If you want to make cloth with a lot of designs or attend workshops, you will likely need 4 harnesses, so consider a table loom. If you want to weave more detailed patterns, you will need a 4 or 8 (or more!) shaft loom. If you will be happy weaving plain weave cloth, check out a rigid heddle loom (this is essentially a one shaft loom). If you want to create more detailed tapestries, look for a loom where you can vary the distance between warp strands and offers more opportunities for creativity as your weaving evolves. If you have your heart set on only weaving the big fat chunky yarn tapestries that are popular on Instagram, a basic tapestry loom frame will do. Keep in mind that many weavers have more than one loom and purchasing one loom can lead to more! Below are some considerations.ġ. At the end of the day, a table loom is a great way to start (and some people only use a table loom), but there are tons of other options. After a few months, I wanted to be able to weave more complex cloth and purchased a lightly used 40' Macomber Ad-A-Harness and shortly thereafter purchased a used 25' Rasmussen table loom so I can take it to classes. I started with a 32” Ashford Rigid Heddle and later impulse bought a 12' Ashford Knitters Loom, which is portable. After I read a lot of reviews, most of which used terms that I did not fully understand, and watched the few videos that I could find, it became a process of elimination for me. When I was first serious about weaving in 2014, I searched high and low for information about which loom is “best” for beginners and was surprised to learn that there is not one answer. Which Loom is Best for Beginning Weavers? At the outset, I want to say that no matter where your weaving journey takes you or which direction you decide on, I hope you have a great time weaving. It is often difficult to decide where to start, so I put together the information on this page in case it helps you.

With the current resurgence in the popularity of weaving, this is a very exciting time to get started. Welcome to Warp or Weft! I imagine that you are interested in learning to weave if you are on this page.

Ashford weaving loom