I felt like I wanted to work with similar materials, but on a larger scale, possibly with yarn. I remembered the vintage “Weave-It” loom that I bought a few months ago, so I dug that out and started reading up on how to use it.

I messed up my first two squares, but then I figured out what I’d done wrong and have the hang of it now. It’s not too hard to do, especially since there’s only one long strand to wind around, rather than having several threads going each way. I’ve got a small pile of woven squares now, each just under 4 inches on each side. I’m not entirely sure what I’ll do with them yet, but you can sew them together to make larger pieces. On their own, they’re about the size of a nice coaster, so there’s one idea.

The weaving itself is a nice process, without too much thought required. The fun part though is choosing the yarn and seeing how it’ll turn out. The variegated ones are best, since the changing colors create nice combinations when you’re done, but the textured yarns are nice to try as well, since I’m still learning what kinds work best.

Of course, the yarns I had to begin with weren’t that varied, so I’ve been doing a bit of shopping at a few local yarns stores. I’d heard about a few of them before, but hadn’t ever been in a single one, seeing that I don’t really knit or crochet or anything. It’s really great to see what they have, especially compared to what I’m used to seeing at the chain craft stores. The local yarn shops may carry more expensive yarns, but they’re definitely a lot higher quality, so it’s usually worth it. I’m even thinking about trying to learn how to knit and/or crochet again, but no promises.

For what it’s worth, the loom I’m using is called a “Weave-It” and I happened across it in a local crafters’ mall, sitting among some older craft supplies. They’re no longer manufactured by the company that created them, but you can find some older ones on eBay. Another company is actually making a new version called Weavette (update from 08/23/2009, the company is no longer in business), and there was a feature about them in Martha Stewart Magazine a few months ago. They’re definitely not like the hardcore looms you think of when you talk about weaving, but it’s not a bad place to start.

If you manage to get one of these looms, I’d highly recommend the web site eLoomaNation, which has full instructions, tips and tricks, and scans of old project booklets. They also have a blog with completed projects and how-to’s.