What is a rigid heddle loom?
What makes a rigid heddle different from other looms?
How do I set up the loom for weaving?
What kinds of yarns can I use?
I have no idea what all those words mean!
How do I know what size rigid heddle to use?
What is a good first project?
What is a rigid heddle loom?
The rigid heddle loom is the perfect blend of functionality and simplicity. It gets it name from the ingenious rigid heddle that enables the weaver to easily lift and lower the warp. The rigid heddle also spreads the warp to a fixed width and consistently spaces the yarn. As if that isn’t enough, it serves as the beater that presses the yarn into place. It is easy to set up, move about, and is inexpensive, thus eliminating many of the barriers to beginners.
What makes a rigid heddle different from other looms?
The rigid heddle itself sets this loom apart from others. Technically it is a frame loom, a class of looms where the weaving action happens within a frame. Other examples are pin or tapestry looms.
The rigid heddle is made from molded plastic pieces that are constructed in a slot hole configuration in various densities and widths. They are fixed between two wooden supports.
Warp yarns are threaded though each slot and hole. The yarns in the slots move freely and the yarns in the holes are fixed. When you lift the rigid heddle the yarns threaded in the holes are lifted above the yarns threaded in a slot. If you lower the rigid heddle then the hole yarns are pushed below the slot yarns. This action handily creates two sheds that are the basis of all plain weave weaving.
More complex looms such as floor and table looms have separate parts for a lot of the functions that a rigid heddle performs, but they are much more complicated to set up.
How do I set up the loom for weaving?
The process of threading the loom is called “warping.” The quickest way to warp a rigid heddle loom is the direct warping method. You can see a quick overview of direct warping on the Yarnworker YouTube channel. To see more detailed step-by-step instructions on direct warping pick up Slots and Holes: 3 Ways to Warp a Rigid-heddle Loom or the new revised edition of Weaving Made Easy.
What kinds of yarns can I use?
Of all loom types, the rigid-heddle loom allows you to use the widest variety of yarns. There is almost no yarn that you can’t use for weft, the yarns you wind on the shuttle to “weave” with.
The yarns held taut on the loom are called warp. To select yarns for this purpose you want to be sure that they will hold up under the tension of the loom. To do this, pinch both ends of a 4- to 6-inch section of the yarn between your index finger and thumb of each hand. Apply steady, firm pressure as if to pull the yarn apart. If the yarn drifts apart or breaks, it isn’t the best choice for warp. To see a demonstration of the pinch-and-pull test check out Yarnworker’s video on Evaluating Yarn for Warp on our YouTube channel.
Fuzzy yarns such as mohair aren’t a good choice for warp unless they are spaced loosely or mixed with other yarns in the warp. They stick together, and you can’t get a good shed.
I have no idea what all those words mean!
Check out our Terms to Know page under Resources.
How do I know what size rigid heddle to use?
The rigid heddle is like your knitting needle or crochet hook. You have to use the right heddle to get “gauge”.
Depending on your loom style there are a number of rigid heddle reed sizes—2.5, 5, 7.5, 8, 10, 12, 12.5, and 15. Generally speaking you would use a 2.5 for super bulky, 5 for bulky, 7.5-8 for DK or worsted yarns, 10 for sport-weight yarns, and a 12-15 for fingering or lace-weight yarns. These terms are drawn from knitting and crochet standards. If you are new to yarn as it relates to weaving, check out A Weaver’s Guide to Yarn.
The number means that there are x number of spaces in an inch. A size 8 rigid-heddle has 8 spaces per inch, four slots and four holes. If you have a size 12 rigid heddle and you threaded all the slots and holes you would have 12 yarns or “ends” per inch. Some loom manufacturers use the metric system in manufacturing their rigid-heddles so you will see sizes such as 7½ or 12½. You can treat these for the most part as an 8 and 12 respectively.
This number is your “sett” or the number of yarns in an inch. Check out the Yarnworker blog post post on Wraps Per Inch and Sett to learn how to determine your sett.
What is a good first project?
A scarf or coasters are always a good first project. Here is a free coaster project I offer to my fellow educators. When you are a beginner you don’t know what is hard and what is easy. Pick some fabulous yarn that you love and a project that you like and dive in!
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