How to Weave on a Loom
Weaving is one of the oldest crafts known to civilization. The creation of cloth and textile has become increasingly advanced over the years, but hand-woven cloth still fetches a good price on the market, especially for collectors and specialty goods aficionados.
Weaving
The loom is the oldest form of weaving machine. For thousands of years, people relied on hand looms to make cloth for use as clothing, covering, or for decoration. Most clothes today are made from fabric woven with power looms, but many people still rely on hand looms to create decorative or specialty cloth items.
Types of Loom
Power loom. Most looms today rely on a steady and reliable source of power to operate. The first power looms relied on moving water to operate, although today’s power looms rely on electricity to operate the loom.
Mechanical looms. Handlooms and treadle looms are powered by human movement. Mechanical looms were used to make tapestry and cloth.
Backstrap loom. The earliest form of looms were backstrap looms, which were simple frames attached to a stable place (like a wall or a tree) and strapped to one’s waist or back. Backstrap looms were used to make all sorts of cloth materials and textiles before the invention of more sophisticated mechanical and power looms.
Parts of a Loom
A hand loom has four essential parts:
Frame. The frame of a loom holds the pegs that keep the thread and the finished product in place. Frames should be sturdy enough to withstand repeated use. For portable looms, the frame should also be lightweight.
Warp. The warp is the part of the weave that is arranged vertically along the frame, and carries the threads passed through it during weaving.
Weft. The weft is the part of the weaved threaded through the warp to create the body of the cloth.
Shuttle. The shuttle is a small device used to pass the weft through the warp. The shuttle may be made from a specialized tool, or be a simple tool where thread is wound and thrown along the weaving process.
Using a Loom
To use a loom, follow these steps:
Prepare the warp and the frame by securing the threads on the frame.
Insert or wind the bobbin on the shuttle, making sure that the thread is fed out of the spool properly and smoothly.
For a basic weave, you can pass the shuttle alternately along the threads by keeping the loom in an open position. For more complex weaves or pattern designs, you may want to skip along some threads of the warp.
Move the shed rod downward to secure the weave. Continue the process until you complete the project.
Once you’ve reached the end of the warp, tie the threads together in knots to secure the cloth and prevent it from fraying.
While most people would prefer to buy machine-made tapestry or machine-made cloths, there’s nothing like the craftsmanship and care involved with cloth woven with a loom. With these tips, you can have fun weaving your own cloth for decorative or other useful purposes.