Warp: the yarn or other type of string or cord that is stretched over a loom, typically the vertical strings on a loom. Weft: the yarn or other type of string or cord that is woven back and forth, typically horizontally across the warp.
As time went by, and as I looked at the woven cloths that made up all the shirts and pants and rugs and linens and blankets and curtains that I see every day, I became interested in weaving some cloth myself in order to learn-by-doing.
I made a really big loom and two small hand looms; they are all fun! Construction of these looms and weaving projects, are all documented on the links above. I also made hardwood Tapestry Beaters with stainless steel tines. Photos of the finished looms and some projects are below. Enjoy!
Small Handmade Wooden Loom with handmade needles and beater. Details on how to build it are on the link above.
3D printed loom, 5 1/4" x 9 1/2" (133mm x 240mm), along with needle and beater. CAD files are on the small loom link above, in case you want to print one of these.
Here is my finished Large Tapestry Loom! Details on how I built it, along with photos of the loom in-use, are on the link above.
There are weaving experts out there and I advise you to seek them out; here is my novice experience in starting to weave. The purpose of this page is to inspire people to try weaving something and to encourage those folks to learn from experts; my goal is not for this to be a resource for expert knowledge on the topic of weaving....because it is not. Weave away people! It is easy, and fun, and endlessly challenging if you want it to be.
Hand woven wool coasters from my mini loom.
Native American inspired design, wool coaster, made on my mini-loom.
6' long wool scarf with linen warp; made on my big tapestry loom.
Here is the loom with the warp installed. You will see a round rod towards the bottom of the loom. The warp wraps around that rod, and as I weave, I can pull that rod up and pull the woven fabric down around the bottom of the loom, which will expose new, unwoven warp to weave into, in order to make a longer piece of fabric as I weave.
Here is a side view of how pulling one rod forward pulls every other warp and creates a "tent" to put the weft through.