It is so hard to choose a loom when you are brand new to weaving! Without a doubt, the "which loom?" question is the one I get the most. And while I can't tell you which loom is the perfect one for your individual circumstances, I can tell you a little about different types and their advantages/disadvantages.
Lets start with the humble hero that I recommend most often for absolute beginners:
THE RIGID HEDDLE LOOM
The little champion of the weaving world! That is how I think of this humble loom anyway. I believe it's thanks to this loom we have seen such an enthusiastic resurgence in weaving. You can view the rigid heddle looms I own (affiliate links):
Ashford 24"
Ashford Sampleit 10"
They come in a variety of sizes, are lightweight and portable, are much more affordable than table or floor looms, are customisable by adding a stand and extra heddles, plus they are simple enough for beginners to get up and weaving quickly. The ability to direct warp means you don't need a warping board to get started. Threading is straight forward and easy. There is very little yarn wastage. You can adapt the loom to weave tapestries.You can even weave 8 shaft patterns on this loom (I've seen it done, but I don't intend to do it myself - waaay too much work for me!)
That all sounds great right? Surely there must be some drawbacks to this loom?
Well, there are limitations to the rigid heddle loom. The tension, for example, is not like a floor or table loom. Weaving is slower, as you need to put your shuttle down after each pick in order to beat. I mentioned that you can weave up to 8 shafts, but it would take a lot of patience and mucking around that would have me personally reaching for my floor loom in a jiffy (though I realise that not everyone has that luxury!)
I don't really think of these things as negatives, the rigid heddle loom has too much going for it to warrant any real criticism. What I have listed above are more differences as opposed to negatives.
Want to know more about the rigid heddle loom? You may wish to watch my free Rigid Heddle Loom/Table Loom Comparison video. I also have a huge range of videos for rigid heddle weavers or those interested in starting out on my Youtube channel, so be sure to watch, like and subscribe to ensure you don't miss new videos.
I also have a big range of rigid heddle weaving classes available on my Online Weaving School, I recommend you taking a look!
I hope this article has been helpful to you, next time I will discuss table looms!
Lets start with the humble hero that I recommend most often for absolute beginners:
THE RIGID HEDDLE LOOM
The little champion of the weaving world! That is how I think of this humble loom anyway. I believe it's thanks to this loom we have seen such an enthusiastic resurgence in weaving. You can view the rigid heddle looms I own (affiliate links):
Ashford 24"
Ashford Sampleit 10"
They come in a variety of sizes, are lightweight and portable, are much more affordable than table or floor looms, are customisable by adding a stand and extra heddles, plus they are simple enough for beginners to get up and weaving quickly. The ability to direct warp means you don't need a warping board to get started. Threading is straight forward and easy. There is very little yarn wastage. You can adapt the loom to weave tapestries.You can even weave 8 shaft patterns on this loom (I've seen it done, but I don't intend to do it myself - waaay too much work for me!)
That all sounds great right? Surely there must be some drawbacks to this loom?
Well, there are limitations to the rigid heddle loom. The tension, for example, is not like a floor or table loom. Weaving is slower, as you need to put your shuttle down after each pick in order to beat. I mentioned that you can weave up to 8 shafts, but it would take a lot of patience and mucking around that would have me personally reaching for my floor loom in a jiffy (though I realise that not everyone has that luxury!)
I don't really think of these things as negatives, the rigid heddle loom has too much going for it to warrant any real criticism. What I have listed above are more differences as opposed to negatives.
Want to know more about the rigid heddle loom? You may wish to watch my free Rigid Heddle Loom/Table Loom Comparison video. I also have a huge range of videos for rigid heddle weavers or those interested in starting out on my Youtube channel, so be sure to watch, like and subscribe to ensure you don't miss new videos.
I also have a big range of rigid heddle weaving classes available on my Online Weaving School, I recommend you taking a look!
I hope this article has been helpful to you, next time I will discuss table looms!
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