdle. Thankfully, you don't need to understand what a sley hook, reed holder or boat shuttle is to start weaving. In fact, you don't even need to use a proper loom when you are starting out. A piece of cardboard can easily be fashioned into a basic loom.
Things You'll Need
- Lap loom or 8 1/2-inch by 11-inch piece of cardboard or tagboard
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Scissors
- 1 to 2 skeins of yarn
- 1-inch by 6-inch piece of cardboard
- Wide-tooth comb
Instructions
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1
Make a basic loom, if you do not already have one. Find a piece of thin, one-layer cardboard or tagboard. Lay the ruler 1/4 inch from the one short end of your cardboard or tagboard, parallel to the edge. Make a tick mark with the pencil every quarter inch. Each tick mark should be perpendicular to the ruler and edge of the cardboard, making a line between the ruler and the edge. Cut into the cardboard along each of the marks you outline. Repeat on the other short edge of your cardboard.
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2
Set up the warp. The warp is the vertical yarn that forms the backdrop for your weaving. Orient your loom so that the short sides are at the top and bottom. Begin at the left, on the top of the loom. Slide the end of your yarn through the first slot of your cardboard loom, leaving three extra inches hanging out, or tie the end of the yarn to the first peg on your lap loom.
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3
Pull the yarn vertically down the the leftmost peg or notch on the bottom of the loom. Wind the yarn under the peg or notch and back up to the next peg or notch at the top of the loom. Continue zigzagging up and down until you reach the last peg or notch. Tie the warp thread to the last peg, or slot it in the last notch, leaving a 3-inch tail.
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4
Prepare your weft. The weft is the yarn you will weave from left to right, through the yarn you set up as the vertical warp in Steps 2 and 3. Cut off a 4-foot piece of yarn. Pick up the 1-inch by 6-inch piece of cardboard and hold one end of the yarn flat against cardboard while you wrap the yarn in circles long way around the cardboard. Continue until you run out of yarn. You will end up with a bundle of yarn in an oval shape.
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5
Set up the ruler flat against the loom parallel to the top, and pass it left to right under the first strand of warp, over the next, under the following one and so on, until you run out of warp. Tilt the ruler upright so it is perpendicular to the warp and opens a gap in the yarn. This gap is the shed. Pass your weft yarn, on the shuttle stick you created in Step 4, through the shed, leaving a 3-inch tail at the top left corner.
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6
Remove the ruler and use the comb to push the weft yarn up to the top of the loom. Weave the ruler through the warp from right to left, alternating your over and under pattern with the previous row. For example, if the end of your weft went over the last strand of warp in the first row, start the ruler under the warp for the second row. Tilt the ruler to create a shed, pass the shuttle stick through and tighten the row with the comb. Tighten the yarn only until it rests comfortably and evenly against the previous row. If you pull too tightly, the finished shape will be uneven.
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7
Repeat until you reach the end of the loom, and tie the weft to the last strand of warp. Cut the vertical warp threads off the loom. Tie each loose end tightly to the loose end it was previously connected to, essentially restoring the loop you just cut from the loom tightly against your weaving.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
