Rag Rug Handbook, by Janet Meany and Paula Pfaff, is the best introduction to rag rug weaving, its social history in the US, and the various looms that women used to weave rag rugs profitably. If you have (access to) a truck and are willing to drive a few hundred miles, you can probably find a workable loom for less than $500. However, now that I’m following loom sales, I see a goodly supply on both Craig’s List and on various weaver’s guild sales sites around the country. As often happens, “free” turned out to cost several hundred dollars of repair parts and new metal the old hardware had rusted.
I found this loom on Craig’s List, offered for a trade of a sewing machine I happened to own. (It takes just as long to put 100 yards on a loom as it does to put 4 yards, and 100 yards = 50 rugs.) Newcomb Studio Art Rug loom, warp beam view In addition, they are often equipped with sectional warp beams that can hold very long warps (100 yards or more) so that the weaver doesn’t lose any time to re-warping. Rug looms are heavy, solid pieces of equipment, made to take pounding and high tension. Some raffia rugs and chairs available on the import market are probably made by twining fiber over a frame.įinally, we come to the floor looms, ideally, those made for rugs. Twined rugs look a lot like stockinette stitch knitting. I plan on getting this book for myself if I ever start twining for the moment, I’m using my floor loom exclusively.
#Rag rug weaving loom how to#
She discusses all the common forms of twining and how to make your own frame to hold the warp. Twined Rag Rugs, by Bobbie Irwin, is the book to start with. Twined rag rugs are made on frames which hold the warp, but because both the warp and the weft are often made from the same fiber, the frames do not need to be as strong as a floor loom. I can’t abide the constant over-under hand selection that most of these looms require, but if you have a more contemplative, patient approach to life and craft, these looms aren’t that hard to make. Many tribal rugs, in both North American and world-wide, are made on vertical tapestry looms. You can use these to make as many squares as you need, and then sew up the squares to make a rug. On any given day, eBay will list 35-40 potholder loom kits. I prefer to knit because the act of knitting is more balanced between both sides of my body. Some women crochet rugs at the scale I work, crocheting is too hard on one hand. Knitting needles are cheap, compared to even the simplest loom. I made more than 80 rag rugs on a pair of 10″ knitting needles, using no other equipment except a big darning needle to sew up the smaller units. Woven, weft-faced (If you can tell the difference between these last two just by reading, you are probably ready to build your own loom).Woven, warp-faced (the most common form of rag rug, commonly sold cheaply in stores and made in places where labor is very inexpensive).Made in small squares, on a potholder loom.What kind of rag rug do you want to make? Some of your choices are: It’s not that you can’t build a loom: it’s simply that you’ll have a much better idea of what you are doing if you use a “real” loom first.Īs I write, however, I realize I should back up a little.
Look around at the Weaver’s Friend for pictures of the old rag rug looms, including some of the hand made, unique “barn looms.” Big looms, with moving parts, are serious pieces of craft equipment. Buy, or trade, or borrow, or take a weaving class at your local community college or arts center. Buy one instead.” At least, buy your first loom. My first answer to the question, “How do you make a rag rug loom?” is, “Don’t.
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