I think it’s fair to say that I love an embroidery hoop. I’ve been tidying up my craft space for a little Autumnal revamp and put all my finished embroidery hoops in a crate. It was surprising just how many I had, and how many more I found when I was tidying up.

Adventures in frame loom weaving

Recently I was gifted a gorgeous weaving set from Elka Sustainable Textiles. As much as I love embroidery I was happy to try something different. The only previous experience I had of weaving was a couple of free cover gifts with issues of Mollie Makes so I was looking forward to some mindful crafting time and the opportunity to learn something new.

Online frame loom weaving course

The online course ‘Frame Loom Weaving: A Comprehensive Guide to Becoming a Weaver’ launched in November last year and teaches you everything you need to know to become a confident weaver from the comfort of your own home. The course is available on its own, or with a weaving starter kit which comes in a choice of nine colourways and contains all the materials and equipment you’ll need to get weaving.

The frame loom weaving starter kits (available in nine different colour themes) contain everything you’ll need and more to get you weaving including a wooden small frame loom: 25cm x 38cm with a weaving area of 19.5cm x 34cm approx. As well as the frame you get a heddle bar, pick up stick, 2x shuttles, wooden needle, comb, vintage silver fork (beater) and a bent tapestry needle. It’s important to note that not all the equipment is needed straight away but as you progress on your weaving journey you will want to use more equipment.

As I love yellow tones I picked the Sunshine Starter Kit which contained Linen warp yarn, 3x Hoooked ‘Soft Cotton DK’ recycled cotton, 3x Hoooked ‘Eco Barbante’ recycled cotton, 2x Hoooked ‘Spesso’ chunky recycled cotton and 3x Flax roving.

I was excited to start the online course which consisted of 20 different sections in both video and pdf format. I watched all the videos at least twice and read through the pdf’s when I needed. The videos are broken into helpful chunks covering topics from sourcing materials and setting up the loom, through ten different weaving techniques and all their variations, to finishing, and weaving on a budget.

Weaving is a really mindful craft and I enjoyed setting up my loom and choosing what I wanted to make. All the colours complimented each other perfectly so I tried all the different types of material, mainly using the tapestry needle.

It’s pretty addictive and although you need to concentrate it also gives you plenty of time to just enjoy the process. I finished off my piece with some lovely chunky raya knots.

I love my first attempt at frame loom weaving. I got the chance to try lots of different textures and techniques and it has definitely ignited a spark for weaving. The online course is suitable for beginners but I like the fact you can start off quite simply and try different techniques. There are also 3 projects included in the course when you are ready!

If you fancy trying frame loom weaving for yourself then use code GINGERBREAD50 to get 50% off both the course only, and the course with starter kit option.