What Is Weaving, and What Is a Loom? A Plain Guide
Weaving makes cloth by passing one set of threads over and under another. A loom is the device that holds the first set taut so you can do that. Looms run from a pair of sticks and a strap to a floor-standing frame, and each suits different cloth. A scarf is a common first project: both Ashford and Kromski start beginners there.
Warp and weft
Two words explain most of it. Ashford’s rigid heddle booklet calls them the basis of all weaving.
- Warp is the set of threads put on the loom first and held under tension.
- Weft is the thread that passes over and under the warp to form the cloth.
Weaving then repeats three motions, which here are in everyday words:
- Open a gap. Part of the warp lifts away from the rest. That opening is called the shed.
- Pass the weft through. A shuttle is the tool that carries the weft from side to side through the shed.
- Push it into place. This is called beating. On Ashford’s rigid heddle loom you use the reed, the slotted piece the warp runs through, and Ashford’s hint is “Always beat gently.”
Then the shed changes, so the warp threads swap places and lock the weft in, and you go again.
A heddle is what lifts a warp thread. On a shaft loom, each warp thread has its own, and a shaft is the frame that holds a group of them, so lifting one shaft lifts every thread on it. Schacht’s guide to loom types gives the reason this matters: “The more shafts on a loom, the more weave structures it can create.” A weave structure is the over-and-under pattern that makes the cloth.
The kinds of loom
Schacht sorts looms into frame and tapestry looms, rigid heddle looms, shaft looms and specialty looms. Wikipedia describes one more, very old kind.
| Loom | How it works | What it makes |
|---|---|---|
| Backstrap | Warp between two bars, one tied to something fixed, one held by a strap around you | Cloth, with your own body setting the tension |
| Frame or tapestry | A rectangle holds the warp; you lift threads with hand tools or bars | Tapestry and small pieces |
| Inkle | A wooden frame with pegs for the warp | Narrow bands |
| Pin | You weave across it with a needle | Small squares, 10 cm (4 in) on Schacht’s |
| Rigid heddle | One slotted piece makes the sheds; sits on a table or stand | Lengths of fabric |
| Table | Shafts lifted with hand levers | Lengths of fabric, more weave structures |
| Floor | Shafts worked with foot pedals called treadles | Lengths of fabric, more weave structures |
A few notes on what these mean for you.
Small frames travel. Tapestry weaver Rebecca Mezoff says simple frame looms suit small projects, travel and samples, and that big work needs a loom that can tighten its warp.
Bands have their own loom. Teacher Kelly Casanova puts it simply: “An inkle loom is for weaving bands.”
Rigid heddle is where Ashford and Kromski start beginners. Its one piece, called a rigid heddle or reed, has slots and small holes called eyes. Raise it and one set of threads lifts; lower it and the other does. Schacht calls that the equivalent of a two-shaft loom. Casanova calls it “one of the easiest weaving looms to learn on,” and says extra tools such as pickup sticks let it reproduce many three- and four-shaft patterns. Handwoven takes up the question in Rigid-Heddle Weaving Is Real Weaving.
Table looms add shafts. Ashford’s folding table looms come with four, eight or sixteen shafts. Casanova says they are heavier than rigid heddle looms and need a sturdy table or stand, and that dressing them takes longer. Dressing means getting the warp onto the loom and threaded.
Floor looms stand on their own. Teacher Liz Gipson defines a floor loom as a loom with two or more shafts worked by treadles. Ashford’s eight-shaft floor loom weaves up to 97 cm (38 in) wide. Gipson notes that many weavers find floor looms more efficient, but you have to count the setup time.
What you can make
Start with a scarf, then let the loom lead you.
- Scarves. Ashford’s first project is a striped scarf from a 2 m (79 in) warp, finishing 28 cm (11 in) wide. Kromski’s Presto scarf is 15 x 150 cm (6 x 60 in).
- Towels and shawls. Spokane Handweavers’ Guild member Susan Boyson is pictured delivering scarves, shawls and dish towels she made.
- Small weekend pieces. Little Looms has Five Projects You Can Warp and Weave in a Weekend.
Cloth also changes once it’s off the loom. Ashford says washing lets the threads open up and fill the spaces, which gives the fabric its finished look.
FAQ
Is a rigid heddle loom a real loom?
Yes. Liz Gipson, who began on a floor loom and now works mainly on rigid heddle, says there is “almost no structure or project” you can’t weave on one.
What does warping mean?
Warping is putting the warp threads onto the loom before you weave. Ashford’s booklet walks through it for a first scarf.
Your next step
Read how to start weaving, or find the loom that suits what you want to make. If you’re still choosing a craft, see spinning or weaving: where to start. For any word here, the spinning and weaving glossary has you covered.