It’s easy to forget this is a blog and not a television show; web-log, not production number. Sometimes I put forth too much effort, I think. In the spirit of writing something self-beneficial, I dedicate this entry . . .
To my Windswept Mind:
Things I’m likely to forget even if I write them down, but which may surprise and delight me should I run across them later on.
Thing One–See the Signs
Signs a project has, or projects have, been abandoned:
Yes sir, yes sir, three looms full–of started projects most likely never-to-be-completed.
Several pieces in a heap. Recognition that these are two separate projects, but no memory of what one was and no desire to revive the futile other.
Forgotten project on loom buried in the dark under other, more used, more useful stuff.
Project not forgotten, merely abandoned, waiting for SOMEDAY. (No occupied looms, so it may wait a long-ER time.)
Has-been project stowed in Ziploc bag.
For contrast’s sake–
Signs a project is, or projects are, fully active:
Work site looks like a crime scene, but I know exactly what and where everything is. Huge workspace is reduced to about 12 inches square. At least five projects underway here.
Thing Two–Notes regarding the Right Angle Triangle Loom. (See Hazel Rose video instructions.)
- Used 4 wraps. Too much. Try 3 + hypotenuse length + down from Cr3 to R8 (AKA 3 1/2 wraps).
Use 3 1/2 wraps.
- Worsted weight seems difficult to use: too thick along hypotenuse.
- Warp VERY loosely because even this stretchy yarn tightened up a lot.
- Fell line doesn’t remotely stay level.
Crooked fell line. Doesn’t seem to affect overall appearance in the end.
- Aside from the awkwardness of learning to weave the triangle, the homemade loom feels fine.
- Using that 25th pin at the top is probably a must for visibility’s sake (to see where to catch the warp ends for R16).
- Numbered rows help you know when you’re on R16.
- Catching outer loop is obnoxious, but not difficult. [I suppose this is referring to the rows beginning at the hypotenuse and moving toward side 1-3, where it’s necessary to catch the loop of the row below . . . or was it above???]
- It’s awkward weaving on the hypotenuse edge (coming toward it from the 1-3 side). There are lots of tiny spaces.
Finished triangle off the loom shows two mistakes along the hypotenuse near Cr 2 (at R2 and R4).
Thing Three–the Weave-It Rug Loom
I bought one of these on eBay for a really good price. I’d heard about it a lot from people who wanted to weave thicker yarns on their looms. Even though thicker yarns hadn’t much interested me, I figured I couldn’t form an opinion without trying it.
Poor dead fing–two broken pins and several loose ones. We figured we could repair it though.
My husband hammered in the loose pegs and replaced the two broken ones with pieces of 1/8″ dowel.
Good as . . . newish.
Last night we bought the 55-cent dowel and repaired the loom. An interesting feature of the Weave-It Rug Loom is that holes for the pegs are drilled all the way through the frame. The significance of this is that when you work, your fingers contact the peg ends underneath the loom and loosen all the pins you just hammered in. Glue may be necessary.
The loom apparently requires VERY thick yarn. Bulky (#5) yarn is not thick enough.
#5-weight yarn didn’t fill in the gaps.
Off the loom, the square is loosely woven and floppy.
While my first square was still on the loom, I wondered if I should add other material to fill in the gaping spaces. I decided to take it off the loom to see if it would gather itself in, but it didn’t.
Try, try again. For my second square, I used some hand-dyed Paton’s Roving yarn. It was slightly thicker than the previous yarn, but still not thick enough. I don’t know if Paton’s Roving yarn will felt, but I suspect not. I considered options for what I might add to the weaving to take up some of the room, but I liked the yarn so much as it is I didn’t want to mess it up with other junk.
I stopped weaving here, trying to decide if I I want to finish or unweave.
For now the Weave-It Rug Loom is an occupied loom and the square, an unfinished project. We’ll see how long it sits there like that. Eventually I may have to give myself permission to unweave the semi-square and start over with something else. Or I may carry on right away if I can think of something extra thick I want to weave. In the meantime, I see the sign.
Really happy about the links to heart and triangle. The heart looks simple. I like the triangle is a lot like the pin
loom with the 3 pins.
Yes, I like having those links too. Both heart and triangle are fairly easy to understand, but a little bit tricky to weave. It’s good to have the videos to follow along.
I’m glad you find my video’s useful. Our looms are nice, too, and permanent, you’ll never had to make another one. Randy and I work hard to make these quality tools. We’re not a factory, it’s just the two of us. We appreciate the support we’ve gotten from weavers though the years & I enjoy sharing what I’ve learned.
I’m not sure that was a thank you, but you’re welcome. I try to plug whatever I think is good workmanship.
Any chance you could post a diagram of the rug loom and how its made, I’ve been wanting one, but they just go for too much on ebay now. I haven’t been able to find a good diagram for how they go together either or mostly dimensions and how far apart the pins are. Try two strands of worsted weight, maybe two strands of a wild variegated, it would make an extra thick rug maybe with a tweedy look
The pin layout is the same as for all the Weave-Its. The pegs are 1/8″ in diameter. Pin spacing is 1/4″ from center of pin to center of pin. Overall width is 4 3/4″ square. Lay that out on graph paper and it should give you a good diagram.
I’ll try it, I’ll use your pictures to lay it out and get a correct pin count. Maybe it will work. Oh, what size is the graph paper you use.
Thank you for the file, I think I have the stuff on hand to make one. It means a trip down to the shed for dowels. If it doesn’t rain, that is.
You’re welcome! Let us know how it works out.
I will, as soon as I get one done. I’m doing some cleaning around the house right now, cause my eyesight has gone a bit wonky on me. A lot of headaches, I know what is wrong but can’t really do anything about it right now. I use magnifying spectacles most of the time to see when I’m drilling holes and they give me headaches when worn too long, and it takes a long time to drill the holes that way.
So sorry to hear that. I get headaches from that kind of stuff too. I hope things improve soon. Cleaning up is such a healthy activity!
Hello
Have found a pin loom from old and it looks like my grandmothers. (found at thrift store but it had exact sme peice/color as a blanket she made my mother in the box!) The loom is missing 1 metal pin and looked for brads to replace it. Any suggestions what might work well (if use a brad how to polish the end.
Thank you for your information.
Be Well
There are a number of options. The simplest might be an 18 gauge wire brad at 1.25″. You could leave the head on or saw it off and finish the end on sandpaper. It will be bigger than the other pins, but will not likely interfere with the rest of your weaving. You could also try using a sewing needle, one with a blunt end (I’m sorry I don’t remember which size would fit or even if we ever figured that out–turns out it was too expensive to cover a whole loom). Cut off the eye and drive that end into the loom. (Maybe a size 18 needle would work? Hang on, let me go check. Yes, it looks like it would work–probably better than a wire brad.) Those are the easiest things that come to mind. Otherwise you’d be cutting and finishing the ends of piano wire . . . Try the needle or something else if you think of it. I’d love to hear back!