Choosing A Weaving Loom

Choosing which weaving loom to buy can by a daunting process. At Weft Blown we supply a wide range of looms from a starters weaving kit up to 8 shaft floor looms and we want to make deciding what suits your needs easier for you so we have created this guide to help explain the differences between each type of loom we sell and what you can make with them.

Before we start there are a two technical words that may help you if you are completely new to weaving:

Warp - The yarn that is measured and wound onto the loom.

Weft - The yarn that is added by a shuttle or by hand between the warp yarn on the loom.

Schacht Arras Tapestry Loom Front

Tapestry Looms

Tapestry Looms

Pin Looms

Discover Pin Looms
Pin Looms
Ashford SampleIt Loom at Weft Blown

Rigid Heddle Looms

Schacht Trestle Floor Stand for Flip & Tapestry Looms
Discover Rigid Heddle Looms

Inkle, Braid and Band Looms

Discover Inkle and Band Looms
Ashford Inklette Loom at Weft Blown
Ashford 16 Shaft Table Loom

Table Looms

Ashford Stand for 4 or 8 Shaft Table Loom
Discover Table Looms

Floor Looms

Schacht Baby Wolf Loom
Ashford Jack Loom
Discover Floor Looms
Schacht Wolf Pup 8.10 Loom
Once you’ve decided on what loom you would like to buy there are some accessories you may think about buying as well.

Weaving Accessories

Stick Shuttles

Great for rigid heddle looms and on table and floor looms if you’re not weaving large widths.

Boat Shuttles

These are useful for table and floor looms and can be used on rigid heddle looms too. Yarn unwinds from the pirn/bobbin on the shuttle and makes weaving easier. A bobbin winder is a really good accessory to make sure your yarn in wound properly onto your pirn/bobbin.

End Feed Boat Shuttles

The yarn is tensioned on these bobbins and makes weaving straight edges easier.

Ski, Rag and Rug Shuttles

These are useful to use with thick or textured yarn as well as fabric used for weaving rag rugs.

Stand

Rigid Heddle Looms and Table Looms can be used on a table or you can buy a stand made specifically for each loom. Stands can be useful as it positions the loom at a correct height for weaving on and makes it more ergonomic to sit at.

Warping Pegs, Board and Mill 

To measure the warp for table or floor looms you will need one of these warping devices. They work by winding the warp yarn around the pegs on the board or the mill and once wound and measure you chain it off ready to be wound onto your loom.

Second warp beams

If you are wanting to use a mixed warp of different yarn types such as cotton and wool it can be easier to wind each yarn type onto separate warp beams so you can get even tension. Also works well for double weave warps too.

Second Heddle Kit

These are used on rigid heddle looms and when used with 2 heddles of the same sett (dpi) then you can create texture pattern cloth or create double weave cloth on your rigid heddle loom. Some looms come with a second heddle holder fitted so check this first before buying one,

Rigid Heddle Reeds

The reeds on a rigid heddle have different sizes and are designed for different thicknesses of yarn. Generally a 2.5 dpi is for Chunky yarn, 5dpi reed is for Aran weight yarns, 8dpi for Double Knit, 10dpi for 3ply/Sportweight, 12.5dpi for 4ply and 15dpi for 5/2 cotton and lace weight.

Stainless Steel Reeds

For table and floor looms the sett of the fabric is defined by how you thread the warp yarns through the reed. Reeds come in different sizes and you can get them for thicker yarns using a 5dpi reed or up to 25dpi reed for fine yarns.

Bobbin winders

These are useful for winding bobbins and pirns that are used with boat shuttles

Sectional Warp Beams

With a sectional warp beam and a tension regulator you can wind your warp in 1” sections onto your warp beam. This gives an even tensioned warp.

Do you still have more questions about weaving?

Contact Us

We hope that this guide has helped you decide what loom is best for you. However, if after reading this you’re still not sure or would just like some more information, then do please contact us as we’re always happy to help you find the right loom for you.

We do also have a range of demonstration rigid heddle looms, table looms, and a few floor looms available for you to have a go on. So, if you would like to try before you buy then again do get in touch to arrange an appointment.