Roger's Looms Offgridlife.com
Rectangle Experiment
January 2012
The purpose of this experiment is to find out what pin spacing is best for continuous strand weaving on the rectangle, according to the yarn weight used. Specifically for weaving scarves. I originally made and used rectangle looms with 1/4" pin spacing and did one scarf on a 5/16" loom. Both pin spacing schemes made some nice weavings with several weights of yarn. I used a fairly heavy yarn but didn't have personal knowledge of the exact size, or weight of the yarn. I was told one was worsted weight and the other was bulky, but did not think to see the data on the wrappers myself. I now understand that actual yarn thickness may vary within a stated weight by different manufacturers.
Lately I have made some looms with the coarser 3/8" pin spacing. I recommend bulky weight yarn for this pin spacing, worsted weight at least. When taken off the loom, the woven material done the CSW way will stretch lengthwise, the more space between the yarn strands, the more it will stretch out. The finer the yarn, the more space between the strands. So with too fine a yarn, the fabric will be "loose" or unstable to the point you could stick your finger through it. Knitting or crocheting will result in a fabric that stays more or less exactly as created, continuous strand weaving with too much open space between the strands will allow movement of the strands and openings can develop. Some yarns might be better at clinging to each other so I am not saying some 'open' weaves aren't possible. Blocking or fulling works to improve weavings made with some natural fibers. I am experimenting with acrylic fibers here at this time.
Several things led me to re-think the pin spacing I really want to use on my looms. One, I found a good new way to attach the movable rail on my modular loom. That is good, but it is more technical on a fine spacing like 1/4". So I started thinking about the 5/16" loom that I once used, and how it could serve as the one and only pin spacing for my future looms.
Secondly, my son in the Philippines showed an interest in looms and weaving. He knows lots of people who could use a way to make some money in that rural area of Cebu. They have asked him to find them some money-making activity. Seems there is not a lot of yarn available there, and I wanted to be able to send him some and also advise the best weight look for. There might be some wholesale yarn sources in Asia, but we need to know which yarn weight to look for. And that would all depend on the pin spacing of the simple starter loom I plan to send him. This all led me to order some yarn and do some weaving with different pin spacings and known yarn weights. It is about time I learned the difference between DK, worsted, and bulky yarn. For these experiments I am using worsted weight yarn to do a weaving with the 3/8", 5/16" & 1/4" pin spacing. The resulting scarves from the 3/8" and 5/16" tests are shown further down this page. The 1/4" loom experiment, done later, is added to the bottom.
Coarser 3/8" pin spacing - worsted weight yarn
I started with a 3/8" spacing loom and worsted weight acrylic yarn. This also is an experiment to see how it works to join two halves to create a longer scarf. The loom has 32 pins on the end, and is 3 squares long. When joined the scarf was 6 squares long, or approx 12" wide by 71" long. The is too long, and I am not satisfied with the join. Photo shows how I could sit down and move the loom in front of me to get the best angle for weaving the 14" afghan crochet hood through each set of warps. Of course you don't pre-warp CSW, but 'warps' appear as you proceed with the process. The yarn skein sits in the bowl below the left end of the loom and feeds a continuous strand of yarn from the left end.
It is important not pull the yarn too tight when weaving. Just as in triangle CSWeaving, the weaving gets tighter as more strands are added. This results in more difficult weaving towards the end, and a finished product that shrinks more when taken off the loom. To help keep the yarn tension loose, you have to weave loosely from the start. One tip: Leave the yarn in an arc before packing it in with the comb. This results in relieving some yarn tension when the arc is made into a straight line. Towards the end there is less space for these 'arcs' so if not woven loosely to start, there is not much that can be done later.
Showing the yarn straightened out. When taken off the loom the weaving will equalize so you don't need to be too picky about straightness. Most important is keeping the yarn straight so there is a uniform open space for the last few loops and the final single strand has room to be woven in place. That is when the yarn is the tightest.
On this project I added and trimmed the fringe after taking the halves off the loom. The only fringe that needed trimmed was the single starting yarn end and the two double yarn ends where I made the color splices. The pattern here results from changing yarn each 1/3 of the loom end. The color squares are large for the first color, small for the second color. For the next project I will add and trim the fringe while on the loom, where it is easier to find the yarn turns where the fringe is tied.
Finer 5/16" pin spacing - worsted weight yarn
Same work set-up. Even though this loom is full length, I was able to slide it back and forth to get a comfortable work space while sitting at the table. The loom has exactly the same number of pins on the width and length (32 x 190 pins) as used for the last scarf, and that will be used for the 1/4" test. But due to the finer pin spacing, the rectangle dimensions are smaller, approx. 10" x 59". You can see that the hook is only woven through about half of the weft at a time at this point in the weaving, as it is too far to get done in one shot. At the end when it is tighter, 3 or more runs might be necessary to have less wear on the final single strand. The goal here is to see if we can have a better fabric by having less space between the yarn strands.
This is a good photo showing how the fringe is tied. I pull the fringe loop up through with the hook. I cut the yarn in 12" lengths by wrapping it around a piece of wood 5.5" wide, in multiple wraps; then cutting the wraps all at once with scissors. You leave the yarn ends at the starting yarn and the color changes a little long so that they will match the other fringes when trimmed.
Ready to take off the loom, fringes tied and trimmed at both ends. The only other thing to remember is to tie the starting and finishing ends in an overhand knot into the closest cross weave. This pattern results from first weaving 1/4 of the way down the end with one color, switching to the alternate color for 2/4 more, then returning to starting color for the last 1/4. The colored areas on the scarf are almost perfect, uniform squares.
Taking the scarf off the loom. Once the end and a little down one side is helped off with the hook, the remainder lifts off easily.
Showing the scarf width compared to the pin loom it was created on. Had I woven a little more loosely, the scarf might have been even wider due to less tension on the yarn while on the loom. In other words, it would have 'relaxed' less if the yarn wasn't so tight to begin with.
Here are the results. The first scarf, done with the coarser 3/8" pin spacing, is on the left. It was done on a longer and wider loom, but now appears narrower and wrinkled compared to the scarf on the right. The edges tend to curl up. The color pattern is stretched out so the squares are elongated. The scarf on the right has the feel that I expected, and is an inch wider in appearance than the other one, even though the loom it was woven on was 2 inches narrower. It used less yarn, 3.2 oz. compared to 3.8 oz. for the scarf on the left, due to the physical width and length difference. Since each loom had the same number of pins on the width and length, there was exactly the same amount of weaving work done. The difference in the fabric is the closeness of the yarn strands, which hold the fabric shape. Better results would be had on the coarser loom with fatter, bulky weight yarn.
I was interested in experimenting with worsted weight yarn because it seems to be more universally available than bulky weight. I might experiment with lighter DK weight yarn after I do another worsted weight experiment with a 1/4" spaced loom with the same number of pins. I would not bother to experiment with a lighter yarn like DK with the 3/8" spaced loom, but that might be a matter of preference. Colors chosen for these experiments based on the only 2 colors I have at this time, in yarn of a weight that I know for sure. It is Caron Natura worsted acrylic yarn.
I will 'block' these scarves to see if it makes a difference, although with acrylic fiber it might not. I could do the other, 1/4" spacing experiment, then post photos here with the results, before and after blocking all three experiments. With wool, gently washing or wetting the scarf, then laying it out, spread out in the proper shape to dry would cause the fibers in the yarn to cling where they crossed and the fabric would hold its shape.
1/4" experiment - worsted weight yarn
It did improve the appearance of the scarves to wet them, squeeze them out and then lay on a towel to dry smoothed out. The 1/4" spacing was harder to weave even though I tried to weave very loosely. It took more attention to pack strands straight as the yarn was crowded. More importantly, the fabric is stiffer and not so pleasing for a scarf. Something else to think about now I have solicited advice; the length of the scarf on the left is too long, the one on the right too short, and the one in the middle could be narrower. If done with a lighter yarn, it would be narrower, but a little longer as the skinnier yarn would make a stretchier scarf. I now have learned the rule of thumb that a scarf could be as long as the wearer is tall, or about 5'. So my ongoing experiment now is to see what loom dimension in the 5/16" spacing makes a good average length and width for a scarf, using worsted weight yarn. I will post photos here when I have completed some more test weavings.
Conclusions
The 1/4" spacing was difficult to weave with worsted weight as I had to put a lot of pressure on the comb when packing in the strands to get them straignt. Also the finished fabric was too rigid for a scarf, IMHO. With a sport or DK yarn weight, It might be OK. I still have one of my original 1/4" spacing Hideaway modular rectangle looms, and could sell it upon request.
The 5/16" spacing was easy to weave with worsted yarn, and the scarf was soft and pliable. Thinner yarn might still be OK, heavier bulky yarn might be too thick.
The 3/8" spacing might be good for worsted weight yarn after all, making a coarser textured scarf. Also easy to weave, I just had to watch that I wasn't packing the yarn strands beyond straight. I can't make a definitive call here, but after showing the scarves, the finished product might have desirable traits. I can say that with bulky or super-bulky yarn, you could get a different result. It would be easier to change your yarn than change your loom.
3/8" spacing on the left, 5/16" spacing on the right. With either of these spacings the results can be changed by changing yarn weights. I will make the Hideaway modular rectangle looms with the 3/8" spacing from now on. I wanted to make only one type anyway to keep it simple, and I have all my tools and templates ready to make these with my new movable rail attachment design.
I will start making a simple flat board rectangle loom long enough to make scarves, now that I have an idea of what are good widths. I can make this economy loom in the 3/8" or the 5/16" spacing. I can even make a weavingboard recloom that has both 3/8" and 5/16" spaced rectangles on the same board for someone who want to experiment. I will use the removable nails so that various rectangle widths and lengths can be created by inserting or removing the stainless steel pins. Look on www.etsy.com/shop/RogersLooms later in Feb. 2012.
The purpose of this experiment is to find out what pin spacing is best for continuous strand weaving on the rectangle, according to the yarn weight used. Specifically for weaving scarves. I originally made and used rectangle looms with 1/4" pin spacing and did one scarf on a 5/16" loom. Both pin spacing schemes made some nice weavings with several weights of yarn. I used a fairly heavy yarn but didn't have personal knowledge of the exact size, or weight of the yarn. I was told one was worsted weight and the other was bulky, but did not think to see the data on the wrappers myself. I now understand that actual yarn thickness may vary within a stated weight by different manufacturers.
Lately I have made some looms with the coarser 3/8" pin spacing. I recommend bulky weight yarn for this pin spacing, worsted weight at least. When taken off the loom, the woven material done the CSW way will stretch lengthwise, the more space between the yarn strands, the more it will stretch out. The finer the yarn, the more space between the strands. So with too fine a yarn, the fabric will be "loose" or unstable to the point you could stick your finger through it. Knitting or crocheting will result in a fabric that stays more or less exactly as created, continuous strand weaving with too much open space between the strands will allow movement of the strands and openings can develop. Some yarns might be better at clinging to each other so I am not saying some 'open' weaves aren't possible. Blocking or fulling works to improve weavings made with some natural fibers. I am experimenting with acrylic fibers here at this time.
Several things led me to re-think the pin spacing I really want to use on my looms. One, I found a good new way to attach the movable rail on my modular loom. That is good, but it is more technical on a fine spacing like 1/4". So I started thinking about the 5/16" loom that I once used, and how it could serve as the one and only pin spacing for my future looms.
Secondly, my son in the Philippines showed an interest in looms and weaving. He knows lots of people who could use a way to make some money in that rural area of Cebu. They have asked him to find them some money-making activity. Seems there is not a lot of yarn available there, and I wanted to be able to send him some and also advise the best weight look for. There might be some wholesale yarn sources in Asia, but we need to know which yarn weight to look for. And that would all depend on the pin spacing of the simple starter loom I plan to send him. This all led me to order some yarn and do some weaving with different pin spacings and known yarn weights. It is about time I learned the difference between DK, worsted, and bulky yarn. For these experiments I am using worsted weight yarn to do a weaving with the 3/8", 5/16" & 1/4" pin spacing. The resulting scarves from the 3/8" and 5/16" tests are shown further down this page. The 1/4" loom experiment, done later, is added to the bottom.
Coarser 3/8" pin spacing - worsted weight yarn
I started with a 3/8" spacing loom and worsted weight acrylic yarn. This also is an experiment to see how it works to join two halves to create a longer scarf. The loom has 32 pins on the end, and is 3 squares long. When joined the scarf was 6 squares long, or approx 12" wide by 71" long. The is too long, and I am not satisfied with the join. Photo shows how I could sit down and move the loom in front of me to get the best angle for weaving the 14" afghan crochet hood through each set of warps. Of course you don't pre-warp CSW, but 'warps' appear as you proceed with the process. The yarn skein sits in the bowl below the left end of the loom and feeds a continuous strand of yarn from the left end.
It is important not pull the yarn too tight when weaving. Just as in triangle CSWeaving, the weaving gets tighter as more strands are added. This results in more difficult weaving towards the end, and a finished product that shrinks more when taken off the loom. To help keep the yarn tension loose, you have to weave loosely from the start. One tip: Leave the yarn in an arc before packing it in with the comb. This results in relieving some yarn tension when the arc is made into a straight line. Towards the end there is less space for these 'arcs' so if not woven loosely to start, there is not much that can be done later.
Showing the yarn straightened out. When taken off the loom the weaving will equalize so you don't need to be too picky about straightness. Most important is keeping the yarn straight so there is a uniform open space for the last few loops and the final single strand has room to be woven in place. That is when the yarn is the tightest.
On this project I added and trimmed the fringe after taking the halves off the loom. The only fringe that needed trimmed was the single starting yarn end and the two double yarn ends where I made the color splices. The pattern here results from changing yarn each 1/3 of the loom end. The color squares are large for the first color, small for the second color. For the next project I will add and trim the fringe while on the loom, where it is easier to find the yarn turns where the fringe is tied.
Finer 5/16" pin spacing - worsted weight yarn
Same work set-up. Even though this loom is full length, I was able to slide it back and forth to get a comfortable work space while sitting at the table. The loom has exactly the same number of pins on the width and length (32 x 190 pins) as used for the last scarf, and that will be used for the 1/4" test. But due to the finer pin spacing, the rectangle dimensions are smaller, approx. 10" x 59". You can see that the hook is only woven through about half of the weft at a time at this point in the weaving, as it is too far to get done in one shot. At the end when it is tighter, 3 or more runs might be necessary to have less wear on the final single strand. The goal here is to see if we can have a better fabric by having less space between the yarn strands.
This is a good photo showing how the fringe is tied. I pull the fringe loop up through with the hook. I cut the yarn in 12" lengths by wrapping it around a piece of wood 5.5" wide, in multiple wraps; then cutting the wraps all at once with scissors. You leave the yarn ends at the starting yarn and the color changes a little long so that they will match the other fringes when trimmed.
Ready to take off the loom, fringes tied and trimmed at both ends. The only other thing to remember is to tie the starting and finishing ends in an overhand knot into the closest cross weave. This pattern results from first weaving 1/4 of the way down the end with one color, switching to the alternate color for 2/4 more, then returning to starting color for the last 1/4. The colored areas on the scarf are almost perfect, uniform squares.
Taking the scarf off the loom. Once the end and a little down one side is helped off with the hook, the remainder lifts off easily.
Showing the scarf width compared to the pin loom it was created on. Had I woven a little more loosely, the scarf might have been even wider due to less tension on the yarn while on the loom. In other words, it would have 'relaxed' less if the yarn wasn't so tight to begin with.
Here are the results. The first scarf, done with the coarser 3/8" pin spacing, is on the left. It was done on a longer and wider loom, but now appears narrower and wrinkled compared to the scarf on the right. The edges tend to curl up. The color pattern is stretched out so the squares are elongated. The scarf on the right has the feel that I expected, and is an inch wider in appearance than the other one, even though the loom it was woven on was 2 inches narrower. It used less yarn, 3.2 oz. compared to 3.8 oz. for the scarf on the left, due to the physical width and length difference. Since each loom had the same number of pins on the width and length, there was exactly the same amount of weaving work done. The difference in the fabric is the closeness of the yarn strands, which hold the fabric shape. Better results would be had on the coarser loom with fatter, bulky weight yarn.
I was interested in experimenting with worsted weight yarn because it seems to be more universally available than bulky weight. I might experiment with lighter DK weight yarn after I do another worsted weight experiment with a 1/4" spaced loom with the same number of pins. I would not bother to experiment with a lighter yarn like DK with the 3/8" spaced loom, but that might be a matter of preference. Colors chosen for these experiments based on the only 2 colors I have at this time, in yarn of a weight that I know for sure. It is Caron Natura worsted acrylic yarn.
I will 'block' these scarves to see if it makes a difference, although with acrylic fiber it might not. I could do the other, 1/4" spacing experiment, then post photos here with the results, before and after blocking all three experiments. With wool, gently washing or wetting the scarf, then laying it out, spread out in the proper shape to dry would cause the fibers in the yarn to cling where they crossed and the fabric would hold its shape.
1/4" experiment - worsted weight yarn
It did improve the appearance of the scarves to wet them, squeeze them out and then lay on a towel to dry smoothed out. The 1/4" spacing was harder to weave even though I tried to weave very loosely. It took more attention to pack strands straight as the yarn was crowded. More importantly, the fabric is stiffer and not so pleasing for a scarf. Something else to think about now I have solicited advice; the length of the scarf on the left is too long, the one on the right too short, and the one in the middle could be narrower. If done with a lighter yarn, it would be narrower, but a little longer as the skinnier yarn would make a stretchier scarf. I now have learned the rule of thumb that a scarf could be as long as the wearer is tall, or about 5'. So my ongoing experiment now is to see what loom dimension in the 5/16" spacing makes a good average length and width for a scarf, using worsted weight yarn. I will post photos here when I have completed some more test weavings.
Conclusions
The 1/4" spacing was difficult to weave with worsted weight as I had to put a lot of pressure on the comb when packing in the strands to get them straignt. Also the finished fabric was too rigid for a scarf, IMHO. With a sport or DK yarn weight, It might be OK. I still have one of my original 1/4" spacing Hideaway modular rectangle looms, and could sell it upon request.
The 5/16" spacing was easy to weave with worsted yarn, and the scarf was soft and pliable. Thinner yarn might still be OK, heavier bulky yarn might be too thick.
The 3/8" spacing might be good for worsted weight yarn after all, making a coarser textured scarf. Also easy to weave, I just had to watch that I wasn't packing the yarn strands beyond straight. I can't make a definitive call here, but after showing the scarves, the finished product might have desirable traits. I can say that with bulky or super-bulky yarn, you could get a different result. It would be easier to change your yarn than change your loom.
3/8" spacing on the left, 5/16" spacing on the right. With either of these spacings the results can be changed by changing yarn weights. I will make the Hideaway modular rectangle looms with the 3/8" spacing from now on. I wanted to make only one type anyway to keep it simple, and I have all my tools and templates ready to make these with my new movable rail attachment design.
I will start making a simple flat board rectangle loom long enough to make scarves, now that I have an idea of what are good widths. I can make this economy loom in the 3/8" or the 5/16" spacing. I can even make a weavingboard recloom that has both 3/8" and 5/16" spaced rectangles on the same board for someone who want to experiment. I will use the removable nails so that various rectangle widths and lengths can be created by inserting or removing the stainless steel pins. Look on www.etsy.com/shop/RogersLooms later in Feb. 2012.
