A few columns back, we told you that a couple of tools we planned to feature in our piece on quilting looms were stuck on a truck somewhere. Actually, they weren’t rolling our way at all; the company hadn’t shipped them yet.
Our little looms arrived at last, and they were worth the wait.
Weavettes are hand-held looms that come in 2-, 4- and 6-inch squares, and 2-by-4-inch, 2-by-6-inch and 4-by-6-inch rectangles.
The looms – a 1998 remake of Weave-It looms, which were very popular in the 1930s – appeared in the 2006 edition of Martha Stewart’s Living magazine and have been quite the buzz on craft blogs ever since.
We didn’t have a particular project in mind when we began practicing on our new mini-looms, so we just tried various kinds of yarn and wove away.
The unique peg placement makes the weaving process very simple and produces edges that make the pieces easy to sew together.
You begin by wrapping three layers of yarn around the pegs, then weaving in and out using a large weaving needle.
When working with the Weavettes, it’s best to use finer, lightweight, smooth yarns because of the size of the finished pieces. While we love the look of nubby and other novelty yarns when weaving on other looms, they don’t work well for the little squares and rectangles.
For our patchwork sample, we used a combination of cotton crochet and inexpensive wool yarn, embellished with a dash of embroidery here and there. We haven’t decided whether our finished product will be a pillow or a tote bag – or perhaps we’ll let it grow into a full-size quilt.
To make our second project, we sewed two 2-by-6-inch rectangles (with a 2-by-4-inch in between) together to make a bookmark just in time for the “Harry Potter” finale arriving later this month.
To make our bookmark, sew the finished woven pieces together end-to-end, then run lengths of yarn through the entire length, following the weave. Leave enough yarn at both ends to braid, or you can let the ends be free and fringed.
Other suggestions for using the small woven pieces include:
The options are limitless, so get to weaving and see where it takes you.
These little looms also are perfect for tucking into suitcases or tote bags during the summer vacation season.
If you plan to order a Weavette…
You should be able to order the rectangular (all sizes) and 6-inch square looms online (just do a search on Weavette looms), but the 4-inch square appears to be out of stock nationwide, and the 2-inch square supply is limited.
We ordered a 2-inch from Carolina Homespun ( the Web site is www.carolinahomespun.com), and as of this writing haven’t received word that it’s out of stock. The 2-inch is also listed as available on a number of other Web sites (again, do a search on Weavette looms).
We spoke with Buxton Brook, makers of Weavettes, when we checked on our order for the rectangular looms a few weeks ago and were advised that the 4-inch looms will be available again, but they were unable to give us a firm date.
You can contact the Buxton Brook Web site at www.weavettes.com or www.buxtonbrook.com to check on future availability of the looms. And don’t overlook e-Bay. We saw a few Weavettes advertised on that site, as well as some of the original Weave-It looms.
Expect to spend between $16 and $30 for the looms, depending on size.
You can also check out the Square Board Loom by Lacis (cost, about $15) which might be a substitute for the Weavette. We haven’t tried it yet, but have ordered one from The Woolery (www.woolery.com). We’ll let you know how it works in a future column.
And if you’re really ambitious – and courageous – visit the Web site at www.rogersstark.com/wool/weave/weave.htm, where you can find out how to make your own loom, based on the Weave-It/Weavette design.
Contact Jonetta Coffin at jrocoffin@ail.com.
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