A Loom to Learn On

When I first started weaving back in 2014 there were not a ton of loom options available.   I purchased my first loom on Etsy from MaryAnne Moodie for about $145.  It came with a small selection of yarns and a small pair of adorable scissors.  It was a pretty small loom  and was easy to assemble (no drilling required).   Luckily for me,  at that price point, I fell in love with weaving immediately.  

Over the years, the number of loom makers has grown and the options are plenty. As my skills and scale increased, I purchased looms created by Meghan Shimek (with a rotating heddle), Lost Pond Looms, and another loom from MaryAnne Moodie.   And a few months ago, I even purchased a barnwood frame and hammered 200 nails in it to create a 3 foot wide loom for even larger projects!  

So, when I started to explore loom options for my weaving classes at Fancy Tiger Crafts, I was excited to see what was on the market for beginning weavers today.  We looked at a lot of looms and considered size, price and wholesale opportunities.  Ultimately we decided on this precious little number by Black Sheep Goods.

While I worked on my demo for my class,  I thought a lot about how this loom would work for a beginning weaver and how it compared to the loom I learned on years ago.  Here are my thoughts:

Price:  This beginners loom is only $28!!! That is the less then what I have paid for a skein of some of my favorite yarns!  This means you can try out weaving at a vary low cost of entry.  Who doesn't like that!? And for $28 you don't just get the loom but also included are a number of weaving tools: a tapestry needle, 2 shuttles, pick up stick and comb.

Craftsmanship:  The loom and tools come in one piece and you have to pop each piece out.  I don't think I realized that the kit is somewhat fragile and I did experience some splintering on my loom.  I think if I had been a bit more careful, I definitely could have avoided this,.  They do include a small piece of sand paper so they recognize this can be an issue.  The attention to detail and design aspect of the loom is wonderful. The loom is small (around 8x10) and sleek which is great for new weavers and weaving on the go. Crafted of birch, it is also very light weight which is also great if you're traveling!  The only issue I had is that the weight of the loom gives very little resistance when you're trying to warp the loom AND when you're pulling the weft.  This was something I noticed in comparison to all my other larger and heavier looms but was able to quickly adjust my weaving style to compensate for this difference.  If this is your first time using a loom this would likely be a non-issue.  

Tools:   Ok, as you can see in the pictures, the loom and tools all have the most adorable designs on the them and I just loved looking at them as I was weaving. I am a sucker for cute illustrations and these designs pulled on my heart strings. Not a must have but definitely a nice to have!!  But to be honest,  I didn't find the tools that useful with this kit.  The loom is so small, I don't think the shuttles are really necessary BUT I could see myself using them with bigger looms.   I also didn't use the needle or the comb, because I don't like the feel of the wood against my yarn.  I prefer a metal needle and comb/fork.   This is just be a personal preference and I'd love to hear what your thoughts are if you purchase this loom!

Maker  Lastly this loom is made by the most adorable woman Ashely.  Check out her bio here and her super cool video!  I love that she cares about the earth demonstrated by the fact that the birch for the loom is made of sustainable birch and most of her beautiful woven goods are made of vintage, dead stocked or reclaimed yarns and materials.  Rad huh?

Final Thoughts  Overall I think the Black Sheep Goods Pop Out Loom is a wonderful beginners loom AND a great option for weaving teachers to use in a class for first time weavers.  The small scale will allow your students to finish a project within the class time AND the low price helps keep costs down for your students.  Plus its just so darn cute!  

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xo, Sarah

I AM A WEAVER

Hi there and welcome to my website and blog!  I am so glad you're here.  

For my first blog post (yay!) I will take a minute to introduce myself and let you know what I hope to include in my blog.

I started weaving a few years ago, after I was unexpectedly laid off when I was 8 months pregnant with my second child (crazy right!?).  I had lived my whole professional life working in a somewhat stressful corporate job at an advertising agency.  Being laid off was very hard on my ego.  And after my son was born, we decided I would stay home - and that was REALLY hard on my self identity.   I was 37 years old and I had no idea what I was doing with my life.  I didn't know how to "stay at home" with my kids, and honestly, I didn't know if I even wanted to.  This identity crisis coupled with newborn mama hormones and complete exhaustion resulted in a severe case of postpartum depression and anxiety.

I was so overwhelmed with anxiety and depression I found it hard to complete the most simple tasks like putting my sweet daughter to bed or getting myself dressed.  I had little desire to hold my son and just wanted to be alone.  And worst of all, I was always paralyzed with fear.  Lucky for me, I had an amazing support system and an acute awareness of what was wrong with me - so I sought help quickly.

During my "rehabilitation" I decided to buy a small loom and take a stab at weaving. Weaving came very naturally to me and it quickly became a source of therapy, escape and meditation.  I loved the over and under of a simple basic tabby weave and I got lost in it.  

From there I took a class from the incomparable Maryanne Moodie and was blown away by her talent and aura.  In my free time, I perused yarn stores, bought a number of new looms,  held local trunk shows to showcase my work and was even featured in a store down the street from my home.  My business started to grow and the support was overwhelming.  

I soon realized that I was becoming an artist.  I had to trust in my vision and the skills I was learning along the way.  I could do this and it was time to let go of what had happened to me in the past and blossom into the person I was becoming- a happy and healthy mother of two, who stayed at home with her children.  I could be there to drop them off and pick them up from school.  I could listen to them and be attentive to their needs,  And in my free time - I could create beautiful art that I was proud of.  My identity was shifting and I was becoming the best version of myself I could be. 

Almost four years later, I have created a wonderful home and I am so grateful for my family and friends.   I still struggle with anxiety at times, but the process of my art always helps me.  I never forgot what I went through because without that experience I would not be where I am today.  My business continues to grow and I am fortunate enough to keep this journey going with a steady stream of commissioned work.  

Thank you to all of you who have supported me along the way.  And to those who are here learning about me for the first time - its nice to meet you.  I am extremely grateful for you all.

My plan is for this  blog to include product reviews, weaving and macrame video tutorials and maybe a little insight into my other passion - home decor.  

Thanks so much for visiting!

xo, Sarah