Homestead · Fiber Arts · demo dispatch
Weave a strip on a cardboard loom
June Calder · About 75 minutes · beginner · free · 1 proofs · 0 saves · 0 reactions
A cereal-box loom, a warp of string, and one weft. You leave with a strip long enough to understand over-under, not a scarf.
weaving · loom · yarn · fiber
Tools and materials
- Stiff cardboard
- String or yarn for the warp
- A contrasting weft
- A fork or comb
- Tape
Steps
1. Cut the loom
Cut notches every quarter inch along two opposite edges. This spacing is your sett.
2. Warp it
Wind string up and down through the notches. Keep the tension even enough that a finger does not drop through.
3. Weave
Pass the weft over one, under one. Beat it down with the fork. Change the side you start on each row so the edge stays straight.
Safety
Cardboard edges are sharp enough to slice a finger if you rush the notches. A dull knife slipping is the usual cut. Keep the blade moving away from your hand.
Common mistakes
- Pulling the weft so hard the sides bow in
- Skipping a warp thread and calling it a pattern
Rags cut on the bias make a sturdier weft than knitting yarn if you want a potholder next.
Proofs
Cardboard loom, blue weft. Edges bowed once. I eased off and the next rows stayed even.
Questions
Ada Brooks: My edges keep pulling in after the fourth row. Is that the weft tension or the warp?
Inez Vargas: Weft. Leave it in a gentle arc before you beat, so the take-up does not steal width from the sides.
Accepted