How to Use a Peg Loom
Weaving with a Peg Loom is a great way to use spare Fabric and Yarns
Weaving on a Peg Loom is a handy way to use up odds and ends of fabric, yarns and even fleece. Peg Looms are easy to use and give a good introduction to Weaving.
Peg Looms not only provide a good introduction to weaving, but also are a great way to use up remnants of fabric, old clothes, unspun fleece, yarns etc. It is even possible to use strips of plastic bags (however make sure that you do not use biodegradable plastic bags otherwise your project will start to disintegrate quickly!).
The peg loom itself is a very basic piece of equipment, easy to make or low cost to buy with nothing to maintain! This isn’t a weaving frame which sometimes is also called a peg loom - it is simply a row of pegs which fit into a timber base. Each peg has a hole through the bottom through which a warp of string is threaded (your warp thread is the thread that goes from top to bottom which the fabric strips or fleece is woven around). The distance between the pegs on the peg loom determines the density of the finished fabric. Pegs which are a long way apart are best when using thicker fabrics or fleece, pegs which are closer together are better for fine work or using threads.
Fabric which has been woven with a peg loom makes great rugs, as it is typically thick and hard wearing. It can also make great wall hangings or even throws. As peg looms are easy to make different sized looms can be created for different projects.
How to Weave using a Peg Loom
- To weave using a peg loom, first gather up the materials which you are going to use – if you are using pieces of old fabric cut them up into similar sized strips.
- Tie warp threads through the hole in each peg. The length of the warp thread needs to be at least as long as the required size of your finished project.
- To start, wind the end of the fabric or fleece a couple of times around the end peg and then start weaving in and out around the pegs, doing a complete turn around the end peg before coming back.
- When the fabric or fleece is at the top of the pegs, whilst at one end of the peg loom, one by one pull the peg out from the hole and push the woven fabric down the warp threads replacing the empty pegs in the hole. Repeat the process until the work is the required length, keeping the weaving as tight and compact as possible.
- To end, make a row of knots along the end of the work to stop the weaving from coming undone or unraveling. Finish the weaving as you require – make tassels, bind the edges or even sew a few pieces together to make a large rug or bed cover.
Tips:
- Use strips of fabrics that are made from similar materials. This will ensure that if you wash or clean the woven fabric they will all react in the same way.
- If you are using strips of light colored fabrics, consider over dying these to give tones of the same color -way.
- When using raw fleece, make sure it is cleaned before use. Lengths of fleece can be left to hang loose and give texture to the work.
For more interesting reading, take a look around the Sewing and Needlework section at Suite101.
