10 Weaving Tips For Faster, Easier & Better Frame Loom Weaving

In today’s blog post, I’m sharing my 10 weaving tips to make your weaving experience faster, easier, and more enjoyable (than it already is 😊 ).

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No one loves weaving more than I do. And I love sharing my passion right here on the blog (and soon in my Etsy shop – stay tuned!).

But weaving can have its irksome moments, too. In my experience, the things that cause this are often linked to a lack of weaving aids, low quality tools, and – of course – weaving errors. 

After years of weaving, however, I’ve learned a few tricks to make the process faster, easier and – in the end – much more enjoyable.

10 WEAVING TIPS FOR FASTER, EASIER & BETTER FRAME LOOM WEAVING

In no particular order, here are my 10 weaving tips:

1.  Long, Rigid Tapestry Needles

I have used all sorts of weaving needles over the years. Long ones, short ones, skinny ones, thick ones, plastic, wood, and metal ones, too (to name a few!).

And if there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the BEST tapestry needles are those that have no flex.

Here’s why: In order to move your needle over and under your warp strings as easily as possibly, you need a stiff needle that can guide your yarn across without straining your hands. 

And, the longer, the better! Depending on the size of your preferred loom size, you might want to invest in a tapestry needle that is at least 5-6 inches long (or longer) – which works great for both lap looms (typically about 12 inches wide) and wider looms.

For me, the best long and rigid tapestry needles are ones made of wood or metal, like these: 

Elizabeth Bates 5″ Metal Tapestry Needle (great for thinner yarns)

Long Wooden Tapestry Needles

2.  Large, Open Baskets

If you enjoy weaving in more than one area of your home, then you know how challenging it is to move all your supplies around the house. While totes can be great, I find that having a large, open basket is the easiest way to keep me mobile! I just toss in my supplies and go wherever I need to for a little change of scenery.

While I use woven baskets purchased from thrift stores, you can use any open basket, including a small, plastic laundry basket. Whatever works for you.

3. Creating Fringe Faster & At Various Lengths

You don’t need a lot of fancy equipment to create fringe at various lengths, so it’s always good to keep the following items on hand:

• Rulers (for small-size fringe)
• Books (for medium- to-longer fringe)

But what if you want some extra-long fringe? I would recommend cutting some cardboard off of your boxed Amazon deliveries and having them available near your yarn stash. 

And if you need to make some small fringe in a pinch? Just use your hands. I do it all the time!

4.  Yarn Ball Winder

Invest in a yarn ball winder! This has been such a help for me when I’ve purchased specialty yarn that often comes as a twisted skein.

Here’s why: It is nearly impossible to use a twisted skein of yarn as is, without the yarn getting tangled at some point in the process.

With a yarn ball winder, you can create small balls (or ‘cakes’ of yarn) that have a center-pull (meaning, the yarn can be pulled out from the center) which ensures that there will be no more tangling while you work!

5.  Small, Bent-Tip Tapestry Needle

Besides a long, rigid tapestry needle, the second-most used needle in my weaving arsenal is a good, bent-tip needle. My go-to is my Clover bent-tip needle, but any will do.

Bent-tip needles accomplish a couple of things for me:

1.  I can use my bent-tip needle for finishing details like:

• Weaving in loose yarn along the back of my weaving
• Attaching driftwood or other dowel to my weaving

2. Or creating stitches on the weaving itself, such as soumak stitch or hem stitch.

It is a versatile little needle that makes the weaving process so much easier.

And, unlike long, tapestry needles which are best when rigid, either metal or plastic work works well for the bent-tip needle.

6.  Keeping Your Warp String Spool Under Control!

One of the most irksome parts of weaving is just how out-of-control a warp string spool becomes as you release more string to make your warp.

Can anyone else relate?

I’ve had many a spool start rolling away or spinning every which way as I pull on the string!

SO, my recommendation? Place your spool in a mason jar to keep it under control as you release more string. This really works! And it makes warping your loom so much easier!

7.  Keeping a Ruler or Measuring Tape On Hand

When I first started weaving, I had little control over the tension of my woven rows. There was no guarantee that the width of my weaving at the bottom would be anywhere near the width along the top! 

So I started keeping a ruler or measuring tape with me as I weaved, checking the width every so often to ensure that the weaving was relatively even in width along the way.

And there was an unexpected benefit to this as well:

Having a ruler or measuring tape as part of my weaving arsenal soon had me paying closer attention to how I was weaving – was I tightening too much? Or were my rows too loose?

While small, this additional tool is an important one that has helped me become a better judge at weaving tension and, in the end, has improved my confidence as a weaver.

8.  How To “Iron Out” Your Weaving “Fails”

So, let’s say you’ve forgotten to keep your ruler by your side, measuring as you weave.

And, let’s say that you’ve just removed your weaving from your loom only to find that the top is far narrower than the bottom – (yes, this has happened to me!).

What do you do?

Instead of calling this a ‘fail,’ you can always fix the issue by pulling out your iron. The heat of the iron will relax your yarn, giving it a chance to flatten/widen a bit.

A couple of tips to using an iron on a wall weaving:

1. Do not iron directly on your weaving as it may melt any non-natural fibers in your piece (acrylic, for example).
2. Instead, place a damp, linen cloth (I use an old pillow case) over the weaving and gently press your iron only over the area where you’d like your fibers to relax. Remember, this will also slightly flatten your piece, so be extra gentle when using your iron.

If you have a particularly small section of your weaving that you need to work on, then a regular iron won’t do. I recommend purchasing a mini craft iron much like the Handy Press iron (pictured below) which I’ve used from time to time –  it’s been a game-changer!

And BTW: Sometimes, those ‘fails’ also turn out to be charming, quirky bits of your weaving that may not need to be fixed at all 🙂

9.  How To Create Pin-Straight Fringe

I love different kinds of fringe from messy and shaggy to pin-straight.  Sometimes, a design calls for the former and sometimes, the latter.

Like my iron, my steamer has been a great tool to use when I want to relax fringe and/or create a pin-straight look. And there are loads of fabric steamers on the market that you can choose from.

Use it as you would on fabrics, holding upright and leaving a bit of room between your steamer and fringe. 

It instantly relaxes and straightens your fringe!

10.  Minimizing Back Pain

For those who’ve been weaving for any length of time, you may have experienced “weaver’s back.” Meaning, you may get upper or lower back pain from the repetitive movement involved with weaving.

Here are my best tips to minimize this:

1.  For lap loom users: 

• Shift between using your lap loom a) directly on your lap, b) placing it flat on a table, and c) placing it on a tabletop easel. The act of moving your loom into different positions will help you shift the muscles your using to weave. 
• When placing your lap loom flat on a table, place painter’s tape on the bottom corners of your lap loom so it doesn’t shift around. Nothing is worse than having to weave while also holding onto the frame itself so it doesn’t move around. 
• When placing your lap loom onto a tabletop easel (much like you would a framed canvas), this will help you sit up straight, ensuring that you protect your back and prevent you from hunching over.  

2.  For large loom users:

• First, I would recommend that if you purchase anything larger than a lap loom, that you should always buy one that has legs/feet that allow the loom to stand upright. Most larger looms on the market should have this as a built-in feature, but if it doesn’t, I would not recommend buying it. 

If you’d like to make your own, here is one of my most popular tutorials from the blog: How To Make A Standing Loom With Adjustable Legs.

• Second, to protect your back, I would recommend you shift between standing and sitting. My general rule of thumb is that if my arms begin to reach up too high or too low as I weave, I need to think about sitting or standing, so that my arms continue to work directly in front of me.  
• If you have an extra-large loom, then you will want to make sure that you are not sitting on the floor. Invest in a comfortable stool to make the process easier.

I hope these 10 weaving tips for faster, easier and better frame loom weaving has helped you in some small way.

Whether you are new to weaving or have been weaving for a long time, investing in some additional tools and making minor adjustments to your weaving process can make a difference in how much more enjoyable the process can be!

Happy weaving!

 

 

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