If you have been following my Instagram feed or Pinterest boards, you may have seen I have been on a weaving kick. I m totally blaming Debra Lambert of Picasso Moon, who taught the so very inspiring weaving class in Taos. I had already had a couple of looms, and had even done some intuitive-style art weaving.
But it wasn’t until I came home with a tiny loom I had never imagined my weaving obsession would take off the way it has.
After getting a handful of emails asking about my weavings, I decided that a blog series was in order. This is the first post of a four part series sharing my personal perspective and process. I do not make traditional woven cloth. My weaving, like my knitting and crocheting, are born out of the yarns I dye and hand spin.
I weave to showcase yarn I love.
I am sure I break a lot of rules. So just be forewarned. This series is based on what has worked for me.
This is completely about rigid heddle weaving. While I do follow a lot of the theories of Saori weaving, I unfortunately do not have a saori loom (although OMG it is definitely on my wish list).
Why loom size matters…and it’s not what you think…
Logic has it that a bigger loom will give you more flexible much larger width fabric. Yep, I thought that too. I had set out to get my first rigid heddle loom from my local craft shop. I was going for the biggest rigid heddle loom that they had– the 32″ Kromski Harp. The owner suggested the smaller 24″ because, as a weaver herself, she felt the 32″ was just a little wide to manage comfortably. And she was right. Especially since I am all of 5′ 3″ with an arm span of a short girl, 24″ was a better fit for my build.
But to be honest, the 24″ was still a lot of warping. I was surprised how much time was spent dressing the loom compared to actually weaving. That is why I was floored when Debra was finding all kinds of weaving love with her tiny portable 8″ loom. I would have never considered a “scarf loom” as such a creative outlet. My 8″ Sample It loom can be warped and ready to go in 20 minutes. And while I will share how the warp can be a great place to add little creative touches to your fabric, for me, the soul of art weaving is in the actual weaving my weft. I want to get to weaving as fast a possible.
Consider your yarn, not your final projects.
When selecting your loom, it is so easy to assume you have an idea about what you will be making. I have found with many crafts, once I have fallen into the actual hands on creative work, so many inspirations for new ideas. I especially start to find new perspectives for techniques I was sure I would never resonate with. For example, I never liked the look of course hand woven cloth. This hippie girl thought coarse woven cloth was a little too hippie-rustic even for me! But, as I fell into the rhythm of designing every inch of my yardage as I worked, the fabric I was creating felt more like a tapestry than rustic yardage. And with the new small DPI and dynamic heddle reeds designed for working with chunky hand spun art yarns, and I was looking at a whole new creative direction all together for insanely textural rustic cloth.
So when selecting a loom, rather than looking at projects you think you will make, look at the yarn in your stash.
What kinds of yarns are you drawn to? What kinds of yarns are you knitting/crocheting with? What are you hoarding wishing you knew what to make with that one skein you had to buy? In art weaving your taste in yarn will be pretty close to what it already is. Do you have some textural art yarns you are hoarding, lots of sock yarn remnants? A crazy collection of silk lace yarns ready for some fine shawls? This will give you a bit more insight into what you will be more likely to weave.
Finally the skinny on a couple of rigid heddle looms I recommend you check out.
There are a lot of looms out there. These are the ones I have personally researched.
Kromski Harp
I have a 24″ Kromski loom. It was my first loom. There are a lot of good features including a built in warping board (which I never use). But I am not sure if I were buying a large rigid heddle loom again that I would pick this model. Nothing wrong with it, I just think there are newer looms out there with some sexy features that I wish this loom had. Otherwise it is a solid lovely loom. I also have the stand. I totally recommend getting a stand. You can weave without one, but the stand positions the loom so you are not hunched over it. Your back will thank you.
Beka loom
Originally marketed as a toy loom, Beka looms are a very affordable option for rigid heddle looms and worth a shout out.
Ashford Sample It
This is the other rigid heddle loom that I own. I never thought I would love a tiny loom so much. The heddle is not dynamic, but it have a heddle some crazy large dent size for art yarns. The main reason at the time I chose it over the Cricket loom.
The Majacraft Dynamic Heddle Loom
Holy Crap. If I had to buy my loom again this is the one I would pick. I love love love being able to vary the heddles to accommodate various yarn weights. It was designed with textural art yarns in mind.
Schacht Flip Loom
Schacht recently came out with their own version of a dynamic heddle loom. I am not sure the dent size is as open as the Majacraft, but it is still pretty awesome. Their Flip looms are like my Kromski Harp.
The Cricket Loom
This is another really good tiny loom. It does come in a slightly wider weaving width (15″). They now make variable dent reeds for the cricket. I would totally have gone for a cricket if I had known they were going to offer variable dent reeds like the Majacraft dynamic heddle reeds.
This by no means is an exhaustive list, but it will definitely give you a place to start. I know there is no cheap way to dive into art yarn weaving tool wise. But if you are resonating with the crazy beautiful Saori style fabric, then it might be worth diving in with a small loom and seeing where that takes you. You just might be surprised how such a tiny loom can yield some insanely creative possibilities.
Do you have an art yarn weaving tip to share?
Leave me a comment below, post it on the Facebook page or shoot me an email
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Fiber artist Stacey Budge-Kamison AKA UrbanGypZ lives and works in Cary NC. She can also be found knitting in public, hammering out her latest e-course at local cafés and spinning yarns in her booth at her favorite arts festivals. A designer at heart, Stacey has decided that her mission is to help fellow knitters, crocheters, weavers and felters embrace their own style and creativity by exploring fiber art as it is a part of their everyday life and helping them embrace the title of artist no matter where they are in their journey. 
I love to weave with my art yarns…LOL, I am still using homemade cardboard looms!
I have not been able to decide on which loom to buy, thanks for the info. The Majacraft loom also is on my radar, but it is a little pricey. Meanwhile, my husband made me a beautiful tapestry loom that I have been experimenting with…art yarn has my heart though!
I just wanted to let you know — you didn’t list the Ashford Knitter’s Loom, which comes in a 12″ width and folds up, with warp and weaving on it, to fit into a nifty carry bag. You can see them online here: http://www.ashford.co.nz/newsite/weaving-wheels-looms/47/weaving/knitters-loom/moredetail.html
(Also, just so you know, in the newsletter you recently sent out–the link in the photo of looms leads to your video on socks rather than this page with the blog posting on looms!)
Thanks for the info on the knitter’s loom! As I mentioned, I only included a handful I had experience with. But always welcome more info on new resources.
Hi Stacy,
I love seeing all the samples you have woven on the tiny loom. I can’t wait for part two of your art weaving theory. I too like the idea of a loom that will accommodate a variable dent reed. If you were to get the Crisket would you go with the 10″ or the 15″? Love your blog.
Hi Marty! for the cricket loom I would go ahead and get the 15″. I think it is still a size small enough to be manageable while being a snap to warp. But you will have the flexibility to weave smaller if you’d like.
Thanks for the feedback, Stacy. I was leaning towards the 15″ as well. I do want the small size choice and think the extra inches may offer just a little more work area when desired and added stability on the base. I like the opportunity to get the variable dent reed too. I have a Kromski 24″ but the options are somewhat limited. I too have a Saori loom on my wish list! What a great weaving style without all the added math with traditional weaving!
Stacey, you do beautiful weaving on your rigid heddle loom! I love, love my Saori, and saved for it for over two years, but it is more time consuming to warp for sure. I also have a 32′ RH and love it as well. I weave baby blankets and larger pieces of cloth for garments on it. I think looms are like any other tool, you need different ones for different purposes. You weave Saori style and it is very beautiful!
Awe Thank You Stacye! I hope one day to own a saori loom. I do have an old structo table loom that I got for next to nothing. I have been too intimidated to warp it. Will have to just dive in.
The old Structo table looms are great to have and use. Plain Weave, twills – 4-shafts are amazing and simple to work with…
OOOoOOooo!!! I, too, have a 4 shaft structure loom. I got it for a song a few years ago. I have not had the opportunity to really mess with it, but told myself I would not be allowed to get a Saori loom until I was regularly using this table loom and loved it. You are inspiring me to give it a go.
I have the Majacraft Dynamic and I’m hoping I love it! I’m just spinning the last of my yarn. it’s alittle scary because you read allot of reviews and just hope you pick the right one! But I do love how it looks!
I hope you love it too! I know of the art yarn spinners that I know who have one, absolutely love it. And it was designed with the help of Lexi Boeger of Plucky fluff and the first lady of all things art yarn. It is what I would have gone with if it had been available when I bought my first rigid heddle loom. I have high hopes for you and you loom. xo
Just wanted to say thanks for posting all this info! I am an absolute beginning weaver (signed up to take a 1-day rigid heddle class) and have been going around and around trying to figure out what kind of loom I should buy.
I will be working on the Cricket in the class and I’m sure the instructor will have more info. I’m just impatient to get going so your review was very helpful.
Wonderful! Nancy. So glad you found it helpful. Excited for you taking your class.
Great overview! I am dheading to Tennessee soon to visit my mom, and am planning on hitting up the Smokey Mountain Spinnery while there to get a loom. I am leaning towards a 16 inch Harp…
Love your work!
Hi Stacey, I am so glad I came across this article from you. I have been researching rigid heddle looms, and was leaning towards a 32″ Ashford with a stand,(all the time drooling over the Saori, omg, they are sooo cool, but way out of my budget for now), anywho, I was trying to think of what exactly I would be making on my loom and mostly I kept coming up with material to make purses out of, and scarves etc., nothing that would require a big weaving space, but I thought if I bought a smaller one, I would regret it, not even thinking about if I had a smaller project on it, it would be awkward using the larger heddle. One thing since you wrote this article, Majacraft has stopped production on their looms, Ashford and Kromski have variable dent packages available now, and the Kromski Harp Forte has metal instead of plastic awls (sp) (which I wish they all had so they are stronger). I am still trying to decide, but I do think I will go smaller (not too small) and save up for my Saori (I want the all wood, non foldable one). Good luck to you on your quest for a Saori, and thank you for sharing. 😉
Thanks for the heads up about the Majacraft. I had no idea and was even trying to find one online just last week. My tiny loom is an Ashford, my larger one a Kromski. Love them both. Once you pick a loom and start weaving, the details that are stalling your decision totally fade.
Hi Stacey, Thanks for sharing all the information!
I am a beginner and in process of deciding which rigid heddle loom to buy. I thought I was close to picking Kromski 32″, but your blog made me think 🙂
I am not sure what exactly I will be weaving, but like many others, didn’t want to regret later if I pick a smaller loom. Wondering what do people weave on a 32″ one which cannot be done on 24″ loom?
Also, you mentioned: “But I am not sure if I were buying a large rigid heddle loom again that I would pick this model. Nothing wrong with it, I just think there are newer looms out there with some sexy features that I wish this loom had. “, will be great if you can share more details on which are those newer looms and what are those features?
Thanks again for writing these articles!
So when I was purchasing my Kromski 24”, I too thought the wider 32” was the logical choice. A wider fabric width meant more fabric with just as much time weaving (not counting the added warping time) But the shop owner candidly mentioned that the added length in the shuttle needed to weave at that 32” width was a pain to work with. Think about how long your arm is. Mine is about 19”(I think….where in the heck is my tape measure when I need it). So the 32” shuttle is an uncomfortable stretch to get it into the shed. 24” was plenty wide enough even if I was making a back panel for a jacket for myself.
At the time publish, Kromski had not yet released a variable dent reed meant for art weaving. They however have released one since that time. It doesn’t include something as big as a 2.5 dent reed section (large enough holes for many art yarns) so I am not sure I would prefer it over a Schacht loom.
Hope that helps.
Stacey,
You might want to consider updating this article. I also own the Kromski and purchased their variable reed heddle. Perfect addition for those fancy art yarns. The sampleIt loom from Ashford also has a variable dent reed available. The companies are all keeping up with our desire to use everything yarn. 🙂
Lots of useful information which I wish I had known before,,,,but coming to grips with it when you know very little about weaving is really difficult. I got an Ashford 16″ and as it was the Covid period just learnt through You Tube videos and experimentation. Have used it quite a bit though, learning all the time.
Was treated to a Saori loom last Christmas and have used the length of warping thread which comes with it…14-16″?? Very different experience and also very different result to the Ashford. Got to get to grips now with putting a new warping thread on (Saori) which is whole width of loom. Warping is a pain!! Also, don’t think I will be inclined to change warp thread on the Saori (once I have it on) as have bought it on a roll, many metres long.
Yes, what will I make with all that length…haven’t a clue…never really thought about that, just wanted to get going. Have only made scarves so far on the Ashford.
The Majacraft sounds intriguing, as changing the shed on an Ashford is a clumsy business so will investigate that. Lots to look forward to…..
OOOO! I dream of Saori, but like you was even intimidated by the warping despite the awesome way you can just buy pre-wound warps. I did take a traditional weaving class at my local weavers’ guild and that helped me overcome my hesitations. I actually kind of like warping now. But I do love the rigid heddle loom because it just seems to work so well with my fatter handspun yarn.