Weaving has made a huge comeback and there is no doubt that the reason is it’s so fun! We’re going to show you how to use your Knitting Loom as a weaving loom! In this part 1 instruction you’ll learn how to warp your Knitting Loom and how to weave the plain (tabby) weave. We shared how to finish a weave here.
Weaving Terms:
Warp: The thread that is vertically wrapped around your loom, this is the backbone of the weave.
Weft: The thread that is horizontally woven between the warp threads, this is the design of the weave.
Loom: All-in-One Loom & 20-Peg-Extenders: Note the 28″ Knitting loom comes with the Peg Extenders. If you purchase the AIO, it doesn’t come with the Peg Extenders. In addition, the gauge of the Peg Extenders differs from the AIO. While you can use the Peg Extenders with the AIO to weave, it is not recommended to use them together to knit as the areas where the peg extenders will have a different gauge, proving you with a knit fabric that is not uniform throughout.
Yarn: Aunt Lydia’s Crochet Cotton Classic Size 10 in Golden Yellow is used for the warp, Red Heart Soft Yarn in White is used for the weft, and Red Heart Soft Yarn in Charcoal is used for the double thread weft.
Notions: tapestry needle
Warping the Loom Instructions:
Assemble your knitting loom using the 48 peg sides with the 20 peg extenders
On the peg extender, count to the third peg and tie your warp thread in a double knot.
Bring the warp thread up and around the corresponding top peg, then back down.
It is important to keep an even tension as you pull the warp thread around the pegs. You want your warp thread to be pulled tight enough to not sag, but it should have some bounce to it. It should be similar to a strung guitar.
Continue to pass the warp thread from bottom, around a peg, to top, around a peg, back to bottom and so on. Do this until you have pass the warp around the top peg that is the third from the end of the extender. You will have used 16 pegs at the top.
Then bring the warp thread down to the bottom peg that is second from the end of the extender where you will tie it off. Before you tie off the warp thread, check your tension, if the warp is sagging you can pull the warp around each peg to get it tighter as you work the excess towards your last peg. Once the tension is good, tie a double knot on that last peg and cut the thread from the ball. You will notice that both the start and end of the warp thread are tied at the bottom of the loom, this ensures you have warp loops at the top of your weave. You will have used 17 pegs at the bottom.
Next, taking about 18 inches of your white yarn, tie and anchor string across the top warp threads (the top is the end without the warp thread knots). Between the second and third peg on the sides, tie a double knot of the yarn around the one side of the loom. Pull the yarn across the front of the warp threads and tie a double knot of the yarn around the opposite side of the loom. This anchor provides two functions; it keeps the warp threads from sliding up the pegs and it is a place marker of where to start your weaving.
Plain (Tabby) Weave Instructions:
The plain weave is the basic over 1 warp under 1 warp weaving pattern.
Turn your loom so that the top with the warp loops and anchor string is closest to you (or upside down). We will weave top to bottom.
Cut a length of the white yarn to approximately 36 inches long.
Using this length of yarn and a tapestry needle, start plain weaving by passing the needle over 1 warp thread, then under 1 warp thread, over 1 and so on. Repeat this all the way across your warp threads and pull your yarn through leaving a 3 inch yarn tail off the side of the loom.
Push your woven yarn down with the tapestry needle, so that it is next to your anchor thread.
For the return pass, weave your yarn in the opposite pattern from the row before it. I ended under the warp thread, so in the return pass, I will start weaving over 1 warp, under 1 warp repeating until I reach the end of the row.
Pull your weft thread until you have a slight loop around the end warp. If you pull too much, your warp threads will be pulled into the middle and your sides will not be straight.
Using your needle, push the weft thread down to the other row. A good exercise is to create weft hills, as is shown in the picture, so that you ensure your weft thread isn’t pulling on the warp strings. Push all the hills down until the wefts are flat against each other. If the weft is too loose you can tug a bit on the yarn remove excess yarn from the row, but make sure your warp end stays straight.
Weave back in the opposite direction again, continuing the over 1 warp, under 1 warp pattern. Each row will alternate this pattern.
Once you are finished leave a tail of 3 inches off the side.
You can also weave the plain weave using more then one thread at a time. In the above picture you can see that two threads next to each other can be woven to add bulk. To do this, simply cut two threads of yarn and using the tapestry needle, weave both threads at the same time.
That wraps up Part 1, you can find Learn to Weave a Tapestry: Part 2 here and create a wall hanging with this beginner’s pattern!
Please let me know if you have any questions or comments below!
Happy Weaving!
It would be nice to have a video on this?….
Yes, I agree that a video would be helpful. I want to weave on my 28″ board with the long connectors. I am assuming that the process would be the same. But visual instructions work best for me.
Is it possible to use dish cloth cotton instead of crochet cotton?
You can use any type of thread or fiber, including wool roving, rag strips, etc once you get the initial process down. Have fun with it!
Yes you can use dish cloth cotton. You can use anything for the warp, but I’ve found that using a strong thread with little stretch is the best to use when starting out. A dish cloth cotton would be both strong and have little stretch.