3 yarns beginner weavers should NEVER, EVER use!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 มิ.ย. 2020
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1. mohair or anything with a halo.
2. Fine, rigid thread.
3. Luxury yarns, angora, silk, baby alpaca etc.
Oh, yeah! I brought my first loom home...a rigid heddle, sat down with some graph paper and designed a plaid scarf. I just happened to have a nice big bag or the fuzziest mohair I’ve ever seen. I selected blue, white and lavender balls and warped that baby up and started weaving. Oh, my! Before the first pattern repeat of my plaid was complete I knew this was a bad choice. I would throw a pick with the shuttle, then manually pull the shed open with my hands before I could beat it. Before long I had to replace a broken warp! Another unplanned lesson to learn, but I was pleased with the outcome when I got it fixed. I realized the reed wasn’t going to be the best tool for beating the weft and switched to an afro comb instead, which did a lot less damage to the yarn because I only had to go in one direction over those fuzzy warps. That was April 10, 2015. I completed the project on April 13, 2015 and am still enjoying the scarf. I couldn’t agree with you more...mohair is NOT for beginners, unless you’re a glutton for punishment. But I did manage to overcome all the hurdles and learned a great deal in the process. Happy weaving!
I'm glad you were able to get through it and that you're still enjoying the scarf! 😊
Each item, I mfr two 3"x3" samples by hand held tiny loom. It affords me a peek at time, size, block, issues - and to keep in my weave diary and my mend kit.
My first 5 projects were made using Sugar 'n Cream yarn and the Simply Soft yarn by Caron, which were both easy to work with. I made my 6th project using Ferris Wheel by Lion Brand for both warp and weft and, while it's absolutely beautiful, it was a pain to work with. It did have a halo (I didn't know what it meant at the time), I could tell it was stretching, and it would get "sticky" when working with it. I did realize that, if I was working on a shorter length of the warp at a time, it reduced the stickiness. It did yield a gorgeous shawl but I vowed not to use it as a warp again. I am currently making a set of 4 panels to be assembled as a blanket using Simply Soft as the warp and Ferris Wheel as the weft. It is definitely easier to work with. The Ferris Wheel yarn tends to still get sticky on the shuttle but it's definitely manageable.
My next project that I'll be working on will be using Sugar 'n Cream again (actually planning on doing the Wash Your Hand towels combo). Phew! I was debating whether to switch to something in the 8/2 cotton family but I think that I'll wait a little bit.
Thank you for helping me be successful in the beginning of my weaving journey! Love your content and I look forward to my next project, with your videos as a trusted source of frustration busting! 🥰
Thank you Sue!
Thanks for the info. My first project on a table loom was with cotton and worked out great, my second is with bamboo which is very thin but pretty. Unfortunately my class has been canceled since March but hopefully will start again in early 2021.
For my first weave i not only tied it on incorrectly I used a DK that had a silver thread to it. For me it was more about using what I had in the house and recycling so I wasn't put off however it probably wasn't as easy as it could have been. I'm alternating between knitting and weaving so I'm really excited to use my loom again and work on the stuff I did wrong like sloppy edging and tensions too.
I really enjoyed this Kelly. Beautifully presented and very educational. Well done!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I had signed up to take a weaving class last year...and then the pandemic shut everything down! I have since taken to learning more about spinning and weaving virtually! I realize that it is important to sit down, touch and use the spinning wheels and looms *before* buying them, but having a good idea of where to start is extremely helpful!
Hi Kelly. I’m so happy I found you! I have a Schacht rigid heddle loom that my husband bought me over 40 years ago. I used it then and promptly lost interest because I used the wrong yarn, and there was no TH-cam back then for learning. But I’m glad I kept the loom because I’m excited to start up again. Thank you for the clear advice and instruction!
Wonderful, I'm so glad you're getting your loom up and running again!
Again I wish I'd seen this sooner - I'm part way through weaving an Alpaca scarf (using Alpaca/Silk for the warp). I'm sticking with it, but it has not been without problems lol. Your blogs and videos are invaluable - thank you Kelly.
I'm glad you're "sticking" (pun intended!) with it Erika, at the very least it's a great learning experience!
Thank you Kelly. I had seen your video and was using the pickup stick and the S hooks with weights. After retying, and using your suggestions, things are going much better. I'm actually enjoying the work and the look. You give me confidence. 😊😊😊👍👍👍
Wonderful!
Thanx so much Kelly, I signed up for your weaving classes and canna wait to start, time to put away fine cotton and silk til I'm more experienced and use my home spun yarn of Jacob, Merino super wash and BFL. Thanx again xx
Wonderful!
Thank you so much for this video! I just bought some beautiful colors in 8/2 cotton and super thankful to know that as a beginner, I need to put them on a shelf for later use. Also, I am excited to jump in and use Sugar and Cream, of which I have plenty left from past projects. Good to know that wool will be easier to use as well. I have been spinning for 5 years and was the happy recipient of some Shetland and Jacob fleece this past Spring. I'm looking forward to using my end results in weaving projects. Skirting, sorting, washing and final fiber prep was completely new to me, since I had only spun from roving. Lots of work, but very rewarding. Thank you again for this wonderful information!
😊❤
I just got my rigid heddle loom (still in the box) and I am so glad I found your videos before trying my first project. I bought Love This Yarn ( i think that is it-Similar to Sugar n Cream) because of the beautiful colors. Can't wait to get my loom together and get started. Thank you for all our wonderful advice!
Congratulations on your new loom! That is a very popular yarn, a good one to start with 😉
Yes! I found the hard way. I am a newbie and got thread 8/2 for kitchen towels and aplaca. Wish would have found this video before.
I agree with all those who wished they'd seen this video before they started their project. I used a fine linen/cotton blend for my warp. It didn't take long to lose tension and become droopy. The threads caught on each other when I changed sheds. It was a nightmare. I ended up cutting it off early. My weft yarn was cotton/bamboo. I didn't seem to have any issues with that, but I'm not sure what kind of issues one might encounter with weft yarns. Perhaps a similar video on weft yarns is in order? I'm thinking I may try warping with the cotton/bamboo and use the cotton/linen as my weft. Thank you for sharing your expertise. Your work is stunning!
Thank you so much! I tried chenille for my first rigid heddle project because my friend (an experienced weaver) had made a lovely scarf with it. My warp kept breaking and I was so frustrated... my loom went on the shelf for almost 10 years. I finally got it back out and took a class at a local yarn store, where we used wool, and I can't even describe the difference! I still consider myself a beginner weaver but I'm now using 8/2 cotton for kitchen towels and loving it, and trying patterns like log cabin and waffle weave. This video makes me feel like it's not that I'm a completely untalented hack, but that I just made a bad yarn choice. I may get my large loom (my first loom is a 32 inch Ashford, I got a 16 inch Kromski later and that's the one I've been using) and finally try to weave the curtains for my bathroom.
So glad you picked it up again and are having success!
So far you seem to be able to teach beginning weavers.Thanks.
Thanks Kelly. As you might remember, I did try, for my second weaving project, an expensive (to me anyway) cottolin yarn trio. It did take forever to warp then it stuck to itself and I had no downshed. I ended up cutting it off the loom and had to trash all that warping thread because it became one huge ball of tangles. It was stressful but I'm determined to make a go of this weaving thing!
A good attitude is very important, you have the right outlook 😄
Thanks Kelly, I'm a pretty new weaver and I'm working with a 'sticky' yarn at the moment. It's not a mohair but it has a significant halo and I'm having to use my second shuttle to open every shed. It's working out but I wish I'd seen your video before I warped! Thanks for all the advice and videos.
I'm glad it's at least workable so you can get through the project 😊
Yep, my first warping thread was a nightmare. I used a single wool yarn that was fine and it fluffed and stuck to itself. I didn’t get too far into the weave before I cut it off. I them re-warped with my homespun ultra fine merino, that I plyed with silk. Works so much better but of course it was spun lace weight, so it a very fine weave.
My first weaving project was with an unplied cotton/acrylic/stelina blend. That was....interesting to warp with, but I persevered and love the final product. I think it helped that I didn’t make the warp too long, the end product is about 1.5m in length.
Just finished my 4th project with thick yarns and ordered some 8/2 cotton for the future.
Love your channel, you are amazing!
Thank you Brenda, I appreciate your comment! 😊
Thank you for the tips. I was gifted a table loom almost 30 years ago. It is time to use it or lose it so I am researching as much as possible to make my first experience as pleasant as possible.
You must USE IT!! 😀😀😀
I was tempted to buy these soft mixed cotton yarns. And I was surprised that they became fluffy where there was friction and the fibres tangle! I had to "tear" the warps after I beat to open the warp for the shuttle stick go thru. I wish I saw this video before buying yarns!.
I thought it was me, but you hit the nail on the head with every point using mohair
My second weaving project was with hemp on my rigid heddle loom. I loved the end result, but it it was a pain!
Thanks, Kelly. This was a great video. I did purchase your Woe to Go classes. Followed your good advice and am a happy, beginner weaver.`
Wonderful! 😀
Hi! I did my first projects years ago at several courses I took so there were no problems with the type of yarn used.
Now that I have embarked on my weaving again I am using whatever is available. Your video has been helpful because I only knew that the thread for the warp has to be strong. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
You're welcome!
I love all your videos and appreciate you sharing these tips! They've been instrumental in getting me started with my rigid heddle, which I've had for about a month now. I've seen experienced weavers recommending against 8/2 cotton elsewhere as well, but I just have to disagree. My very first sample was made with some wool I'd had laying around from my knitting stash. It turned out okay, but my edges were a mess. All of my other projects have been with 8/2 cotton and have turned out far better. The cotton has really helped me understand how to get good selvedges. Your video on it was super helpful, but I really didn't understand how much or how little yarn should be in the turning point at the edge until I could see the less elastic cotton in action. That said, I do have trouble with my down shed being very loose (*runs off to watch your video on fine threads...*)
Just the two-cents of a beginner!
Very interesting Mandy! It seems 8/2 cotton is a good fit for you 😊
Wonderful video and so helpful and oh boy, so true! I thought I was doing really well with my little rigid heddle but now know I just had the good luck to start with your wonderful Kitchen Cloths pattern. By following your pattern and recommended materials I had great success. Then I went rogue and bought a much smaller dent reed and used very fine cotton yarn and it was a mess and so frustrating as it was impossible to get the edges and the tension right. I was disappointed to the extent that I felt and still do feel that I have wasted money on the smaller reeds, it feel impossible to use these much finer yarns on my Samplit. Then, a friend gave me some Collin which I tried to use as warp, another disaster using finer yarn and the linen makes the yarns stick to one-another, it was impossible to wind it onto the back beam so I cut it off. I would add to the list of things to avoid: mixing wool with cotton on the same warp and also mixing a finer and weaker ( more stretch) cotton yarn with a robust one such as Sugar n Cream cotton as a project warp. It was impossible to get the tension right. Finally, test your yarn for strength before assuming it will make a good warp, ugh. ( ask me how I know this...🙄). The best approach is by far to follow a good beginner pattern for me your awesome video classes are my favourites - I will go rogue once I have a few more successes under my belt. I am finally able to weave again and got more colours of Peaches n Cream yarn for my beloved kitchen cloths which we now use exclusively. Then I hope to tackle the Happy Fibonacci towels, finally, hooray! Please make kitchen cloth kits with your beautiful rainbows and that beautiful coral solid yarn...I would love to make with your wonderful hand dyed yarns🙏 Thank you for, well, everything!❤️
Lots of good insights there Lynn, thanks for sharing!
I love your wrap! Thank your for this video.
Thank you!
Thank you. Now I know what kind of yarn to use for my beginning projects...and not to use. Very excited about going to my next class. In the meantime, I am enjoying ,leaning from your videos. Sue
Thanks Sue ❤️
A really good rule of thumb for beginning rigid heddle users feeling confident with experimenting, warp in a high tensile smooth running yarn that will shrink evenly when washed and then if you want to use that beautiful, but sticky! luxury yarn for wefting go for it, it will cause you to focus on your beating. I have made a gorgeous sampler using tencel of all things, and Im only a 2yr weaver...with a mentor who knows I need every confidence boost she can give. And Ty Kelly for the wonderful videos, they round out what my weaving text cant demonstrate and since I cant just hop in the car and go see my LYS anymore due to being in a different state, my mentor is tickled pink to see my latest draft which is an all tencel scarf 🥰🥰💗💗
Wonderful! 😊
Thanks Kelly. Much appreciated !❤👍👍👍
You're welcome Patsy! 😊
I pity anyone who started out with mohair! I have not woven with it (yet) but know as a knitter how sticky it is. I’ve recently sold my small floor loom in preparation for a downsizing move, and found your channel via a FB rigid heddle group. Your online classes look wonderful; I am eager to get started, but I’m not picking up a RH loom until I get settled in the new place. Thanks for explaining the wrap you are wearing in this video - I was puzzling over whether it was a stole fastened in back or some sort of funky möbius. 😄
I just got any loom two days ago. My first project I used a wrong yarn it was a single and by the time I got to the weaving I had broken 3 warp threads lol I cut it off and threw it away. Lol. I started over with a thicker cotton glad I picked better the second time. I really enjoy the warping process more than the actual weaving I’m sure that will change as I go along. Thanks for the video
Most new weavers will find that they don't enjoy the warping so much, so it's great that you do!
I chose a wool, and it was super easy to weave with but tangled warping and the finished product was too loose. I used a 7.5 heddle and should have been using a 10 or 12 to have the finished project I was aiming for. That being said, I like the look and am using the placemats, even if a bit looser than I thought they would be. I now have a 12 heddle, so will try again.
Love the video .... another easy one to use is chenille for weft and 8/2 cotton for warp. Weaves up fast, feels great and looks great.
Chenille is gorgeous ❤️
Kelly Casanova i am making a blanket with it. I am not seasoned enough to do double weave but will continue learning to be confident enough to learn it.
I made some sample projects with sugar and cream when I started but my intent in weaving was to learn to make nice kitchen towels so I jumped into 8/2 yarn doubled before I was ready. Huge tangled messes and tears were shed. My first loom wasn’t great either but even with a better loom i had some tangled messes....with practice and lots of wasted yarn I finally figured it out. Then I bought a little Presto loom to do samples and for travel. It came with a skein of merino wool. Oh my gosh....I wish I had started learning with that wool! It practically wove itself! The sturdy little loom was great also as it was easy to manage. Going through the trials with the 8/2 did force me to learn how to use weights for loose warp threads and replace broken warp threads but I recommend starting with the sugar and cream then move to an easy-to-work-with wool to save the frustration.
Definitely!
No horror stories here. I have mostly used Sugar & Cream and worsted Wt. Wool. I did warp my table loom with thin cotton for towels. It is more challenging, I agree, and moves very slowly. I think your recommendations are spot on.
I am very new, I got a little 10" lavievert loom a month ago. I have learned that, for this loom at least, 18g nylon is an absolute nightmare! I wish I had seen this video last week when I had tried to warp with walmarts SuperSaver acrylic yarn.
I've been using acrylic wool blends (what ever brand I've got in my stash) or cotton (drops safran). Did make one big error. Found a gorgeous colour change acrylic yarn. Found it slightly sticky. Bit of a sod to warp up 2 meter long but got there. Started weaving using the same yarn. Was going OK until a couple of warp strings snapped. The heddle movement frayed the warp. Ended up cutting it carefully off my 16 inch loom and rewarping with a 4ply cotton and using the off cut threads and the weft in the new weave. Shame cos it looked and felt great the 12 inches I managed to weave. Stiffer with cotton warp. Going to try a thicker acrylic next time possibly a dk.
Thank you for all your videos.
A good learning experience. Sometimes you just can't really tell how a yarn is going to perform until you have it on the loom.
Thank you for this and your other videos: they have been very, very helpful to me as a beginner weaver. I have a 10-inch Cricket loom, which I've been playing with since the lockdown.
Not too long ago, I got a nice bargain on some Bolivian wool, in some lovely colors. I do have some cone cotton that I got cheap. Patiently, while listening to podcasts, I warped the loom with the cotton, and chose the lightest color, a pretty blue, to experiment with, just straight plain weave, as an exercise in keeping an even selvedge.
The result was a nice, plain rectangle, which was almost immediately slightly messed up when I washed and machine dried it. Not again, I know. There was a lovely felting result, but the fabric is pretty stiff and slightly scratchy. Neither my sister nor I were sure what I can do with the wool. I'm thinking just a decorative panel. Luckily, the blue experiment has found a function: one of my two cats has claimed it as a resting pad. She sleeps on the couch with a paw caressing the wool, and planting her nose straight into it.
I do have some acrylic yarn with a sweet drape. I'm thinking of using that for a warp and wefting with some of the wool, but we'll see.
You definitely never want a scratchy yarn for something you intend to wear, but at least kitty is not fussy 😂 🐱
@@KellyCasanova Kitty does what she wants to do!
True about the scratchy material. It doesn't feel scratchy on the skein, but does seem to work up a little differently. I test-drove it as tight crochet, and it's still stiff, but not scratchy. The colors are so pretty, I really want to do something nice with them.
A kind of tapestry thing might really be nice, a sort of abstract playing around with color changes.
I am now classified as an experienced and confident weaver. But my first project I warped the full width of my new 32" RHL with what turned out to be the stretchiest acrylic yarn known to man! I tried, I really tried. Then I folded it all up and gave it an 18month time out in a closet. One day I just snapped and decided to cut off the warp and throw the whole thing in the garbage! Best weaving thing I have ever done!
Stretchy acrylic is the worst, at least for a warp there isn't much you can do to make it useable. I agree, better cut off and discarded than not using the loom at all.
Once you are well on your way here is a sizing for Mohair Warp courtesy of
Alexandra Petrowski of Singing Falls Mohair in Oregon . She uses this "sizing" made from corn starch for her mohair warp. She weaves a lot of mohair as she raises her own angora goats . It all washes out hen you are finished . This is her "recipe" .
1 gallon pot - fill about 3/4 full with cold water and then approx 4
tablespoons of corn starch to that - stir...then gently heat up until
it's very hot and it should thicken just a wee bit when it's almost to a
boil. Add a tablespoon if it seems to thin...
Then you just stir well and turn off the heat -
When it's cooled enough to handle - you dip your warp yarns that
you've already spun up and washed well and that are ready for warping
the loom...then dry them outside - until you have some rather stiff
spaghetti yarn -
You don't want the yarn gooey (but everything will eventually wash out,
no worry) -- I learned over time just the way I need it to be - it's
just slightly "stiff" after drying but the main thing is that it is
rather smooth and the hairs of the mohair won't get caught so easy in
the heddles of your loom...
How interesting, thank you for sharing that Dianne!
I bought a beautiful cone of synthetic luxury yarn. I rolled it onto the front beam instead of the back, and bugered it all to hell trying to re-orient it to the back beam. It was a massive length, so I lost a lot of it. I still have it in a bag, but haven’t touched it in 5 years!
Oh no, I feel your pain! 🤦♀️
I used Sugar and Cream for my first couple of projects... making towels. There's a lot of satisfaction using a yarn like that for something utilitarian... I still use those first towels, mistakes and all. No one notices. I soon had confidence to expand my fiber horizons. One of my favorite easy yarns however, is a 50/50 linen and cotton yarn blend in a DK or worsted weight. It makes amazing towels and face cloths and is almost as easy to weave as Sugar and Cream, but much higher quality. Towels I've made with it are beautiful and thirsty, with good drape. Weaving with 100% linen threads, thick or thin, is very touchy, even for experienced weavers as its stiff when just off the skein or cone, but blended with cotton, it becomes manageable enough for almost beginners.
I love a cotton/linen blend too. Can you give the name of the yarn in case others here are interested in checking it out?
Did the placemats from the woe to go course (which I loved), but wanted to use cotton I had already (and to match a cushion cover I had crocheted). Yarn rather too rigid, which made beating difficult, but I persisted and they turned out ok, but not as densely woven as I would have liked..
Using 8/2 cotton right now and will cut the warps after one of two towels are done. I went with a two one threading pattern. I will double up the yarn in the holes and retie. I will also consider this next towel a complete experiment and not sweat it. The reason for abandoning the warp as it is, is that I cannot keep the right hand selvage even, the left hand one is fine. The weave will not beat down. I keep playing with the tension to see if one or another will work better. Nothing so far. I hope the first towel shrinks enough to be better than a rag. You cannot learn without a few mistakes, but I am glad to have found the video and blog. Thank you!
Nora, you could try threading the right hand side in a hole - so that both edge warp threads are in holes. This might help you to keep both sides more consistently even.
Here is a demo if you need it - th-cam.com/video/7oqxiPZ3ul8/w-d-xo.html
I agree completely with your assessment, Kelly! I would add handspun yarn and thread to your list. Handspuns - especially singles, even those done by an experienced spinner - can be very temperamental, especially in a warp where you can have all kinds of breakage and shredding. They can work out OK as weft where yarn inconsistencies are less troublesome.
Yes, I totally agree! 😊
Yes, singles can be extremely difficult to use... not impossible, but the challenges are best tackled by experienced weavers. You can use singles and unplied handspuns in wefts however, so if a beginner has something beautiful they want to use, chose a suitable warp and put the special tricky yarn onto the shuttle.
Very nice and interesting video, some of those yarns are so thin! It’s incredible, they must need so much patience but the end result looks totally worth it! Beautiful! Really reminds me how much work and patience is put into each and every one of your gorgeous scarves! (P.S. I am so sorry, I can’t believe I only just noticed we weren’t subscribed to you 🤦♀️ I thought we were all this time, sorry 😅).
All this time you weren't subscribed?!! I don't know what to say. I'll have to scold you when I see you next! 😂
Kelly Casanova *Gulp*...😳 Now we’re in for it....
Great advice.
Thanks Glenda!
I live in Berlin, Germany. But there is no weaving store here. No stores have weaving yarns. I buy second hand luxury yarns in ebay from hobby weavers who gave up weaving. That's how I also got a discontinued Glimakra rigid heddle loom. With Brexit, I can't purchase from the UK without expensive customs fees. I will to visit Sweden next coz I need to see the looms live and touch it to know if it's for me. (Btw, I just watched a L'Oreal ad in your vid)
I think someone needs to open a weaving store in Berlin! I have quite a few students from Germany. It's great that you've been able to buy some yarns and a loom through eBay. Did you know that when you watch videos on TH-cam and are shown ads, the ads are based on google data collected from the watcher? I actually have no control over the ads, it's more about what the data tells them you want to see.
This was a great video for me.
Glad it was helpful!
I found I was allergic to mohair when I tried to spin it. I couldn't figure out why my hands were itching so bad, and finally figured out it was the fiber.
Bummer! I actually developed a sensitivity to wool when I was dollmaking, but it went away when I stopped making them. Now I don't seem to have any trouble handling it in yarn format or spinning the clean fleece, thankfully!
@@KellyCasanova Lanolin and wool fibers sometimes makes horrible things to the skin.... I like to spin and weave more primitive wool, but final results sometimes is like sand paper or barbed wire
@@shigellashigella yeah, prickly wool is never nice!
I certainly wish this video had existed back in 2015. I was new to rigid heddle weaving at the time and bought a scarf kit that happened to feature a mohair warp and weft. It was my 3rd RH project. It is still sitting on my rigid heddle loom 7 years later. I never finished it but hate to take it off and throw it away. Perfectly understand the comments on stickiness and such a pain, it takes all the enjoyment out of weaving. I transitioned to a floor loom but stay away from mohair both weaving and knitting (we won’t talk about unfinished mohair knitting projects 😂).
😂
Hacía poco que había comenzado a tejer en telar y me propuse hacer un chal en mohair. Sufrí muchísimo para tejerlo pero no claudiqué. Quedé muy satisfecha con el resultado. Y como me gusta mucho tejer, no me desalenté. No obstante, coincido en que no es recomendable para principiantes. Si hubiera contado con esta información en ese entonces, tal vez habría desistido y seguido con otro material. Saludos. 🥀
I'm glad it turned out well for you 😊
ARGH! I just this summer bought 3 Angora goats so I could use their fiber for weaving! I've had them shorn once, so I have the 3 fleeces to work with. I could try other yarns for my first weaving projects, but seems like a little 'hands-on' with my Mohair would be the practice I need. I'm pretty persistent and don't give up easily.
Don't let me stop you trying. You could maybe use it just for weft the first time to get a feel for it 😊
I rarely ever comment online about anything & I am not on any social media precisely because of all the negativity in the world. I think it's really sad that people are attacking you over free content that you are very kindly willing to share. I would be very sad to see you go & let the haters of the world win. I think a lot of people just want others to be as miserable as they are and kind, generous people like you who are few & far between shouldn't give in to their verbal poison. Keep doing what you do Kelly because you have far more fans than I think you know!
I've been almost exclusively using 8/2 cotton with my 4 shaft table loom, but so far I think it's been great! Maybe it makes a difference that I've been inkle weaving with it, and I'm familiar with how it weaves.
Yes, familiarity with it definitely helps, the loom makes a big difference too. It's much more challenging to tension on a rigid heddle loom.
I have a fairly different story. 6-ish years ago, my best friend got their first loom - a 16in cricket. And in the following years has acquired a 20in floor loom as well. And I really fell in love with working on their looms, and, randomly later, ended up going backpacking with somebody who had a backstrap loom. So I had technically, never woven a full project, but I think I've contributed at least 10in to every project my best friend has ever made, and a solid chunk to to the backstrap loom. Enter: pandemic. I have been obsessively crafting, and hit a point mid summer where I was like, I want to weave, I do not have, nor can I afford, a loom, but I want to weave, and the g'd's above help me, I am going to hecking weave. So I went into my family's recycling bin, collected an assortment of sturdy plastics and undamaged carboard, grabbed the hot glue gun, pulled up some reference photos, and built myself a 16in "rigid heddle loom" out of recycling. Functionally, it actually worked really well for everything but tensioning (I made 2.5 scarves and a cowl on it!); I had carefully made cube shaped ends to the holding rods, that slid into cube shaped holes on either side of the loom, which meant I had options for tensioning, but not many, and between the inherent flexibility of the materials and the limited ability to tension it, I had to self manage the tension of the yarn. For the holidays, my family all chipped in to buy me an actual rigid heddle, holy moly, TENSIONING. This is AMAZING. But I am now, comically, having way more issues with my selvages. To be fair though, I've only had it for ~a month so.
Anyways. TLDR: working on a homemade loom is Hard but not impossible; having an actual loom is Amazing, but difficult in it's own weird ways.
Wow, cool story! And congrats on your new RH loom 😄
@@KellyCasanova Thank you!!! I have some utterly bizarre stories that ultimately boil down to, Lthyy doesn't have x but needed/wanted x, so: what do we have around the house that can made into x? But this all amounts to, I am a very weird mix of, not a beginner, and also, totally a beginner, and because of that, I get ahead of myself sometimes. To be honest, the worst part currently about having the new loom is, I was about 1/3 of the way into a project on the loom I made, and after working on the actual thing, I don't want to work on that loom again because it was So Much Work. So I guess... I'm gonna have to either abandon that project, or carefully move it to the new one. Ah well. *sigh*
I find warping my yarn "off putting" all by itself. I love the finished product,
but the 1 1/2 - 2 hrs it takes me to warp that 24" Kromski Harp drives me to
eye lifting distraction (LOL). Wish it could be converted to accept the Saori
loom prewarp. My first item was a large shawl, and I used a black acrylic
for my warp, and two yarns for the weft, and one of them was somewhat
fluffy and the other an acrylic Surprisingly I did not have a lot of problems.
However, I had not gotten the hang of finishing once I took it off the loom.
I often think it was just beginners luck, for each project since then has brought
some of the challenges you have mentioned. Wool is expensive where I live,
and there is only one store which sells those high price yarns. For the
7 projects I have made up until now I have just used acrylic yarns for my
warp. I am planning to make a denim rug, and will have to order the appropriate
warping yarn to do so.
I'd add linen (as a warp). One of my first projects was linen warp (industrial fiber, doubled) and wool as a weft. I was thinking I will cut it in the middle, hated it and gave final result to my friend as a "take this if you like, but I'm really ashamed by giving you this crap"*.
Linen I think even worse than cotton if you like to get even tension, and if you hit it with the shuttle, it will deform beyond repair, so this specific warp piece will be more loose.
It gives decent shed though.
Also - I agree about wool, I have bobbin of the warp wool (single ply). It is useless for tablet weaving, but decent for rigid heddle or table loom. I would think about using starch or linen seed glue though to stabilize it. I have a plan to use 8/1 Estonian wool - it could be challenging, but I think I can give it a try.
My great nononono are soft, knitting wool and mixing various types of yarns in your warp without some symmetry kept. Nice, soft yarns could be elastic, so weaver gets all the attractions related to the uneven tension.
If you work with wool, be careful with humidity. We show weaving on on vertical loom and if there is a mist or rain, it is horror - wool starts to catch, opening shed is almost impossible.
Generally speaking - weft is more forgiving, you can use almost whatever, warp is the key
*)Few years later I looked at it and I thought it wasn't such horrible.
I've completed 4 projects out of 5 started and yes I've had these issues. Project # 4 was with very thin yarn and was hoping for hand towels but couldn't get the tension right and finally just stopped and it sits in my craft room waiting to be cut and hemmed (should have been 6 or more towels but it's maybe 2) . Now just finished unwefting some sticky yarn that looked beautiful but I hated. It was sticky everywhere and I had to say enough. Should have watched this first.
It's all a learning process!
Great tips. However, I found some vintage raw silk cones on a site, 3 cones full for 30.oo usd, strong, great on my tapestry heddle bar loom.
Great price, good for you! 😊
I have to agree with you that mohair is definitely more than challenging to weave with in the warp as a new weaver. Using a smoother warp wool and weaving in with a mohair would create a similar cozy result, but would be much easier to weave. One other yarn I would not recommend for new weavers is chenille. Chenille is hard to tension, slippery, not forgiving in the slightest, and needs a tighter sett than you’d think to help prevent ends from worming out of the fabric as it gets used. Also, finishing treatment can be a challenge because fringe needs tight twisting (and even then!) will untwist and look horrible, or a well sewn hem.
I've actually found chenille (rayon) to be not as difficult as some say. I find it behaves quite well if you treat it nicely 😊 It may vary from brand to brand though.
You are a love❤️
Thank you Fiona ❤️
I used a single-ply yarn as the warp for a scarf for my wife. It was a nightmare because it was sticky and as the heddle slid back & forth on it, it shed and clogged up the holes and slots. I got the scarf completed and it's beautiful, but never again will I use single-ply for the warp. I feel like in the video, you could have suggested if someone was set on using one of those luxury yarns, to use it as the weft. I pretty much stick to Berrocco worsted for my warp, either Comfort or Ultra Wool. It always serves well for my pieces, is reasonably priced, and has great colors.
That sounds like a nightmare warp for sure! 😩
I just started weaving and I've been using a dk cotton blend yarn from knit picks. Had no problems with the yarn I chose. I think my next project will be with wool, but I've read not to use it as the warp.
I don't know why not, I use wool as warp all the time 🤷♀️
@@KellyCasanova I read that wool can't handle the tension as the warp. I will give it a try and see what happens.
@@BeccainHawaii It really depends on the wool. Most commercial knitting wools will be fine. Single ply and wools with very little twist are not suitable.
Thanks, this video has great advice! I did make a poor yarn choice early on. Actually, I had purchased a scarf kit from a well known yarn supply company and loved the pattern but the yarn they included for both warp and weft was a 50-50 Merino/ Tencel blend. I have a 8/10 Baby Wolf loom. The yarn worked great for the weft but the warp threads kept breaking. Belatedly, I did the “pull test” and sure enough, it just snapped. I had to pull that warp off the loom, and re-warp with bamboo, which worked well.
Oh, what a shame. Merino tencel is a gorgeous yarn but I'm glad the bamboo worked out for you.
This was a great video and great information. I also watched the one with the scarves and enjoyed it very much. As always great information. A question…… is acrylic good for weaving? Thank you
Yes, acrylic can be good for weaving, but acrylics are extremely varied in how they behave, so it really can depend on the particular yarn you're using. A lot of weavers use acrylics, I've used them a few times.
I love waving but hate set up loom....tired to start new project.
Setting up becomes so much easier with experience, then you won't mind it so much 😊
I just purchased lots of colors of 8/2 to make tea towels!!😲😲😲😲😲. I cut one off because of tensioning. So frustrated!! I thought I had threaded in the up position because up was tight , bottom was loose. I retied, but I haven't started weaving. Oh my!!! Well, I have a lot of weights!!!! Wish me the best.
Good luck! This video might come in handy for you - th-cam.com/video/YERj4AdWe20/w-d-xo.html
Haha, I also am watching this having just ordered 8/2 thread for the first time. Maybe I'll find something else to practice with first, the question is what...
I’m doing my first real project (first one I warped) with 8/4 cotton for kitchen towels on a 4 shaft table loom. I bought the yarn first as it said it was good for towels in the description. Then I went looking for a pattern/weaving draft for 8/4 towels waffle weave. Cant find it. I only could find drafts for 8/2 cotton or a cotton/linen. Then I’m thinking I’ve bought the wrong yarn as a newbie mistake. But decided to use it anyways with an 8/2 draft. So figured I needed to do some math to get the right epi. Anyways, weaving it now and so far I think it’s weaving fine and hope it finishes well too. My big question is how much draw in to expect. I googled that and can’t find any info. The weaving width was supposed to be 17 inches but came through the reed at 16 (math error?) and squeezing in by an inch and a half. I’m keeping the selvedge as loose as possible by pinching out the floating selvage so not to pull it too tight when bringing the weft through and making a bubble to beat... if that makes sense.
The draw in should be included in initial calculations, that way you know what to expect. You usually allow 10-15% for shrinkage and draw in.
Boy, am I glad I watched this before I warped my loom for my next project! I used butcher's string (12-ply 100% cotton) and I could not understand why I couldn't keep it tensioned and ended up undoing it three times and finally just did two narrow projects to get some practice. I was about to warp up a #3 crochet cotton thread, now I am hesitant to do that. Unfortunately, my loom came with a 10-dent heddle, which made it very hard to warp the 12-ply and that's why I was going for the #3 thread. I just received a huge order of yarn and there isn't a single wool among them, but several very nice cottons and even a recycled sari yarn. I didn't order any wools because of my allergy to it. What else could you recommend for someone like me? When you were talking about the yarns NOT to use, I at first thought you were talking about for the warp only since you mentioned the shed problems with mohair, now I'm wondering if you mean the weft also?
Well, I was sort of generalising that you shouldn't use them either for warp or weft. But, if you do intend to use mohair, better to use it as the weft than the warp. There are some acrylics that are pretty close to wool in their level of elasticity - so that might be an option for you too.
@@KellyCasanova Could you be more specific, please?
I broke one of these rules already, but in my defence, I didn't know at the time! My very first project I used baby alpaca! I did a 2 colour warp that was 2/3 alpaca, and 1/3 wool, both in DK weight. I think maybe the wool helped to make the alpaca behave a bit better.
I learned my lesson about using yarn with lots of halo from knitting. The very first time I knit a lace shawl I chose a gorgeous purple mohair blend with sequins on it. I twisted all of my yarn overs for the entire first pattern repeat! I ended up leaving them like that, because there was no way I could frog mohair and sequins!!!
I've now completed 4 projects on my rigid heddle loom. I am definitely still a beginner! I had planned on using 8/2 cotton to make teatowel mynext project. Do you think it's too soon on my weaving journey to do this?
I don't think it's too soon, but it depends on your level of confidence. If you feel ready for it, then you probably are 😊
I used 8/2 doubled as weft for an early project, using singles of Sugar and Cream for the warp. It was a success ! It's a good way to ease into using 8/2 cotton.
May I give a little advice from a 30 year weaver.
I've used a bar of velvet soap to pull my sticky yarns as I'm warping, and all wash and finishing process is easier then you think.
Thankyou for reading this.
How interesting!
Kelly, thank you, so much for your advice I will remember that for life; and I am safe for as long as you on TH-cam. Like you say 10/2 cotton, or upper looks great and unchallengeable for beginner as I am thank you. Ps, Kelly, I am confused! how do I know what is 10/2 cotton yarn?. I'm looking on the net and they only telling me weight! and there are, so many different yarns to choose from thank you.
Only the weaving yarns, usually on a cone have measurements like 10/2, 8/2 etc. Knitting and crochet yarns go by other terms.
@@KellyCasanova Thank you and have great day (I am not sure about the different time?) US/AU happy afternoon and thanks.
I can't buy online because the photos are so large I can't tell yet by the Nm or official system of measuring. I would wrap the yarn on a ruler/yardstick.
Some online sellers will have the recommended sett available with the listing. If there is a yarn you really want, you can also email/message the seller to ask for more information.
Kelly could you tell us about the wrap you are wearing? Pattern, how you put it on, how it's woven? TIA
Thank you for asking! It's the Garden Path Scarf pattern, but I woven it wider and longer than the regular scarf. To put it on I draped it around my neck like you would for a normal scarf, crossed both ends across my body and tied the 2 ends together at the back. This is the pattern if you're interested:
www.etsy.com/listing/583215157/the-garden-path-scarf-pdf-pattern-for?ref=shop_home_feat_1&bes=1
I have ashford 80cm 8 shaft loom. I'm about to start my first project.... after watching this I now feel I'm half way there. I have 10 dent. Will this work I wonder..... also how many balls of wool would you recommend.
I would have to know more about your project to recommend how much wool you would need.
What width loom did you use for your wrap? I have the SampleIt loom (which I know is way too narrow), but am thinking about which loom I want to get next and want to choose something that will be versatile
I have a 24" and it's a great width for weaving a variety of things - not too big and not too small. Here is my affiliate link if you're interested in checking it out -woolery.com/ashford-rigid-heddle-loom.html?aff=124
@@KellyCasanova Thanks! What width did you weave your wrap to?
Even a bad yarn can be used as weft, though, right? For "interest?"
Yes, all kinds of yarns can be used for weft 😊
I dunno, I didn't find working with mohair too bad, as long as it was double stranded, and only ever as weft.
Yes, it can be fine for weft but I still wouldn't recommend it to a beginner 😊
This was very useful for me, but I was wondering if acrylic yarn was also a good yarn for beginner weavers?
Yes, but it depends on the acrylic. Some can be sticky and static too. A lot of newer weavers do start with acrylic though, it's very affordable.
@@KellyCasanova thank you for the reply and information.
So. Mohair. You’re saying new weavers should warp it. I agree. I would think that would be awful. But you’re not saying a new weaver couldn’t weft with mohair, right? I shuttled mohair through silk early on with no issues.
That's right and I probably could have made that clearer in the video - no for warp, better for weft 😊
Unfortunately I didn’t see this video BEFORE I warped my loom with sticky yarn 😭😭😭💔
Tercel is not my friend. I love the look, color, drape. But my table loom and tension does not. Oye
Oh, I love tencel! But no, I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner either.
10:42 Weaving your first project.
An unplied warpthread beginnende should avoid.
Yes, definitely!
You recommend superwash but it is coated in plastic and no longer has the characteristics of wool and is then basically a synthetic. The micro particles are so bad for the environment. It is killing the water life and is now affecting air quality so that we are breathing the plastic micro particles. Please recommend a real wool that is not superwash . .
Interesting. I'm doing some more research on the topic. I've contacted my yarn supplier to enquire more about their superwash process.
The background on this video is far too white and bright.
My first weave I used Marino wool and found it sticking a lot, but I finished the scarf and used it again to make a shawl. That was only because I bought so much of it so tried to get rid of it that way.
Unfortunately I didn’t see this video BEFORE I warped my loom with sticky yarn 😭😭😭💔
A lot of people have said that! At least now you know 😁