How to choose a Rigid heddle loom?

Rigid heddle looms are a gateway for crochets, knitters and anybody interested in exploring weaving. Easy to set up and start weaving. 

Ashford Rigid heddle looms are available in different models, the concept of weaving however remains the same with all these models.

The questions to ask yourself are: what products I want to weave? do I want to carry the loom around when I travel?

SampleIt looms are the smallest ones- with 10” weaving width. You can make scarves, coasters and weave fabrics which are narrower than 10”. We generally recommend it for workshops and children who generally don’t have a wide arm reach.

The other Rigid heddle looms are sized at 16”, 24”, 32” & 48” widths. As you can see, that is quite a range. The 24” wide ones are the most common selling looms as they are easy to handle and also give the opportunity to weave upto 24” wide fabrics. Many of the fabrics you weave will fall within 20” width including stoles, table runners, place mats, cushion covers and the like. So, 24” could be a good size. Some people prefer 32” to make even wider shawls and throws. The 48” ones are for weaving whole blankets. We think 48” loom is a good choice for tapestry weaving as well, especially when fitted with the adjustable table top loom stand.

In a narrow loom you can weave narrow fabrics, but in a wider loom, you can weave narrow or wide fabrics.

Then we have the Knitters looms, which are available in 12”, 20” & 28” widths. People generally prefer the 20” & 28” models. Interesting thing about the Knitters loom is you can fold the loom into half even with your un-finished project and carry it around! The loom is supplied with a nice sturdy bag for travel.

All the looms are supplied with 1 reed, warping peg, 2 shuttles, threading hook and clamps so it is complete in all respects to start your first weaving project.

Reeds: The looms are generally supplied with 1 reed which is 7.5 DPI. This reed is good for weaving with DK weight or 8 ply wools.  Additional reeds are available from 2.5 DPI to 15 DPI, in increments of 2.5 . The coarser the reed number, you can use coarser yarns and finer the reed number, you can weave finer fabrics. We generally recommend 2 additional reeds for a starter pack depending on what you want to weave. Many of our clients want to weave scarves, stoles & cushion covers. We recommend 10/ 12.5 DPI & 15 DPI reeds for this purpose. Of course, more reeds can be purchased separately later on too.

Explorers and experimenters out there will find their buddies in the Vari-dent reeds. Vari-dent reeds are small sections of reeds in different DPIs which you can mix & match and create your own unique reed combination.

Relating to our yarn collection, 5 DPI is good for weaving Cotton knitting yarn DK weight , 7.5 DPI to weave scarves with Ashford Tekapo yarns & DK weight yarns, 10 DPI for mercerized cotton 10/2 varieties to weave napkins & Ashford Mackenzie 4-ply wool to weave machine washable scarves, 12.5 DPI for Cotton knitting yarn 4ply/sport weight, Silk yarn & Cashmere yarn, 15 DPI to weave stoles and fabrics with Cotton nylon Yoga yarn, Cotton weaving yarn 20/2, Cotton linen weaving yarn 20/2 and mercerized / natural dyed cotton 5/2.

You can check our tutorials page on how to set up Rigid heddle loom & weave. It is easy!