I like small projects and weavings that have an end in sight...  LOL! 

I think my most versatile size is my 18". Even after fulling my wool
weavings, the finished triangle is large enough to make small things with on it's own,
but it's also small enough to work well for piecing triangles together very nicely.

I have one that's a size smaller... about 14 inches if i remember right... I like that one because it weaves up so fast and when I full down the wool triangles they are sweet little "gems" that can be put together for all kinds of items. 

Some day I WILL build a large shawl loom... but for now I don't have the space for one and I don't have the ambition for setting all those hundreds of pegs.  The next loom I build is going to be a small square continuous weave for dishclothes and such. 

Comments

claudia (not verified)

I haven't tried tri-looming but am very interested in doing it.  I am uncertain how it's done and what equipment is necessary for me to get started.

Thanks for any info you can give me.

Claudia

wolmuts (not verified)

Tri-loom is one of the more simple forms of weaving (in my opinion), but it has endless versatilety. This is a good DIY site on the internet if you want to make a loom yourself, but they are also for sale.  There are also a few books for sale on Lulu.com. Googling triloom or tri-loom will get you a lot of links.

I made my own trilooms  and I still want to make a rectangular continuous strand loom.

 

FybeRae (not verified)

  I was going to recommend that very same site.... 

http://www.waynesthisandthat.com/triloom2.htm  

That's where I first discovered the tri-loom.  I can't even remember what I was actually looking for that day...  but I stumbled across the tri-loom page and I was instantly captivated and by the next day I had built my first loom!  LOL!!! 

Wolmuts is absolutely right...  Tri-loom weaving is probably the easiest way to weave but it's fascinating and versatile.  One of the best things is that it's so easy to build your own looms and you can make them in sizes from small enough fit in a purse to pass time in odd moments to huge wall hung versions for lushly draping bias weave shawls and throws.  

panhandlejane (not verified)

I notice that most trilooms that are for sale seem to have a spacing of 1/2 inch for the long rail.  I will probably be using mostly worsted weight yarn.  Is this spacing about right if I were making my own?

FybeRae (not verified)

 

It's the "standard" spacing and really the easiest to work with, but I've read of some people building with closer spacing.  

It's a good spacing for wool from sport to worsted weight or even semi-bulky because after you full the wool, it's still loose enough to give the fabric a wonderful, soft and drapey hand.  

I did a couple pieces just the other day to try out cotton yarn which I've never used (Peaches and Cream) and for cotton, I think I would want closer spacing if I were to do much with it.   The cotton, of course, doesn't bloom and full like the wool so even after a good washing to finish, it still comes out a VERY loose and open weave.  It seems to hold pretty well, but if I were to catch it on the tines of a fork or whatever, (I'm weaving face and dish cloths from the cotton) I'm sure it would pull open easily.

For cotton, ribbon, silk or any other non-blooming yarns I'd like to try to halve the peg spacing but I don't know if that would then make the side pegs too frustratingly close to reasonably use.  

I'd like to hear from others about what the closest spacing is that they've ever tried using and for what fibers. 

Weaver

 I saw a demonstration of getting twice the number of picks by moving the weaving so that there are two loops on each nail. It's a bit hard to explain, but the technique was shown by Hazel Spencer of Hazel Rose Looms on her DVD. That would open up the possibility of using finer yarn.

panhandlejane (not verified)

I have a new Spriggs triloom sitting in my craft room waiting for an easel, which should probably be here TOMORROW!  I am so excited!

cookie48 (not verified)

I have the Spriggs Adjustable Triangular Loom and the 5 Foot Square Loom.  I used both of them a few times, but I'm spinning some yarns for making a blanket for my Bed.

I would also like to order her Spriggs Adjustable Rectangular Loom.

I also own their 2 and 3 foot triangular loom that I haven't done much one, but I will.  I would like to get an 18" Tri and Square Loom from them for making garments, but I need to save for it.

Cookie

cookie48 (not verified)

I bought a book that shows how to build your own tri or square looms.  I haven't gotten brave enough to try it, but once I do, I would like to try the 18" Tri and/or 18 Sq loom.

 

Cookie48

FybeRae (not verified)

Sooooooo!!!  Have you tried it out?  What are you working on?  What size loom?  Got pix?!

FybeRae (not verified)

These looms really are very easy to make once we get over trying to "over think" them.   I was nervous about not knowing what I was doing when I built the first one and I was making it seem more complicated than it actually is, but then once I got started it was like.... "huh, it really IS that simple!"  LOL!   The actual design and all that is easy, but what is HARD is the amount of work it is!  It's a LOT of work to mark, drill, prep and set all those pegs.   I really want to get a seven foot loom done, but I am soooo dreading all those holes to drill.  Go ahead an build your 18 inch one, around that size was my first build and it went fast and easy... good practice for larger ones or square, etc. 

What is the name of the book and where can we find it?  I bet many would like to know! 

cookie48 (not verified)

Hi, FybeRae.  My favorite size is the 7 footer since you can adjust down to 9 different sizes you wish.  Each time I used mine I ended using the largest size.
More than a couple of years ago I saw an article in the Spin-Off Magazine of a Lady who was commissioned to spin the yarn and weave a blanket or bed-spread for a king sized bed and the guy that ordered this big project from her was dead serious.  I forgotten all the types of fibers she used, but Lincoln Wool was one of them and she used at least 14 oz. of wool fibers and kept them their natural colors.
She started off spinning the yarn which took her 2 to 3 months.  I think the whole project from starting the spinning to finishing the weaving took her a total of 11 months.  She wove 8 triangular pieces on her 7 ft Spriggs Adjustable Tri Loom and sewed them together.  The bed spread turned out beautiful since she used different weave patterns.
The color of the blanket looked like it was made of cotton or linen because of the natural and different shades of off whites.  I wished I could remember which issue and/or year that project appeared in.  She even written instructions on how to make the blanket in the magazine.
 
So, therefore, the 7 Foot Tri is my favorite and the 5 Foot Square is my 2nd favorite because of baby blankets.  Although I do mostly small project, the 7 Footer is my favorite when it comes to really large projects.
 
Cookie48 

ourqueensue (not verified)

I have a 7 foot adjustable that can be adjusted to as small as 3 foot.  I used the 3 foot setting to test for a large lap blanket. the 3 foot triangle works for a neck scarf. i used the loom at the 6 foot size to make a 4 foot square. Carol Leigh in Columbia, MO makes wonderful looms of many size and shapes. She has an instructional DVD. Her website is http://www.hillcreekfiberstudio.com/ The main disadvantage is the large size, but the way the continuous weaving moves so quickly, even a large project can be completed quickly - you are weaving at the same time you are warping.

Gail Marlow-Dickey (not verified)

I have been weaving on triangle looms for more than a dozen years, and I never tire of it !!    I find  I can be very creative with a triangle loom and use such a wide variety of yarns from worsted to almost any of the vast selection of "novelty" yarns and metalics.  Even though I love weaving and teaching on standard floor looms,  I am positively addicted to weaving on my triangles.  I really like to use different sizes and I often have more than one in the works at a time.  For the past several years I have been teaching workshops on triangle weaving.  I have been asked so many times if I make them,  that in July my son and I began building and selling them.  We have approached this with with a desire to make the loom itself a work of art and our looms are lovely enough to hang on a wall  in the living room.  Making the looms and teaching others how to use them is a lot of fun and inspires me to create more styles with all of the different sizes of looms that we build.  

By the way the weaving guild that I belong to is starting something new.  Because Inland Empire Handweavers Guild has members that live a great distance from our traditional monthly meeting place we are starting regional groups that  will meet on various Saturdays and Sundays at different locations through out our area of Southern California. The plan is members will bring their looms or spinning wheels and just have a great time.  We may take on different topics and structures to explore.  It is going to be great !  

Happy weaving everyone,

Gail

Loominaria (not verified)

The spacing on mine from Hillcreek Fiber Studio are at 4 per inch on the short sides and approximately 2.82916213 <g> per inch on the hypotenuse. You have the same number of pegs/nails on the long side as on one short side.

Since the short sides serve as the hypotenuse of the triangle whose other two sides are the warp and weft, we can figure out the sett (spacing of the warp) and picks per inch (spacing of the weft) by using the formulas for an isosceles right triangle. Sparing you the calculations, the setting is approximately 5.6 epi/ppi in a balanced tabby weave, with a bit of take-up off the loom and possible further shrinkage depending on your fibre and cleaning method.

That would be a very loose, drapey sett for worsted weight wool or other hairy fibre with some 'tooth' to it.  It would probably be too loose for smooth worsted weight plant or synthetic fibres.  Brushed mohair would fill in the spaces nicely.  Some people run yarns doubled on the tri-loom, but that is not for everyone and can be confusing for both beginning and experienced weavers. The jacket here is made of doubled worsted weight yarn. www.hillcreekfiberstudio.com/TriloomJackets2.html

Spacing at a half inch along the hypotenuse would call for very bulky/chunky yarns.

The nail spacing on my little Hazel Rose triangle loom is the same, so I can sample before moving to one of the larger tri-looms.

geeky Kurt

who didn't do very well with high school math calculations but can find calculators online very easily now -- please correct my calculations if you detect an error

epi/ppi on tri-loom = number of nails on short side divided by (length of short side in inches times .707)

.707 is approximately equal to 1 divided by the square root of 2

Loominaria (not verified)

I have four sizes, going by the hypotenuse, 5 and 10 inches from Hazel Rose, and 25 and 36.8 from Carol Leigh's Hillcreek Fiber Studio. I bought a painter's table easel for using the Hillcreek tri-looms, weaving with one short side horizontal and the other vertical. Those are sizes that allow me to sit while weaving, and one can always make a huge triangle (or square or rectangle) by joining together smaller triangles.  Since Hazel Rose and Hillcreek Fiber Studio use the same spacing, the joining of pieces from all 4 looms would be easy.  I can't say I have a favourite size among those I have.

Kurt

claudia (not verified)

I haven't tried tri-looming but am very interested in doing it.  I am uncertain how it's done and what equipment is necessary for me to get started.

Thanks for any info you can give me.

Claudia

wolmuts (not verified)

Tri-loom is one of the more simple forms of weaving (in my opinion), but it has endless versatilety. This is a good DIY site on the internet if you want to make a loom yourself, but they are also for sale.  There are also a few books for sale on Lulu.com. Googling triloom or tri-loom will get you a lot of links.

I made my own trilooms  and I still want to make a rectangular continuous strand loom.

 

FybeRae (not verified)

  I was going to recommend that very same site.... 

http://www.waynesthisandthat.com/triloom2.htm  

That's where I first discovered the tri-loom.  I can't even remember what I was actually looking for that day...  but I stumbled across the tri-loom page and I was instantly captivated and by the next day I had built my first loom!  LOL!!! 

Wolmuts is absolutely right...  Tri-loom weaving is probably the easiest way to weave but it's fascinating and versatile.  One of the best things is that it's so easy to build your own looms and you can make them in sizes from small enough fit in a purse to pass time in odd moments to huge wall hung versions for lushly draping bias weave shawls and throws.  

panhandlejane (not verified)

I notice that most trilooms that are for sale seem to have a spacing of 1/2 inch for the long rail.  I will probably be using mostly worsted weight yarn.  Is this spacing about right if I were making my own?

FybeRae (not verified)

 

It's the "standard" spacing and really the easiest to work with, but I've read of some people building with closer spacing.  

It's a good spacing for wool from sport to worsted weight or even semi-bulky because after you full the wool, it's still loose enough to give the fabric a wonderful, soft and drapey hand.  

I did a couple pieces just the other day to try out cotton yarn which I've never used (Peaches and Cream) and for cotton, I think I would want closer spacing if I were to do much with it.   The cotton, of course, doesn't bloom and full like the wool so even after a good washing to finish, it still comes out a VERY loose and open weave.  It seems to hold pretty well, but if I were to catch it on the tines of a fork or whatever, (I'm weaving face and dish cloths from the cotton) I'm sure it would pull open easily.

For cotton, ribbon, silk or any other non-blooming yarns I'd like to try to halve the peg spacing but I don't know if that would then make the side pegs too frustratingly close to reasonably use.  

I'd like to hear from others about what the closest spacing is that they've ever tried using and for what fibers. 

Weaver

 I saw a demonstration of getting twice the number of picks by moving the weaving so that there are two loops on each nail. It's a bit hard to explain, but the technique was shown by Hazel Spencer of Hazel Rose Looms on her DVD. That would open up the possibility of using finer yarn.

panhandlejane (not verified)

I have a new Spriggs triloom sitting in my craft room waiting for an easel, which should probably be here TOMORROW!  I am so excited!

cookie48 (not verified)

I have the Spriggs Adjustable Triangular Loom and the 5 Foot Square Loom.  I used both of them a few times, but I'm spinning some yarns for making a blanket for my Bed.

I would also like to order her Spriggs Adjustable Rectangular Loom.

I also own their 2 and 3 foot triangular loom that I haven't done much one, but I will.  I would like to get an 18" Tri and Square Loom from them for making garments, but I need to save for it.

Cookie

cookie48 (not verified)

I bought a book that shows how to build your own tri or square looms.  I haven't gotten brave enough to try it, but once I do, I would like to try the 18" Tri and/or 18 Sq loom.

 

Cookie48

FybeRae (not verified)

Sooooooo!!!  Have you tried it out?  What are you working on?  What size loom?  Got pix?!

FybeRae (not verified)

These looms really are very easy to make once we get over trying to "over think" them.   I was nervous about not knowing what I was doing when I built the first one and I was making it seem more complicated than it actually is, but then once I got started it was like.... "huh, it really IS that simple!"  LOL!   The actual design and all that is easy, but what is HARD is the amount of work it is!  It's a LOT of work to mark, drill, prep and set all those pegs.   I really want to get a seven foot loom done, but I am soooo dreading all those holes to drill.  Go ahead an build your 18 inch one, around that size was my first build and it went fast and easy... good practice for larger ones or square, etc. 

What is the name of the book and where can we find it?  I bet many would like to know! 

cookie48 (not verified)

Hi, FybeRae.  My favorite size is the 7 footer since you can adjust down to 9 different sizes you wish.  Each time I used mine I ended using the largest size.
More than a couple of years ago I saw an article in the Spin-Off Magazine of a Lady who was commissioned to spin the yarn and weave a blanket or bed-spread for a king sized bed and the guy that ordered this big project from her was dead serious.  I forgotten all the types of fibers she used, but Lincoln Wool was one of them and she used at least 14 oz. of wool fibers and kept them their natural colors.
She started off spinning the yarn which took her 2 to 3 months.  I think the whole project from starting the spinning to finishing the weaving took her a total of 11 months.  She wove 8 triangular pieces on her 7 ft Spriggs Adjustable Tri Loom and sewed them together.  The bed spread turned out beautiful since she used different weave patterns.
The color of the blanket looked like it was made of cotton or linen because of the natural and different shades of off whites.  I wished I could remember which issue and/or year that project appeared in.  She even written instructions on how to make the blanket in the magazine.
 
So, therefore, the 7 Foot Tri is my favorite and the 5 Foot Square is my 2nd favorite because of baby blankets.  Although I do mostly small project, the 7 Footer is my favorite when it comes to really large projects.
 
Cookie48 

ourqueensue (not verified)

I have a 7 foot adjustable that can be adjusted to as small as 3 foot.  I used the 3 foot setting to test for a large lap blanket. the 3 foot triangle works for a neck scarf. i used the loom at the 6 foot size to make a 4 foot square. Carol Leigh in Columbia, MO makes wonderful looms of many size and shapes. She has an instructional DVD. Her website is http://www.hillcreekfiberstudio.com/ The main disadvantage is the large size, but the way the continuous weaving moves so quickly, even a large project can be completed quickly - you are weaving at the same time you are warping.

Gail Marlow-Dickey (not verified)

I have been weaving on triangle looms for more than a dozen years, and I never tire of it !!    I find  I can be very creative with a triangle loom and use such a wide variety of yarns from worsted to almost any of the vast selection of "novelty" yarns and metalics.  Even though I love weaving and teaching on standard floor looms,  I am positively addicted to weaving on my triangles.  I really like to use different sizes and I often have more than one in the works at a time.  For the past several years I have been teaching workshops on triangle weaving.  I have been asked so many times if I make them,  that in July my son and I began building and selling them.  We have approached this with with a desire to make the loom itself a work of art and our looms are lovely enough to hang on a wall  in the living room.  Making the looms and teaching others how to use them is a lot of fun and inspires me to create more styles with all of the different sizes of looms that we build.  

By the way the weaving guild that I belong to is starting something new.  Because Inland Empire Handweavers Guild has members that live a great distance from our traditional monthly meeting place we are starting regional groups that  will meet on various Saturdays and Sundays at different locations through out our area of Southern California. The plan is members will bring their looms or spinning wheels and just have a great time.  We may take on different topics and structures to explore.  It is going to be great !  

Happy weaving everyone,

Gail

Loominaria (not verified)

The spacing on mine from Hillcreek Fiber Studio are at 4 per inch on the short sides and approximately 2.82916213 <g> per inch on the hypotenuse. You have the same number of pegs/nails on the long side as on one short side.

Since the short sides serve as the hypotenuse of the triangle whose other two sides are the warp and weft, we can figure out the sett (spacing of the warp) and picks per inch (spacing of the weft) by using the formulas for an isosceles right triangle. Sparing you the calculations, the setting is approximately 5.6 epi/ppi in a balanced tabby weave, with a bit of take-up off the loom and possible further shrinkage depending on your fibre and cleaning method.

That would be a very loose, drapey sett for worsted weight wool or other hairy fibre with some 'tooth' to it.  It would probably be too loose for smooth worsted weight plant or synthetic fibres.  Brushed mohair would fill in the spaces nicely.  Some people run yarns doubled on the tri-loom, but that is not for everyone and can be confusing for both beginning and experienced weavers. The jacket here is made of doubled worsted weight yarn. www.hillcreekfiberstudio.com/TriloomJackets2.html

Spacing at a half inch along the hypotenuse would call for very bulky/chunky yarns.

The nail spacing on my little Hazel Rose triangle loom is the same, so I can sample before moving to one of the larger tri-looms.

geeky Kurt

who didn't do very well with high school math calculations but can find calculators online very easily now -- please correct my calculations if you detect an error

epi/ppi on tri-loom = number of nails on short side divided by (length of short side in inches times .707)

.707 is approximately equal to 1 divided by the square root of 2

Loominaria (not verified)

I have four sizes, going by the hypotenuse, 5 and 10 inches from Hazel Rose, and 25 and 36.8 from Carol Leigh's Hillcreek Fiber Studio. I bought a painter's table easel for using the Hillcreek tri-looms, weaving with one short side horizontal and the other vertical. Those are sizes that allow me to sit while weaving, and one can always make a huge triangle (or square or rectangle) by joining together smaller triangles.  Since Hazel Rose and Hillcreek Fiber Studio use the same spacing, the joining of pieces from all 4 looms would be easy.  I can't say I have a favourite size among those I have.

Kurt