In my secret life (a one sans cats) I weave, so imagine my delight in the Hazel Rose looms (pictured here). These simple looms come in several different shapes. They are a type of loom called continuous weave and they are one of the simplest looms out there. If you have tried to weave before and been put off by warping, shuttles, weaving diagrams or harnesses, this is a great start. If you have tons of stash, especially in uncut skeins, this is stash busting project perfection.
The loom sent to me for testing was the 4″ square loom in walnut. The looms are made from different hardwoods and come if different shapes and sizes. Looms, accessories, books, and replacement parts can all be ordered through the site.
There is plenty of information and ideas on the site, including instructional videos, PDFs, a gallery of projects from all over, and free project patterns.
While this is a fun idea and a well-made product, for needlepointers it poses some challenges. First off we are used to several things in our stitching: blunt short needles and thread lengths about 18″-24″. Although the needle is blunt, that’s where the similarity ends.
The needle used here is quite long, about 6″. To set up the loom you will need to use a continuous length of thread. To get this kind of length in needlepoint threads you will need to wind them on a spool or bobbin. If you are using knitting yarns look for a center pull skein (often called a doughnut or pancake by knitters).
Once the loom is threaded you will be able to wind off and cut enough yarn to weave. Even so, the lengths are great enough that I felt uncomfortable and awkward pulling the yarn through.
There are several ways to use the Multi-Loom, including weaving diamond patches. I’m going to do some more exploring. It has real potential as a way of busting your stash, but, for needlepointers, will take awhile to learn. This is an interesting product, well worth the effort to learn it.
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
Hello! I have a whole bunch of Hazel Rose looms and they are lots of fun & pretty too, esp. the cherry wood ones. IMHO they are easier and quicker to weave than the “weavettes” type of loom. Thanks! Kathi
patterns, etc. for the 4 inch can be found on eloomanation. I have several hazel rose looms and love them.
I love the mini looms so much that my husband designed a whole set for me–from 2″ to 14″ squares and triangles. I convinced him he should sell them because they are so cool–so we have them on our website at http://www.dewberryridge.com. He let me name them. I call them Li’l Weavers after my little Shih Tzu that I named “Weaver” because of my passion for weaving and he is always with me. I can design almost anything with my Li’l Weavers.