The formation of cloth or fabric by interlacing yarns, filaments, or strips of different material is called weaving. Scientists say that looms were used to weave fabric as long ago as 27,000 years ago. Looms provide the structure to support and hold the tension while weaving. When preparing a loom for weaving, the vertical yarns or material is called the warp while the horizontal yarns or material is called the weft.
Over the years the various types of looms used for loom weaving have included floor looms, table looms, rigid heddle looms, inkle looms, etc. Pin loom weaving could be considered the newest form of loom weaving. These handheld looms for pin loom weaving became popular in the 1930s after Donald R. Simonds patented a loom that became known as the Weave-It. Other looms that became popular in the 1930s included the Loomette and the Jiffy Looms.
The two types of pin looms are multi-pin and evenly spaced pins. The multi-pin looms have pins that are arranged in in multiples of three. The method of weaving on these looms is usually different than that of the looms with evenly spaced pins. Weaving on the evenly spaced pin looms is done diagonally or on the bias. There are many possibilities when it comes to shape and sizes for either of these types of looms.
The pin looms can be purchased or even handmade. Examples of premade pin looms include Zoom Loom, Blue Butterfly, Hazel Rose, Weave-It, Wunderwag, Kayu, and more. Instructions and templates for making your own pin loom can be found in “Pin Loom Weaving: 40 Projects for Tiny Looms” by Margaret Stump. Sue Burton of Adventures in Pin Loom Weaving has made available templates to make a variety of sizes of pin looms.
Some More Sources for Tips and Information
- Hand-Loom Weaving, by Mattie Phipps Todd is an eBook by The Project Gutenberg that includes some history of loom weaving, directions for dyeing the material used, and methods of splicing materials for weaving.
- Pin Loom Weaving Support Group is a closed Facebook Group dedicated to pin loom weaving.
- eLoomaNation Projects has downloadable Vintage Publications from Weave-It, Loomette, Jiffy, and Magic looms.
- Pin Loom Weaving the web site for author of the book by the same title, Margaret Stump.
- Schacht Spindle Company some projects for the Zoom Loom.
- Windswept Mind Glossary of Pin Loom Weaving Terms by Sue Burton.
- Adventures in Pin Loom Weaving Sue Burton’s blog site dedicated to pin loom weaving.