I've used every style of loom there is, but once I met the rigid-heddle loom I found my muse. She's accessible, portable, versatile, and so easy to set up that she allows me to iterate through my ideas quickly making it more likely that I will remember my head smacks and less likely to repeat them.

This column is for knitters (and other fiberists) who will appreciate the speed at which you can crank out cloth, use up your stash, and teach your yarn to do new things. The gross motor movements of weaving are a nice break from the intimacy of knitting without sacrificing the feeling of handwork.

To the loom, knitters, to the loom!

by Liz Gipson

SIZE
One

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS (laid flat)
Width: approx. 6.75 inches
Height: 24.5 inches (including 4-inch fringe)

MATERIALS
Yarn
Worsted-weight yarn that has a wraps-per-inch somewhere between 14–18 and blooms well (not superwash or nylon). Shown in Seeding by Classic Elite (100% organic cotton) in Lei colorway (#4566) for warp; and Creative Linen by Rowan (50% cotton/50% linen) in Tamarind (#3643) for weft.

Tools
rigid-heddle Loom with at least an 8" weaving width
8-dent rigid heddle
2 stick shuttles
large-eyed yarn needle
small embroidery scissors
smooth scrap yarn

Project specifications
Warp: 75yd in color of your choosing
Weft: 60yd in color of your choosing
Warp Ends: 56
Warp Length: 48"

Width In Reed: 7 inches
Sett: 8
PPI (Picks Per Inch or the number of wefts in an inch): 8

PATTERN NOTES
[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]

If you are unhappy with the drape of your fabric, it is probably because you are packing the weft yarns too tight and not leaving enough space between your yarns. They need room to bloom!

A table runner/scarf is a good first project because you aren't looking for drape so if you overbeat it, it won't affect the final result. It is a perfect, quick gift project that will burn through your stash.

DIRECTIONS
Warping
Warp the loom following the project specifications above. (This is the same sized warp shown in the Knitty warping video.) If you need help with understanding basic loom function, warping, and weaving techniques refer to your loom manual or get your hands on a copy of the newly revised Weaving Made Easy.

Center the warp in the rigid heddle for 7 inches. Using the direct warping method, thread 7 inches worth of slots. Wind the warp on the back beam adding packing paper between the layers. Move one thread in each slot to a hole to its left. Tie the warp on the front apron rod and adjust for even tension.

To give yourself a good foundation and to spread the warp, start by weaving a piece about 1.5 inches long with scrap yarn. It doesn't matter if you start in an up or down shed.

Using your project weft, open the next shed and insert your first pick leaving a tail of about 6 inches. Change sheds, tuck the tail in the new shed and then bring it out between two warp ends. Lay in the next pick at about a 60 degree angle and beat (see top photo at right).

Continuing weaving, as you do maintain your weft angle. This will allow the weft enough room to travel over and under the warp ends and keep your fabric from pulling in at the edges. If you have loops at the edges, called selvedges, your weft angle is too steep,

Beat the yarn gently as you weave to maintain a consistent number of wefts per inch. (See middle photo.) Your goal is to get the same number of warp and weft ends in an inch of weaving. Don't over think this, though. The goal is to get a few projects under your belt, not perfection!

Remove Cloth from Loom
While the scarf is still on the loom, cut the weft leaving about a 12-inch tail. Thread this tail through the large-eyed yarn needle. Needleweave it in front of the last pick.

Remove the scarf from the loom by cutting the warp behind the rigid heddle and untying the warp from the front apron rods.

FINISHING
Lattice Fringe
Using small embroidery scissors and working carefully, cut the scrap yarn in half. Remove half of the scrap and tie the warp in bundles of four warp ends using an overhand knot. Note: the first and last bundle will have five yarns in it. Leave the knots fairly loose at first so that you can go back and adjust if necessary.

Work from whichever direction is comfortable for you. In this scenario I'm working from left to right. Like many things yarn, this is easier to do than comprehend.

Liz Gipson is a lover of yarn and that from which it comes -- namely the mills and fiber-bearing critters and plants. She is the author of the newly revised Weaving Made Easy and has two DVDs Slots and Holes: Three Ways to Warp a Rigid-Heddle Loom and Life After Warping: Weaving Well on your Rigid-Heddle Loom

She recently lanched Yarnworker, a source for indepentantly published patterns and know-how for the rigid-heddle loom.

Find her on Ravelry as TheCashmereKid (she has goats) or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.