If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you might remember the day I stumbled upon a four-shaft table loom at a thrift store. I was instantly drawn to it and decided to give weaving a try with some yarn I already had. That first attempt was the start of a new passion!
Soon after, I came across a 45" Leclerc Nilus floor loom and couldn’t resist bringing it home. This new loom has been a game-changer, opening up a whole new world of weaving possibilities.
To kick off this new adventure, a friend kindly gave me a kit with 20 rainbow-colored spools of 8/2 cotton yarn. Excited to get started, I quickly realized I needed a warping board and a rattle. Determined to keep going, I found some DIY guides online. One showed how to make a rattle from a board and nails, and another explained how to build a warping board from PVC pipe. After a quick trip to the hardware store, I had both tools ready and started warping the rainbow yarn that evening.
Warping is a bit of a challenge but incredibly rewarding. Turning a jumble of threads into neatly organized rows is quite satisfying. For my first project, I used all 20 colors—though, due to a small mishap, I ended up with 19. The finished fabric had a lovely color pattern with a bit of texture.
While the bright rainbow colors were great, I wanted to soften them a bit. After trying out an olive green yarn, I found that a rust-colored yarn gave me the perfect look. I also decided to use just one strand of the 8/2 cotton instead of doubling it, which made the colors blend more smoothly. The result is a softer, more understated fabric (if an allover rainbow fabric can ever truly be called understated) that I’m really happy with.
To make sure everything would hold up well, I did a test. I cut a piece of my fabric, serged the edges to prevent fraying, and then washed and dried it. The sample shrank a bit in the warp direction, which was expected. This gave me the final confirmation I needed to start on my main project.
Now, I plan to weave about six yards of fabric to create a garment. I’m thinking about making either a cropped blazer or a moto vest. I’d love to hear your thoughts on which one would be best!
This weaving journey is just beginning, and I’m excited to see where it takes me. Stay tuned for more updates on this new passion!
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