Spinning a Single Fleece

A slap dash guide to Fleece Preparation

Where do I begin? - Just go for it

If there is one thing as a beginner spinner you can be sure of - you ask ten different people how to process a fleece and you will get ten different answers.

It can be very easy to get lost in the amount of options so this post is hoping to inspire you to just have a go. Even if it's just once. You'll learn so much and then you can hone your own process, making tweaks along the way. Remember, people have been doing this for 1000's of years, mostly as far as I'm aware, not many of them died. Here are my thoughts...

Fleece Prep- Where do I start?

  1. Don't get overwhelmed about the process. Sadly for farmers at the moment, fleece are not raising a huge amount of money. What this means is that you will be able to pick up a fleece cheaply. So if you make a pigs ear out of the process, there will be plenty more fleeces for you to hone your skills on. Allow yourself to learn
  2. Just go for it, even if you (as I did the first time) throw a whole fleece in bath and work your way through it not knowing what on earth you're doing, you will still learn a huge amount. I really don't recommend this option but if you did do it, what's the worst that can happen? In my case, water on the floor, down the stairs, in the hall, the dining room....
  3. If you do have the time to separate the different sections of the fleece, then this is a great option. If you buy from a farmer, you'll get what you're given and that will include muck, vm (vegetable matter) poo etc.. It'll be obvious the sections of the fleece that need separating off, the back end you'll want to avoid but also underneath where the fleece will hit grass and mud, those areas can be pulled away from the main body of the fleece and disposed of
  4. For washing, I fill a pan of water with a squirt of washing up liquid, place my sections of fleece on top and push it down. I then heat up to hand hot and allow it to soak for around 45 minutes to an hour and then let it cool down.
  5. Tip the water out which will be pretty dirty and then you can either wash again (which I rarely do to be honest) on hang out to dry
  1. Then card or comb the fibre. Carding will be the most accessible option, you can get hand carders or even pet carders if you're just giving it a go to see whether you like the process

Obviously fleece prep is a huge rabbit hole and the more you learn, the more effort you'll put in. It's very rewarding to do the process from start to finish, so please just give it a try

If you're in the Liverpool area, we have our monthly meet full of people who love wool, just like you. The would inspire (enable) anyone and so if you feel nervous, come and join us on the first Saturday of the month and there will be someone who can share their experience. Or if you want me to bring my pots and pans and we could wash your fleece together!

Northern Lights, 5 Mann Street, Brewery Village, Liverpool, L8 5AF

Any questions, ask away!

Weaving with fine yarns

Many weavers feel nervous about weaving with fine yarns. Some start using rigid heddle looms as a way to use up their stash of knitting yarns. And what a great way to work with all those colours and textures, especially if you have small balls of yarn that you've been wondering what to do with all this time.

On our Weave a Scarf Workshop we use our own hand dyed sock yarn. It's brilliant in the warp and because of the high twist it's reliable on the day - the last thing you need to be worrying about is dealing with a broken warp thread.

Some people are nervous about using finer threads though, or cottons and this can seem a little daunting but with a few tips it's very attainable.

How can you weave with very fine thread on a rigid heddle?

At the moment I'm weaving with very fine white cotton and I absolutely love it. The warp and weft are both in the same yarn, a 47wpi fine cotton which I bought from a man who used to work in the textile trade and sold me 6 large cones a few years ago. If you're interested in weaving with fine cottons but don't want a huge outlay and you're in the North West of England, take a look at Fairfield Yarns in Heywood, Bury. There is a huge selection and David has extensive knowledge which he is very happy to share.

At first I had really no idea how to work with it on the rigid heddle but using two heddles has opened up so many more options. So for instance our sock yarn is 19wpi (wraps per inch, the amount of time the yarn wraps around an inch). To decide which heddle to use, you half that amount, so on our workshops we use a 10dpi heddle for our sock yarn. This measurement is called sett.

Which heddle would I use?

So where does that leave us with a yarn that is 47wpi on a rigid heddle? The finest heddle size Kromski sell is 12dpi. The answer is to use two heddles which doubles the sett. So if I halve my 47wpi I get 23.5wpi and if I use two 10dpi heddles I get a sett of 20, if I use two 12dpi I get a sett of 24. So either of those options are useable in this case, one will be a slightly looser weave than the other. You can also double up your threads if you only have one heddle, two threads in the slot and two in the hole. This will achieve the same sett with a slightly different look

I've chosen to weave diamond twill pattern on this fabric. When using cotton it's important that the tension is as equal across the warp as you can get it. It doesn't have to be overly tight but consistency is extremely important in the woven piece. I've found tying on in the neutral position but then also tightening in the up position can also help.

Also, when tying on, make sure the string that holds the apron rod is even, the last thing you need is for it to go wonky as it goes over the front beam.

One last point, if you can do a sample piece, please do! There is nothing more disheartening than spending a long time warping up only to struggle with the weaving or having to cut the warp off the loom. It's really worth taking the time to sample and record your findings.

The diamond twill here is very subtle as it's white on white but the effect with a darker warp is more pronounced. Solid colours will work better than variegated too.

Diamond Twill woven on Kromski rigid heddle loom

Want to understand a bit more?

If you're bamboozled by these terms then why not join us for our Double Heddle Workshop where you will learn what sett is, how to work with these calculations, weave Diamond Twill and double width cloth.

Click here for the upcoming workshop dates

5 Reasons we think Kromski looms are amazing!

Look at any rigid heddle weaving forum on the web and surely the most asked question is - I'm thinking of buying a loom, what's your favourite, Kromksi, Ashford or Schacht?

Well we love Kromski looms and here's the reasons why

1) They're made of wood and metal

People who spend time spinning and weaving tend to love, love, love all things natural. They devote hours to preparing fleece, spending time sourcing breed specific fibre and supporting farmers. They comb, card and spin slowly prepared fibre pouring their heart and soul into each project.

So we know that they will love the natural materials that go into their looms. The wood is European alder and has a reassuring weight to it without being heavy

Kromski Presto Loom

2) They fold

Kromski Harp Forte Loom folded

Now we know that some other looms on the market also fold, but all Kromski Harp Fortes do and here's why it can matter to your weaving journey - yes, you're on a journey

Obviously size can be an issue to many weavers - we live on a boat and so we feel the 'now where am I going to put that? pain'. The looms fold up, even with your weaving on it and so should you need to pack up mid project you can be sure everything is safely stored for when you're ready to go again.

Another great thing about a loom that folds is that it makes threading up so much easier. As you're threading into the slots and eyes, if you can fold your loom and have the heddle right there in front of you it makes everything much clearer and speeds up the process. We get everyone to do this on our workshops and we've heard the sighs as everything becomes clear.

3) Kromski are a family company

We touched briefly on this in our last post and we have to say, the fact that a spinning and weaving company is family run is not exclusive. Ashford are also a family firm.

But isn't that amazing?! How wonderful that we as spinners and weavers can support family run companies and see their heritage, whether you deal with Matylda Kromska or Elizabeth Ashford.

Kromski & Sons was set up by Leon Kromski in 1918 who was a master wood turner who operated his business until World War 2 and Communism forced him to stop. In the 60's, his son Leon reopened the business and started creating a line of spinning wheels. Now, Leon's two son's Daniel (the designer) and Wojciech (the wood technician) run the buisness which has 7 different models of spinning wheels and 2 types of loom.

Kromski spinning wheels
Matylda Kromska who sorts out our orders

4) A removable apron rod

At first, this removable rod at the front and back of your loom can be a bit tricky to cope with, but that rod will allow you to do amazing things!

If you've ever seen warp faced weaving (weaving where there are lots more warp ends to weft picks) you can appreciate how effective it is. Take a look at the work of Ptolemy Mann and you'll see what I mean. So to create those gorgeous stripes on a rigid heddle loom, one way is to use a painted warp. You can do these yourself or there are warps out there to buy . You can slide that warp over your apron rod and you're ready to thread up and weave.

If you're anything like me, a loom is an investment and so I want to be able to learn as many different techniques as I can and the Harp Forte looms allow for just that. Now speaking of that....

If you're interested in jumping down this particularly exciting rabbit hole, take a look at these posts

5) You can get 3 heddles on your loom

At some point you might want to weave with two heddles, well that's fine because Kromski heddle blocks allow for two heddles easily. But did you know you can weave with three? - I know!!!!

So there is a space at the back for another heddle block where your heddle will fit and you can weave with a denser sett than you every thought possible. It's like the most amazing rabbit hole you ever did pop down. There is a detailed post with all the information you'll need on the Kromskina website, including a photograph of the set up and patterns for you to follow. This photo is courtesy of Kromskina, with thanks for letting us use it. Click here - you have been warned

So that's why we love them, if you're considering purchasing a loom and you're not sure which one to plump for, why not come on our Two Day weaving course and you can choose to weave on a Kromski, Ashford or Schact to see whether you like it. The most important thing is weaving continues, no matter what you weave on and who could not be pleased with that?

See you next time]

Cathy

We are full on Kromski Dealers!

I'm sure that most of you know now that we stock Kromski looms and accessories. We think their looms are brilliant, if you've been on one of our workshops you'll know that we don't find it hard to praise them effusively. They are versatile, user friendly and are made by craftsmen with decades of experience.

A little bit about the Kromski family

The Kromski company is based in Poland and was started by Leon Kromski in 1918 which was then passed on to his son Leon and is now run by his grandsons Daniel and Wojciech. There's a little bit more about the family's history here. We deal mainly with Matylda Kromska who is the first person we go to when placing your order.

Kromski Dealer UK, Kromski Stockist Liverpool
Kromski Craftsmen

I'm going to do a more detailed post about what we love about the looms we stock and why they work for us in our weaving but also fit into our lives in the near future but for now here's our news

We're going to be taking orders for all the Kromski range including their large selection of wheels and all the accessories!! This is a new venture for us and we're pretty darn excited.

As a small business with not a lot of extra space (boat life) we won't be able as yet to stock everything to be delivered immediately but we have been assured by the Kromski family that three weeks is the absolute maximum that you will need to wait once you have placed your order.

By dipping our feet into selling wheels as well as stocking looms we are hoping that soon we will be able to stock the whole range. We know that crafters are patient - we certainly wouldn't be spinners or weavers if we weren't and so we're hoping you'll be ok with a week or two's wait on your gorgeous new wheel

Kromski polonaise spinning wheel with single treadle and double drive band
Kromski polonaise spinning wheel with single treadle and double drive band

To take a look at the wheels we have available take a look here. If you have any questions about which wheel might be the best for you then ask away, there will be more blog posts to follow where I hope to answer any and hopefully all your questions.

So here's a crazy idea....

First of all, to you spinners out there are you loving the Tour de Fleece? I feel like my spinning has taken a back seat recently to my weaving and I’ve loved sitting each day, during the highlights and spinning away. How are you getting on?

That time also allows extra thought to swish around my head (because to be honest, I’m not always paying 100% attention to those lycra clad skinnies!)

The thoughts went like this:

1) Why don’t I do something myself with all the waste fibre we have after Beginner’s Spinning workshops? Often we give it away, some crafters use it for stuffing, others for feltmaking. Sometimes it does just stay in a bag and ends up composted.

2) Tour de Fleece will be coming up, why not use the waste fibre and spin that on race days, have my Tour de Fleece as a no waste project.

3) What could woven wool be used for other than scarves and wraps and rugs? We’d used the leno curtain from on our weaving workshops to inspire people - don’t you think the leno technique can be a bit lost on it’s own but as a repeat so effective?

Leno Lace on rigid heddle Lazykate Textiles

4) So here's a crazy idea - a curtain. But where do I need a curtain? We live on a boat, all our curtains are small? How about a shower curtain? for years I’ve waxed lyrical about the amazing properties of wool including the fact that it’s water resistant (not waterproof though) If I spun the thread fine enough so that the fabric was light even though the weave was closely packed so that the water wouldn’t get through……would that work?

Issues:

Would the fabric go mouldy quickly?

Is wool really water resistant enough? Or do we just repeat what we heard someone else say? Is it time for wool to put it’s money where it’s mouth is?

Even if the fabric was light, once the curtain was wet would it become so heavy that it distorted the fabric?

Would it smell very sheepy?

So the only way to answer these questions as far as I can see is to experiment and see whether a wool shower curtain would work. Unless one of you has experience of this and if you do I’d love you to pass it on. And also, just your thoughts - maybe the fabric could be coated with something afterwards that would waterproof it? If so, would that be an environmentally friendly process?

I’ll be posting my progress as I spin but as I’m aiming for around 48wpi for my singles it’s quite slow. So there may be other things in between

And those of you who know me well know I can be a bit of a fibberty jibbid mentally so I’m hoping this will keep me accountable and focused.

More to follow….suggestions and advice gratefully received

Keep up to date with us on our instagram !

Double Heddle Weaving

Our first Double Heddle Weaving workshop will soon be upon us and we have been weaving samples and putting together our thoughts for the class. This workshop is sold out but if you'd like to see the next run of dates, have a look here

Using two heddles opens up so many more options for your weaving. It can seem like such a mountain to climb but as is often the case in life, a bite at a time will mean you can eat that whole elephant.

Why I love weaving with two heddles so much

Double Heddle Weaving - acheiving a closer sett

For me, one of the most attractive elements of weaving with two heddles is that it allows me to use delicate silk yarns to achieve a really close sett which I absolutely love. I did think that weaving double width would 'it' but seems not. Peta Ann, who dyes our naturally dyed yarn experiments with different bases for us and has created some beautiful shades on a merino/silk/alpaca laceweight yarn that is stunning to work with.

This scarf was woven on a 16" Kromski loom using a 12dpi heddle doubled up with a balanced weave structure. So the sett would be 24epi(ends per inch) as the yarn is double so for a balanced weave the picks (weft threads) would also be 24ppi (picks per inch).

Loosely woven silk laceweight scarf - one heddle

You can see that the weave is really open and although I really love it as it has an amazing drape and is light as a feather, it has a tendency to catch and makes me slightly nervous to wear it.

Using two heddles will allow me to have a very close sett, it doubles up because of the two heddles and so my weaving is much denser.

What else??

Oh I have so fallen in love with diamond twill and the lovely patterning in the fabric. The threading for this is easier than for double weaving and I'm all for less effort more reward. So I think this will appear on day one of the workshop, easing us into the threading gently and yet producing this gorgeous fabric. Obviously there is some desperate need for hemstitching but I couldn't wait to share.

Will this be an online course?

Yes we are in the process of planning an online version of this course so you'll be able to access all you need to know to add extra patterns and weave double(ish) the cloth at home, taking your time and being able to watch the videos again and again.

We will be posting some tips and hints in our next blog but if you have any questions or suggestions, by all means keep in touch, we're all learning and something you know might just help someone else.

Till next time

5 Tips for Drafting Consistent Yarn

We're well into our Sheep to Skein course and on Week 2 we went straight into spinning. When you're a complete beginner the aim of the game is to be able to draft the fibres (the part you do with your hands) and treadle (with your feet) at the same time. Thinking at this point is highly over rated, you just need to do. It does not matter what the skein of yarn looks like, once you are able to draft and treadle everything else can be refined.

When you've been spinning for a little while you will see a huge improvement in consistency. In fact we always advise our beginners to hold onto their first skein because the comparison between first and second skein is usually huge. At this point its so exciting to produce our own yarn and celebrate how far we've come on our spinning journey, we do not need to weigh ourselves down with twists per inch and angles of twist. And this yarn with it's slight lumps and bumps can add gorgeous texture to woven or knitted fabric that 'perfect' yarn cannot.

This week on the podcast we're talking about consistent yarn because at some point you will want to create it. I give you my knitted socks. Oh the toe is great, |I'm so happy with the consistent drafting and well timed plying. I was concentrating so much on my yarn at this point, treadling steadily, drafting the same amount of fibre out each time. The plying too is something I'm very happy with. I actually can remember starting out and feeling like it was going well

But the I remember we watched a movie length Italian subtitled murder mystery. There endeth the excellent yarn and as I knitted down my sock the inconsistencies are glaring. Lumps and bumps, little slubs and over plied sections. Now for me, I love to spin while chatting and watching the TV so this is something I'm going to allow myself to live with. I love these socks, they're warm and cosy and who cares, it's me that's going to wear them so I'm happy.

Drafting consistent fibre

What things can we do if we're aiming for gorgeous well drafted and plied yarn? Here are some tips for drafting consistent yarn.

  1. Choice of fibre to start with. On our course we are looking at carded and combed fibre. Combed fibre because of the preparation will always be smoother than a carded batt or rolag. So give yourself a fighting chance and choose the right prep. If you're not preparing it yourself, top will be the best fibre for a smooth draft

2. I strip my fibres thinly so that i have more control when I'm drafting, not super thin though, probably about 2.5 (an inch) in thickness. Drafting from the top - which we will talk about at a later date is something to consider trying but for a quick win this will give you a head start

3. For a consistent yarn, spin a short forward draw. The small drafts will help you keep control and smoothing the fibres down as you slide your pinch over the fibre will also help keep your yarn looking lovely and give you excellent stitch definition.

4. Don't draft too far - take into account the staple length of the breed you're spinning and change your drafting accordingly. If you draft too far you'll notice that there will be a thinner section as the staple ends and this will cause a thick/thin effect in your yarn. So only draft out at the most half of the staple length to avoid this happening

This is a brilliant tip courtesy of Rachel Smith from Welford Purls on You Tube. She places a couple of pieces of tape on her apron around 1.5 inches apart and drafts her fibre to that measurement allowing her to keep consistency. I am definitely going to try this

As always on our courses and workshops we tell everyone (and try and take note ourselves) that we are here to spin for fun. So don't get hung up on perfect this and that, it's the inconsistencies that create the beauty in handspun yarn and we need to celebrate these. But if you want to try something new, or in my case wear better socks, then try these tips and see how you go and because we're always all learning, if you have tips you've found worked for you pleased let us know and we will share it on our podcast. Take a look at the episode here

To see a short tutorial on how to draft consistent yarn, click here

We hope you find these tips for drafting consistent yarn helpful!

Sheep to Skein Weekly Class

What's it all about?

Our focus for 2023 is to slow things down a little and take the time to do a little more in depth exploration into the spinning and weaving process

We love our daily workshops and the Two Day courses that we introduced for 2022 have been successful and hugely enjoyable. We've found that people have travelled from all over the country to take part which has been brilliant.

So for the year ahead, we would like to introduce a weekly class starting on Monday 9th January at 1.30pm until 3.30pm where people can take the time they need to learn the whole process of spinning and weaving from the sheep to a skein of wool and beyond.

Weekly textile class spinning and weaving

What will it cover?

We are really wanting to be guided by you and what you would like to learn. In the initial 8 weeks we can look at washing and preparing a fleece in different ways including combing and carding, spinning and then weaving your handspun yarn.

If it is that you would like to spend more time on the fleece preparation, then that's fine with us. If you want to move quickly through to the weaving element of the course, then we can do that too. People like to learn in different ways and at different speeds and we see no reason why we can't accommodate this.

Learn to use wool combs  spinning

Where will it take place?

We will be using Luna Meeting room behind Ryde Cafe which is part of the Brewery Village in Liverpool, L8 5AF. Its a great space with plenty of room for wheels and looms and we will be able to warp up there comfortably as well.

We will provide refreshments but as we will be starting at 1.30pm you might like to nip to the cafe for a bit of lunch before the course starts

In a nutshell:

We will cover:

This overview doesn't cover absolutely everything we will discuss and of course, questions will arise while you're working and we will do our best to answer those.

We think it's going to be brilliant fun and are looking forward to getting started. There are different options to pay for the course, you can pay in full or break it up into 3 installments using Paypal. Each week works out at £25 for the two hours which includes materials.

Check out our instagram to see some of our workshops in action!

Learn to spin wool Liverpool

We really hope you will join us, if you have any questions, ask away or if you'd like to book, click here

Want to Weave? - What Do You Need?

So if you can afford a brand new loom, stand, bag and all the extras - maybe it's a special gift, maybe you've had a bonus at work then good for you. Want to weave? Get that order in and off you go!

If that's not an option at the moment, what do you actually need to begin? We'll talk you through what we've found out in our years of weaving (and also losing things, breaking things and having to do things on the hoof)

The items that you definitely cannot do without..

1. You'll need a loom Now you know that we are Kromski dealers and you can see why we think these are great looms in our previous post. But you don't need a new one if it's out of your budget. Keep an eye out for looms on ebay or in facebook groups, they come up more often than you think

2 .A heddle. A new loom comes with an 8dpi heddle which is great for Double Knitting yarn. But what if you have a huge stash of sock yarn (who doesn't - we have a shed full). Well, you can warp up using double the yarn in each slot and eye saving you from having to buy a 10dpi or 12dpi heddle. Of course, if you wanted one, that would be a completely different matter. I may be the owner of all the options in existence...

Kromski Pick Up Sticks, Pick Up Sticks

3. Accessories. The necessary ones include

Shuttles You really need these and we use stick shuttles on our workshops. It's handy to have a few as you might use them as Pick Up Sticks (see below)

A hook

Clamps to clamp both your loom and a peg to the table so that you can do direct warping

Yarn - not included in your new loom but you can't weave without it. Use a nice strong yarn for your warp - remember it's going to have to withstand some friction and tension, but for your rigid heddle looms, knitting yarn is usually fine. Give it a good tug. If it doesn't snap, you're usually good to go

Not necessary but really nice to have...

Warping pegs If you have a Kromski loom you will have the option to create a warp using indirect warping so you can create a warp if you don't have a table. You don't need these if you're happy to direct warp

A helper This little wooden implement helps you hold the dowel when tying on your warp on a Kromski loom. Technically you don't need it but in reality it is going to make your life sooo much easier and we would definitely recommend having one. If you have an Ashford rigid heddle you won't need this and Schacht looms, while they also have a removable dowel won't include a helper.

Weaving fork If you want your weft beaten down further than the heddle will beat it, a weaving fork can be a great little tool. There are some beautiful ones out there if you'd like to be fancy but if you dont have one of these you could always use.... a fork.

Pick Up Sticks These little flat sticks are just what you need if you want to create patterns in your weaving and you will definitely want at least one at some point. But you can do the job just as well with an extra shuttle

Pick Up Sticks

Boat Shuttles If you're weaving using a larger loom, a boat shuttle is a great little tool and we use ours all the time. Takes a little practice but once you've done a few rows you'll be away. This shuttle will fly across your shed speeding up your weaving.

Boat Shuttle

*just a little point, it's probably good to try these out. Not everyone loves them as much as we do. If you'd like to try though, we bring them to our Two Day Weaving Workshops for people to experiment with.

So, in summary

You can begin weaving with a few necessary items and you will love it!

If you have had that promotion/special celebration/saved up for ages situation then take a look at our Weaver's Starter Kit where you get the whole shebang - loom in a size of your choice, bag and stand. And if you do we will throw in our online warping workshop for free. Just so we can join in the fun!!

Kromski loom kit, weavers starter kit, loom bag and stand

To see weaving inspiration, check out our instagram!

For a helping hand starting your weaving journey, check out our weaving workshops

Which Size Rigid Heddle Loom?

Which is the right rigid heddle loom
Weaving on an 8" Kromski Rigid Heddle Loom

The purchase of a rigid heddle loom is not an inconsiderable one, for most people the amount of money they are going to invest is something to really think about, so which size rigid heddle loom is right up there in your considerations.

So, there are certain things you need to take into account when choosing your loom. As we mainly deal with Kromski rigid heddle looms, we will mainly be referring to them but most rigid heddle looms work in the same way so the information is pretty transferrable. Kromski looms are available in four sizes, 8", 16", 24" and 32" so getting the right one for you takes a little bit of thinking about. On our Two Day Weaving Workshop we offer people the chance to use our looms, giving them the opportunity to try a size of loom out before they buy

What do you intend to weave?

People come to weave with differing ideas. Some people want to make scarves, table runners, or smaller projects. They might want to weave smaller lengths of fabric that they can make bags, pin cushions or smaller items that won't take up too much time. Some weavers want to sample and experiment with a rigid heddle loom before they move onto the larger piece on their 4 or 8 shaft loom. So a small 8" loom would do them just fine. We use 8" Kromski Harp looms on our workshops and people weave the most beautiful scarves. Or we have also woven gorgeous cotton facecloths as gifts on our smaller loom and found it liberating to weave little projects and have them completed quickly.

Facecloths woven on an 8" Kromski Rigid Heddle Loom

If you are wanting to weave fabric so that you can make clothes then obviously a larger loom is what you need. There are lots of options for creating fabric for clothes, weaver Sarah Howard has a large selection of patterns created specially for the rigid heddle loom and she starts from the 16" so don't automatically think that you would need a huge loom in order to create fabric for clothing. Also, there is a technique called Double Heddle Weaving where you can use two heddles on your rigid heddle loom and weave double the width. So, if you have a 16" loom, you could create a 30" piece of cloth (just allowing there for draw in)

Where are you going to weave?

If you have enough space to be able to keep a loom permanently on a stand then you could have a large loom, maybe even a 32" loom. Some people though weave against a kitchen table and if you've been to one of our workshops you'll have woven just like that. So if you have a table that you can rest comfortably on and it's large enough for your loom to fit on and is sturdy enough so that you can lean against the loom then a larger loom could be good for you.

The Kromski Harp Forte looms fold in half, even when your weaving is attached. So if storage of your loom is an issue, as it is for us living on a boat, then the fact that it can fold in half is a real assett.

What is your budget?

The smaller the loom, the cheaper the price but for Kromski looms, the difference in price between the loom sizes is around £30. So we would always recommend going for the largest loom you can afford because you can always weave smaller pieces on a larger loom but not the other way round and for the sake of £30 you wouldn't want to be frustrated with your weaving because you were limited in what you could produce.

Kromski looms tend to be a mid range pricing, with Ashford looms cheaper and Schaacht looms more expensive. We use all three types of looms on our workshops, Ashfords are great but some of their parts are plastic and can come off. The Ashford looms are slightly easier to warp because their dowel is attached and if you didn't intend to use a painted warp or do any indirect warping then this could be a good choice for you.

We love the Kromski being made of wood and metal and also having the removable dowel which allows painted warps to be just slipped over the dowel and warped up and so could possibly have more options when it comes to creativity. Also, being able to use an indirect warping method would allow you to create a really long warp and weave scarves as presents for everyone you know!

Things to make life easier

If you've purchased your loom from new, you will have a stick shuttle included. We've found that when using a larger loom a boat shuttle is a great little piece of kit and may change your weaving life! Particularly with the 32" loom, you really are getting to quite a width and a stick shuttle that large can be a little bit cumbersome. A small boat shuttle that you can fling across your shed will make your weaving more manageable and is actually really good fun too

What now?

Well, if you'd like to come on a Weave a Scarf Workshop which runs for just the day we can warp up a larger loom for you to have a try on (everyone weaves the same width). Or if you'd like to come to the Two Day Weaving you can cherry pick your loom and see how you get on before you take the plunge

We're also happy to have a chat with you, if you give us a call we can even meet you and show you the looms and how they work. We want to support you in getting the perfect loom for your needs so let us know what you need and we will do everything we can to help.

Teaching spinning and weaving workshops and Kromski looms, proudly based in Liverpool, UK
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