Knitter's Loom
by Ashford

available in Canada
via Harmonique

Sizes tested:
12" [by Robbie] SRP: $235,
custom-fit carry bag: $50

20" [by Amy], SRP: $275,
custom-fit carry bag: $65.50

Note: Many retailers offer a discount when you buy the bag with the loom. As we recommend below, buy the bag.

Tools Included with both:
1 - Loom
1 - Warping Hook
1 - 7.5dpi reed
1 - Warping Peg
1 - Threading Hook
2 - Table Clamps
Introduction to Weaving Guide

NOTE: In this review, Robbie's comments sit to the left of the page in regular type, Amy's are to the right in italics.

First Impressions
Robbie: As a knitter and spinner, I have stash. Like most knitters who learn to spin, that stash has recently started to grow rather exponentially. I decided one day to look into rigid heddle looms, as an alternative way to use the yarn I collect and create, but didn’t know where to begin. After investigating all the options, I decided to give the Ashford Knitter’s loom a try. It’s easily available in any yarn or spinning shop that carries Ashford products, and seemed to be one of the more versatile options on the market. As a bonus, not being sure about weaving, theprice was certainly right for trying out. When I picked up the loom in the store, I was surprised by how light the box was. It was easy to carry home on public transit.

Amy: When given the opportunity to test the Ashford Knitter's Loom, I opted for the 20" wide version. I liked the idea of more flexibility in the width of my projects and one of the big plusses of these looms are that they fold [see picture at left], meaning they take up much less space in one's house than you might think.

The carry bag, as far as I'm concerned, isn't optional. The loom feels surprisingly light in this well-designed bag, which holds everything in just the right way, and distributes its weight evenly over your shoulder. It also has pockets for storage of extra items, and lots of room to hold the yarn you're going to weave. Get it.

Robbie noted that there was very little difference in weight between our two looms, unwarped, in the shoulder bags.

At first glance, my impression of the loom was that it was very sturdy and well made. As I unpacked the box, I noticed how easy it was to unfold the loom, and how well packed all the additions were. Having never weaved before, I settled in with the guide on how to warp and weave, expecting a steep learning curve. To my surprise however, the thin and simple picture-based guide had me understanding the concepts within minutes, and I decided to dive right in.

I'm not new to Ashford fiber products, having had the chance to test both an Ashford Joy Spinning wheel and an Ashford drum carder in the past. As with both those products, this Ashford loom is very attractively designed, well made and the wood is beautifully finished. The fact that this loom folds up for travel and storage is pretty impressive, and immensely functional.

Setting It Up
Having heard many times that warping is a time consuming process, and not fun to do, I was expecting this part to be tedious. I clamped my loom to one table, and the included warping peg to another one nearby by, ensuring the distance was long enough to make a scarf as suggested in the guide. It was very simple and easy to do, and with the 7.5dpi reed for my first project, I was able to wrap the warp in a matter of 20 minutes.

Warping takes a little longer with a wider loom, and it was closer to 45 minutes for me to warp, under the watchful eyes of my experienced-weaver-friend Denny. The included Ashford manual has very clear photographs and instructions, and having Denny there was a little safety net for me.

A great tip for this is to use two tables [see pic at right], rather than one as shown in the guide. Not having a big table, I used two smaller ones, and found I could stand in-between them, reducing my need to walk back and forth from peg to loom. I’m certain this helps speed up the process and make it less tiring.

Warping the 20" loom wasn't hard, but I did find it a little straining on my back. Using a higher table would have helped, and Robbie's suggestion about using two tables and standing in the middle is sheer brilliance. Much more ergonomically efficient.

The next step is to cut the threads at the peg and have a friend hold them and walk towards you as you wind onto the loom. There are instructions for doing this solo on the Ashford website, and though I had a friend help me, I could see myself doing it alone just as easily.

Within a few more minutes, I was sitting down with the loom comfortably in my lap, separating the threads into slots and holes [see pic at right] as is required for any rigid heddle loom. This process was made easy by the diminutive size of the loom, as I found it easy to balance on my knee while sitting, and it is, in fact, quite light.

The Actual Weaving
The included instructions made the actual weaving seem extremely simple, and I was a bit skeptical, but it really is as easy as it looks. With the warp set on the loom, you simply start with the heddle (the part the vertical warp threads are threaded through) in its “Up” position, and pass your yarn-filled shuttle under the top layer of threads. Move the heddle to its “Down” position, pass the shuttle back through. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

I found my greatest trouble in weaving was having the tension not tight enough on either roller. This is the kind of thing you learn with practise, and I soon got to learn when to take up my work on the front roller and when the tension wasn't right between the two. Once you get going, you develop a pleasant rhythm and it's quite enjoyable.

I was surprised to find that in a very short amount of time, the working area of the loom was full, and it was time to roll the work so I could keep going. A scarf in worsted weight would probably take 3-5 hours. Using lace weight for my weft (the horizontal threads that go back and forth), I completed a scarf in about 7 hours. The resulting fabric was soft and warm, and very balanced looking. One important thing to consider when taking your project off the loom is that it won't look right until you soak it. Weaving does a magical thing when it's washed; tension evens out, fabric fulls a little and fluffs up, and edges get less wavy and uneven.

The loom is truly portable, and in its optional carry bag, it can be slung over your shoulder and walked with easily. The bag has roomy pockets for storing yarn and accessories, so you can take it all with you. With weaving on the loom, you simply move the heddle into “Travel” position, loosen two knobs, and fold it. Pack it in your bag and you’re all set.

Overall Impression
In using the loom for two weeks, it has been truly enjoyable to have and use. By the second project I was getting better tension, having had a bit of practice, and produced several scarves that other knitters I know were surprised and delighted by. It has become a wonderful hobby I can indulge in while watching a movie, and I even take it to a nearby knitting group with me. I love how quickly i can set up a project, and how easy and compact it is to use.

I also was surprised at how portable this loom is and how, even with the larger width, I wasn't taking more than my share of room up at my LYS. All you need is a little table ledge to lean it against [it has notches just for this purpose] and you can weave along while you're friends are knitting or watching tv or whatever. Weaving also has me excited because I've got too many fine yarns in my stash that I bought without realizing I don't really like knitting with fine yarns. But weaving with them? It's awesome.

Want to see my progress? I pulled my first long piece of weaving off the loom and as I unrolled back in time, my work got sloppier and sloppier. Here's the oldest stuff:

Big holes in the work, cramped up weaving on the edges, right next to big open spots.

Here's the latest weaving, and man doesn't it look about a billion times better?

Much, much better.

That's because it is. Like any fiber craft, there's a learning curve, and you can see here how much better I got with a few hours' practise.

The main reason my weaving in the 1st photo is such a mess is that I was vigorously beating the work with the heddle after each row. The work in the 2nd photo is even and straight because I stopped doing that, on guru Denny's advice. Simply pulling the heddle toward my lap gently but firmly, one time, was enough to settle a row in place. My edges are now tidy and my fabric is firm and even. Very proud of this.

Robbie: My only problem with the loom would be the warp stick ties that are used to fix yarn to both ends of the loom. They’re really thin plastic, and Ashford only provides just enough for what the loom requires. When removing my first project, I accidentally snipped through one. After emailing them to find out where I can buy replacements, they’ve offered to mail me some. They really should just be in the box. While waiting, I’m using string to hold the warp sticks in place, and it works very well, but it seems like a silly thing to not just include more in the box, knowing how likely it is that they’ll break or be snipped once in a while.

One thing that’s interesting to note, is that Ashford provides many accessories for this loom, some of which I’ve already acquired. There are additional reeds available, which change the gauge at which you weave. I found the 7.5dpi included was good for worsted and DK weights, and soon invested in the 10dpi reed which works well for fingering and sport weights, and the 12.5dpi reed which works well for lace and finer yarns. There’s also a 5dpi reed available, recommended for chunkier yarns and art yarns.

This loom even provides the option of adding a second heddle kit, which means you would have more versatility in creating patterns, or the ability to use a finer yarn with more warp threads per inch than possible with the available heddles. After investigating weaving, I’ve also learned that one can use pick up sticks to create more patterns. There are lots of books and DVDs I’ve looked at that show this type of loom is capable of much more than plain weaving. A rigid heddle loom with pick up sticks or an additional heddle can produce complex and interesting patterns in your weaving, with a few simple tricks.

Amy: By the way, the gorgeous scarf Robbie is wearing in the last photo above? It took him 3 hours to weave, including warping the loom. No wonder he looks so happy.