mo2 Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 I would like to get dd a loom for Christmas, as she has always enjoyed weaving potholders on a square loom. But I really don't know what I'm looking for, or what she could make with it. Any suggestions on a loom and/or a book to go with it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munchkins_mama Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 No suggestions here. I am just bumping for more. We went to a Heritage Days festival and my DD was enthralled with the wearing looms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 There's a DYI pvc loom in this book that's been on my list of crafting To Do's The patterns look fun too. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomsintheGarden Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 We bought this one years ago, when they carried it in the Hearthsong catalog: http://www.harrisville.com/proddetail.php?prod=F424 It was a lot cheaper then. :001_huh: We have used it for many projects, but not lately. Here are pros and cons: Pros: - It comes pre-warped, so you can get started on a project right away. - The B size is large enough for a decent-sized children's project, but not too large. A size is too small for us. - The rigid heddle style is a perfect setup for the beginning weaver. - The loom is good quality. - You can make some nice real stuff on this loom: belts, scarves, shawls, doll clothes, table runners, placemats, etc. some of our relatives still used the scarves our older children made on this loom years ago. - It is portable. Cons: - You have to warp it after the first project. I found warping challenging.* - Many folks may not like the yarn colors that come with the loom. - This loom is not large enough for more ambitious projects, such as making fabric for clothing, tablecloths, etc. - You are pretty much limited to medium weight yarn as your weaving material. - You might create a fiber enthusiast. Before long, you will have requests for more yarn, a drop spindle, a spinning wheel, sheep, a room-sized loom, etc. :) *To help with warping, I recommend: -This book, which has excellent warping instructions for a rigid heddle loom: http://www.amazon.com/Hands-Rigid-Heddle-Weaving-Davenport/dp/0934026254/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319583287&sr=1-2 - A warping board, which is essentially a wooden frame with pegs. That reminds me - our 9yo dd has been asking about weaving. I guess it's time to get out the loom again! HTH, GardenMom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rieshy Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 . I'm a weaver so this thread caught my eye. Looms come in all shapes, sizes, types, prices and levels of complexity. In general toy looms are pricey and frustrating. For starters what do you envision her wanted to weave? Starting with the end result in mind will help narrow your choices. For instance- does she play guitar and would she enjoy weaving straps?- then you could go with a card loom. Or is she a budding seamstress and would want to weave cloth? - then I'd guess at least a 4 harness loom. Price range and physical space will limit it even more severely:) If you can you might try to find a local weaving guild. Usually local weavers get extremely excited about sharing info. plus they generally know about used looms in your area that are for sale. The guild near us even has a "lending library" of small looms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrganicAnn Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 My DD is interested in weaving so thanks for the info and reviews. Thought some of you might enjoy this website. http://www.littleloomhouse.org/ You may notice it was where the song "Happy Birthday to you" was sung for the first time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 You might also consider a bead loom like this one. My daughter started using such a loom at about age ten and still uses it (as a college student) to make book marks for her friends. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 We got this one for DD last year, in the 10" size, and we found it to be a good value for the money. She can make narrow belts and such, or she can make wider things, like doll blankets. http://www.woolery.com/store/pc/Beka-Beginners-Rigid-Heddle-Loom-p6877.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo2 Posted October 26, 2011 Author Share Posted October 26, 2011 Thank you all for the suggestions. I hadn't actually thought about *what* she might want to weave, I just thought she might enjoy the act of weaving. :lol: I guess that would be a good thing to figure out. I don't want to spend a lot of money until I find out if she enjoys it or not. Also, since *I* know nothing about weaving, will there be instructions included with the loom, or should I find a book? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo2 Posted October 26, 2011 Author Share Posted October 26, 2011 You might also consider a bead loom like this one. My daughter started using such a loom at about age ten and still uses it (as a college student) to make book marks for her friends. Regards, Kareni This looks fun, too! Added it to my Amazon order. We bought this one years ago, when they carried it in the Hearthsong catalog: http://www.harrisville.com/proddetail.php?prod=F424 It was a lot cheaper then. :001_huh: We have used it for many projects, but not lately. Here are pros and cons: Pros: - It comes pre-warped, so you can get started on a project right away. - The B size is large enough for a decent-sized children's project, but not too large. A size is too small for us. - The rigid heddle style is a perfect setup for the beginning weaver. - The loom is good quality. - You can make some nice real stuff on this loom: belts, scarves, shawls, doll clothes, table runners, placemats, etc. some of our relatives still used the scarves our older children made on this loom years ago. - It is portable. Cons: - You have to warp it after the first project. I found warping challenging.* - Many folks may not like the yarn colors that come with the loom. - This loom is not large enough for more ambitious projects, such as making fabric for clothing, tablecloths, etc. - You are pretty much limited to medium weight yarn as your weaving material. - You might create a fiber enthusiast. Before long, you will have requests for more yarn, a drop spindle, a spinning wheel, sheep, a room-sized loom, etc. :) *To help with warping, I recommend: -This book, which has excellent warping instructions for a rigid heddle loom: http://www.amazon.com/Hands-Rigid-Heddle-Weaving-Davenport/dp/0934026254/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319583287&sr=1-2 - A warping board, which is essentially a wooden frame with pegs. That reminds me - our 9yo dd has been asking about weaving. I guess it's time to get out the loom again! HTH, GardenMom This post was very helpful. I found that Amazon carries the loom that you linked for about $50 less, so that helps a little. The book looks helpful too. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 You can knock together a card loom for about five dollars. There are pics of my old one in a folder in my profile. It's not elegant, but it does the job. You can get enough info to get started online for free. Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.