The weaving bug has bitten me and I want a loom. When I first started talking about it (last week), I knew nothing about looms. Now, I know that what I want is a rigid heddle loom and I think I want about a 24″ – 27″ loom. Yes, it’s just a toy. It’s not the big floor loom but I want to make scarves, placemats, dish towels . . I just want to play!
The Yarn Barn in Lawrence, Kansas has lots of looms in stock. I found them on the internet and then called them and they were so nice and helpful so we drove over to look at the looms and find out a bit more info.
The Yarn Barn has big looms, little looms, all kinds of looms. I’m leaning towards this one that has the red and blue yarn on it. I’m going to go back and take a two day class and use the various looms and decide after the class. Doesn’t that look like fun?
You may have noticed that I haven’t had any problems buying yarn but other than a few trips to Hobby Lobby, my yarn shopping has mostly been done online. It was so nice to go into a real yarn shop, with real samples!
Isn’t this a fun place? I didn’t want to leave. Vince decided to wait outside while I finished browsing.
He was out people watching. In a college town, there were lots of sites to see. It was a breath of fresh air to see the college kids, all decked out with purple or pink or green hair and funny clothes. They were out in full force enjoying the sunny Saturday and we enjoyed watching them.
We totally loved Lawrence. There as a sushi restaurant there and I thought I was going to get my sushi fix but they weren’t open for lunch and we had other places to go so we didn’t wait around. Instead, we ate at The Noodle.
Good food, good shopping, a good yarn shop . . I could find myself going back to Lawrence, Kansas often.
Tamera says
Lawrence is a great town! Big enough to have the things you want, but not so big that it’s hard to get around in.
My aunt goes there a lot.
pdudgeon says
yep, that does look like fun! you could easily leave the small loom set up in your family room, and work it when you weren’t knitting socks.
My cousin in Oregon had a large loom like that in the picture. she kept it in a specialy designed closit when not in use. I remember she said that it took a day to set up and thread, but she loved working on it. She was a knitter too. i still have an afghan that she knit that’s over 40 years old now. even with daily use it still looks great.
Paula says
That barn is unbelieveable. I have never made socks before but I thinking about attempting a crochet basic pair. Any suggestions. I haven’t knitted in years and think the crochet would be easier to start. Paula in KY
Cindy in NC says
You will not, repeat NOT, lure me into another addiction. Oh, wait … I see the The Yarn Barn has spinning wheels …
Ida says
My great aunt Jane had a loom (one of the big ones) set up in one of the rooms of her farm house. I fondly recall going out and her letting us kids play with the loom, while making sure that we were pushing/pulling hard enough, and not going to mess up her work. 🙂
I have several rag rugs that she created … use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without! 🙂
I also remember seeing my first rattlesnake as we were on our way back to the farm house from picking strawberries. We were called, so we started to run … had to run to jump the ditch …. and there, stretched out in the ditch was a diamondback. My cousin (I can’t recall which of my two closest female cousins was with me at the time) and I both saw it as we were leaping like gazelles over the ditch ….. when we landed, we snuck back to the edge and peered over to confirm that there was a HUGE (6-10 foot) rattler there. After confirming, we sprinted to the house, and told the adults. At first they didn’t believe us … and, of course, by the time they got back to where we saw the snake, it was gone. [It was just about at the corner of the barn, so it was easy to say where we saw it.] We were just kids and were fibbing.
BUT … a few days later, Aunt Jane’s son, my first cousin once removed, Del (rhymes w/ bell — short for Delbert) saw (and killed) a snake near the barn. He was believed. Of course, he was an adult (25 years my senior!) OH! And he had a snake corpse to back up his story. 😉 It’s nice to know that not all kids lie. 🙂
Great memories
Cris says
I have long resisted the urge to weave. I keep telling myself it will be my next hobby. But I have to finish a big pile of quilting UFOs first.
SHARON BROWN says
A FRIEND OF MINE HAS LOOM FOR SALE DO NOT KNOW THE DETAILS ABOUT IT . YOU CAN E-MAIL ME IF YOU ARE INTERESTED. I AM AROUND OWENSBORO
SHARON
Denise says
years ago I was given a large floor loom – it had been made by a man for his wife and when she passed away he gave it to a friend of this wife’s, who in turn passed it to me. It was fun to play with but I hated threading up all the heddles and it took up too much room. It was a work of art tho – all hand made and you had to lay out all the pieces like a puzzle – he carved them so they would only fit together the correct way so it was sort of like one of those games where you have to put the square pegs in the square holes. I finally returned it to the woman who had given it to me since I knew I wouldn’t really make much use of it. I keep eyeing a little model – about the size in your photo – that they keep demonstarting making rag rugs, etc on at the local quilt expo. But I have perservered – three years and I’ve managed not to buy it yet.
amy says
Oh that looks fun, I love that big striped afghan. LOL at Vince, the yarn fumes got to him huh? We were chuckling at him checking out the girl :p
Carol R says
Weaving looks like another relaxing, addictive hobby to take up. It’s always makes you feel good when you have a completed project that is also useful. Off topic: I was going through the new AQS magazine last night and there you were with your favorite ruler.
peggy says
Was this outing before or after the big snow? I agree with the comment of not being lured into another addiction. It does look like fun though. Glad the storm seems to have left your neighborhood. Here on the central coast of CA we’ve been having temps in the 70s. Our concern is drought.
jayayceeblog says
That really sounds like a fun day. I’ve thought about a loom but I couldn’t handle one more type of craft project at this point. Will be interested to see how you like the classes. Still chuckling at the pic of Vince and the college girl. =D
Lynne says
Loom looks fun but I think I would like to try spinning first just waiting for the local wool shop to offer classes before I dive in and buy. Can’t wait to see what you end up with
tammy k. in illinois says
hey judy, i don’t know if they are still open or not, but in rochelle, il, up in the northern part of the state, i used to shop at a place called aunt mary’s yarns. it was a nice wholesale yarn place with great prices. have fun!
Sandy says
I totally love yarn shops! One can never have too much yarn. ** smile** The loom looks like fun but with my crocheting, knitting and sewing DH probably would think I have enough hobbies to keep my occupied.
I will have to check out the yarn shop in Rochelle, IL. It is about 20 miles from DD house.
Gweno says
My Mom bought a big floor loom from the hospital where she worked in OT. They cut out many of the types of things they offered as patient care changed. It took up half a bedroom! We all worked on it some over the years. I did the least because I was never there long enough to really get the hang of it. We sold it in 03 when Mom passed. No one had a space for it sadly. I love seeing the ladies work their looms as to festivals we attend. Have fun!
Julie says
A yarn shop? What came home with you? The mail man dropped off a little package from the Sanguine Gryphon at my house on Monday. Did you see the Valentine Special? I want it!!!
Suzanne Smith says
When at Sheridan College School of Craft and Design in the mid 80’s one of the courses included in the textile program was weaving -very enjoyable but again with every craft there seems to be one part we don’t enjoy so much-I found the threading of the heddles not so much fun! the rest I loved .All this weaving talk has brought back some great memories -THANK-YOU -Judy and all her followers.
Kathy in BC says
I have this loom. I love it. I love that it’s portable, and it comes with a nice carrying bag. Some times I just don’t feel like sewing, so this is a nice alternative.
http://www.paradisefibers.net/20-inch-Ashford-Knitters-Loom-great-for-beginners-p/464517.htm
Of course I had to buy the dvd, book, and stand. 🙂
Rebecca says
Oh, Judy, that’s exactly what I want to do. Learn how to weave. And this is what I want to do: http://halcyonyarn.com/products/patterns/1520002p.html
Our Adult Ed is offering a weaving class. I just might have to sign up for that.
Pat L in NY says
Looks like fun!
Rachel B. says
I know everyone is commenting on the yarn and the loom, but you got to go to Noodles? I am so jealous. We moved to Idaho in August and the closest Noodles is 7 hours away in Portland. We use to live in Ann Arbor, Michigan where there are 2 Noodles restaurant. It looks like you had the Japanese Pan Noodles. My husband would have that at least once a week for lunch. Lucky for me, my husband has missed it so much that he has learned how to make them at home, but we definitely miss going to the restaurant as a family. We are trying to find a good reason to visit Portland.
Mary C in WA says
NOPE, You’re not tempting me a bit…I have too much fun sewing and quilting. “I don’t need another hobby”, say it with me! Vince is cute trying to knit. Is he making you a potholder?
Sue in Scottsdale, AZ says
Oh no, another hobby. Years ago my hubby and I took weaving classes at a wonderful yarn store that specialized in weaving. They had lots of looms and we made rugs, blankets, and wall hangings. I loved it. We were tempted to purchase a loom but at the time didn’t have any place to put it or the money to get the one we really wanted – much larger than the one you are looking at. I wanted to make lots of blankets. Now that I am entrenched in quilting, I don’t want to weave – I’m having too much fun quilting!
lindasschiffer says
I, too, have been thinking about buying that kind of loom for several months (great minds think alike, eh?LOL). I am currently taking an online class from Jude Hill on weaving with fabric strips that is compelling. Still thinking (I do not need another hobby, either:)
Linda
Carolyn Thomas says
I have wanted to learn to weave since I was about 5 years old. My aunt, who is an artist, had a table top loom from her college days. I remember Mom strictly telling me to stay away from it and don’t EVEN ask. Aunt was still in college at that time. She was an Art Major. A few years back, we were all talking about stuff… as we do when we get together. I asked Aunt if she still had that loom. Turns out that she did. I told her that I would like to inherit that loom. She laughed and said that she wasn’t ready to give it up yet. However, a couple of years later, after my Mom passed away, she had started to unload some of her treasures. I GOT the loom. I just don’t know what to do with it!!!.
Weaving would be such a good way to get rid of all the fabric/old clothes laying about that aren’t good for quilting, such polyester stuff. It will make good, cushy rugs. A couple of years back I bought a braided rug off ebay made from polyester double knits. It was a 10 strand braid. Great rug. Wears like iron and is cushy to the feet.
CJ says
Oh you’re bad, very bad! When I was a young girl I loved weaving! I had a small loom. Of course that was a lifetime ago and I never thought about it again until I was about 30, and visited a weaver in Eureka Springs AR, with a HUGE loom. I was fascinated! But of course didn’t have the space.
I will be tickled to death if you get a small loom and tell us all about it, I might be persuaded to join you! LOL
Margo says
Looms! How cool!
Can you believe this one. My Nevada hometown library had (has??) a full sized weaving loom that you could check out for months at a time! All you had to do is break it down at the library and put it back together at your house, then of course supply your own yarns.
I wish that all libraries had looms to borrow.
:0)Margo
Diane S. says
1) I don’t need another hobby. (I’m the Rabid Quilter for goodness sakes!) 2) my cousin is a nationally known loom weaver and she’s just a sour person. She’s alienated so many people in the family, just about no one talks to her. Her loom/weaver groupies worship her but they don’t know her like we (family) do. So, weaving puts a bad taste in my mouth. Sad, huh?
You want to start weaving, Judy? You go for it! Just don’t stop quilting and designing for us quilters. Promise?
Andi Stanfield says
LOL, as a knitter, I have no desire to spin my own yarn, but weaving looks so fun! I can’t wait to hear about your class.
Bon says
Weaving is something I’ve wanted to try for a long time. There is a shop a couple miles from me where I could take lessons. Maybe once I retire, I’ll try it. All I need is one more hobby. NOT!