Table loom

This is one of the new table looms that I recently acquired from my mom. When I received it, it already had a beautiful and wider than usual warp in bold blues. The scarf I will post later today was made while getting to know the loom and learning its quirks. Keeping proper tension is the most important part in weaving and one finds unique ways to constantly adjust the warp threads so they all stay even- paper clips and bits of cardboard, an empty black film container filled with coins and tied with string.


Tables looms are much smaller than traditional floor looms and a lot easier to manage because of it. When we moved it to our third floor apartment, I hid in the other room and held my breath as Albert and Brian awkwardly maneuvered/hoisted it up the stairs. Lots of metal tings and rattlings, lots of wooden squeaks and clunks. Brian had to disassemble some major pieces to even fit it through the doorway.

This photo shows the 4 levers that raise and lower the 4 harnesses to create different patterns (depending on the order and number of levers pressed). This was the major change in working out the rhythm of weaving. The floor loom has foot petals and I am constantly moving my feet and swaying my body with each pass of the yarn. The table loom seems more clunky to me- I found myself standing while weaving and awoke the next morning with surprisingly sore arm muscles. It will be a good teaching loom and allow me to have 2 warps going simultaneously.