I don't have a loom.  Wanting to know if you can only do certain things w/certain looms?  In other words, I am wanting to get and learn on the loom that I can do anything with.  I gather this would be a floor loom, but how big does it have to be to do huge projects; like bed sheets or blanket size?  I am wanting to buy a used loom, but they are all confusing me about the 46" and number of treadles and/or harnesses.  For example, I found the loom below w/the accompanying wording and it is leading me to believe that I can only make rugs w/this loom?  Also, suggestions on a good loom for me to look for that will be very versitile would be appreciated!  Thank you!

Leesburg Two Harness rug loom, instructional manual, approximately 40 yds. of warping on the warping beam. So, its ready to use! (weaving, rag rugs, treadle)
Several rugs have been made on this loom

Comments

Fri, 09/06/2013 - 22:13

mrdubyah (not verified)

     Every loom has some kind of limitation.  The loom pictured has only two frames ("harnesses") so it can only do tabby, a.k.a. plain weave.  That's the weave you did in elementary school (over/under/over/under every other thread.)  It's considered a rug loom because it is heavily built to provide the high tension needed for rug weaving and because it does only plain weave.  Most rugs are done in plain weave.  This is also a counterbalance loom because, when one frame goes up, the other goes down.  Unless you want to do rugs, I wouldn't suggest this as a first floor loom. 

     Instead, I'd recommend a 4 frame jack loom for a beginner.  The 4 frames will give you much more versatility at an affordable price.  In a jack loom, each frame is lifted separately ("jacked up") rather than working in pairs.  This makes them very easy to use.  With 4 frames, you can do a wide range of weave structures and you can double weave, making a fabric twice as wide as the loom. 

Don't worry about width yet.  First, concentrate on learning to warp and weave.  Get a loom wide enough to be useful, but not so wide that you can't conveniently reach both sides.  Start weaving scarves, shawls, towels, and rugs while you learn (you can do rugs on jack looms.)  Make useful and beautiful things while you practice.  Then, eventually, when you outgrow that loom, you can sell it and get one that's wider, one that has more frames, or maybe even a countermarche loom.  Looms bought used hold their value well and you can often sell them for the price paid.  

     Bottom line: don't buy a maserati as your first car.  Start with something relatively simple, affordable and practical.  There will be plenty of opportunity to move up later on and eventually, your dream loom will find you.  By then, you'll be experienced enough to recognize it!    DRW 

Fri, 09/06/2013 - 22:17

Dena (not verified)

I agree with mrdubyah.  The loom that is going to be great for blankets and bedsheets, isn't necessarily going to be fun for weaving scarves and shawls.  I have this 80% rule....if you can only have one loom, get something that is going to be great for what you're doing 80% of the time.  For the rest of it, you can stretch the looms capabilities, go to a school or community studio or have some really good weaver friends. 

If you want to mostly make rag rugs, this sounds like a good one for you, but for any kind of patterning, it's not what you want.  Try not to be swayed by a loom that comes with warp.  It's best to learn how to put your own warp on when you are learning.  You also have no idea what kind of shape the warp is in or how well it was warped.

I would try to find a four shaft, six treadle jack loom (I know all the CM folks out there have strong and opposite opinions), somewhere between 18-36" weaving width.  When you are buying used, it's often easier to find slightly larger looms at reasonable prices.

Sun, 09/08/2013 - 04:07

celtinbirks

I agree with the above posters, but a 4 shaft counterbalance floor loom would be a good idea too.  And just like some people think that jack looms can't weave rugs, some people believe that counterbalance looms can't do "unbalanced" weaves.  They can. 

Maybe even consider a 4 shaft table loom to learn on if you found one for a very good price. 

Good luck.

Sun, 09/08/2013 - 07:53

ReedGuy

Consider that the floor loom like the counter looms have some depth to give you a better shed when weaving large projects. I'm new to weaving to and I've tried many different weaves on a countermarche and have not been stumped yet. And I know it can do rugs, as it's pretty much the same as the Glamikra Standard, on which I've seen folks on here weave rugs with. 'Big Book of Weaving' has two types of rugs done on counter looms. A rag rug on pages 78, 140, 144 and bath mat page 146. I built mine, so I know the mechincs of floor loom weaving.

If your going to do blankets and sheets you'll need sufficient width or the number of shafts required to weave two layers with a fold on one edge. This is double wide weaving. To weave double wide, the draft you use will require everything to be doubled, so you can weave the 2 layers. Now that being said, you could piece and sew, to make the width. But do you want to do that? Remember that the fabric will draw-in when removed from the loom because the yarn is relaxed when taken off tension and it will shrink when washed and fulled, combined this could be 20-30%.