Pin Loom

Learning often happens outside of a classroom. In this particular case, my friend Beth Zerweck-Tembo spent 45 minutes in a parking lot one evening showing me how to weave a 2" square on a pin loom. Imagine that: we made a piece of fabric while standing next to our car under streetlights! 

Pin looms, my friend told me, are commonly found in 2", 4", and 6” squares. They are also available in rectangles using those dimensions. The weaving technique is called continuous weaving because one warp thread is wrapped three times around pegs on the loom, creating a grid pattern, and the same yarn is then woven through the grid to make the fabric piece. Continuous weaving is also done on large triangle looms to make shawls, blankets, or runners. A bias weave is possible, and other fibers can be inserted along the way for interest, sparks of color, and texture.

My mind began to race with possibilities. I could use my yarns left over from knitting. I did not have to purchase a tabletop or floor loom and dedicate another space to a new craft. I could find my own pin loom online, at an antique shop, at a yard sale—perhaps even in an older relative’s craft stash or attic. Maybe my newly woven squares and rectangles could be added to hooked work. Maybe I could hook through the new loosely woven backing. Maybe experiments with colors could lead to better understanding of how colors fit together. I couldn’t wait to get started playing with these tiny looms.

This article is from the March/April/May 2015 issue. For more information on our issues, check out our issues page.