#Band of Beginners

[batbetbitbotbut]

Low space & low budget weaving

Want to weave but don't have space for a loom? Have a few sticks and yarns but no DIY skills? Come, be tempted anyway. Weaving is a whole family of crafts, some of which don't require a loom at all.

Small-ish looms like box looms (as basic as yarn wrapped around a cardboard grocery tray), inkle looms, and rigid heddle looms exist, but I'm assuming every possible space for a box in your life is already filled. In this post we're going even smaller and cheaper. As far as possible, everything either is flat enough to stow behind/under furniture or rolls up safely into a bundle of just sticks and yarn.

Many of these crafts have some crossover - the same setup can be used for multiple styles of weaving. Most of them can be improvised at home depending on what you have on hand, or if you need to buy something there is not a huge gulf between homemade vs professional equipment. Alas I am not skilled in any of these and my descriptions will not be wholly accurate; corrections and additions welcome! If you need help, I'd only be able to tell you to seek out books and tutorials yourself, ask other weavers, and just try stuff out.

All photos included with permission. My thanks to the people allowing me to use their projects! I saw so many gorgeous and skillful projects when assembling this and I wish I could have included them all.

Fingerweaving

Projects by @kitteniestkitten (here) and @wefty-weaver (here)

Culture - I am aware of this as a Native American technique, I don't know its history with any more specific tribe.

Fabric - "Warp faced" cloth of any width, insofar as warp and weft have meaning for this craft as the weaving is on a diagonal. Often used for sashes or blankets.

Method - There is no loom! A couple sticks hold the yarns to begin with, but then it is all freehand. Starting at one corner, you use your fingers to weave a strand through the other strands, and... that's it. Very simple beginnings work up to very complex patterns that no loom is capable of. The whole project can be rolled up when not active.

Backstrap loom

Projects by @calendae-creations (here) and @weavingforlooms (here)

Culture - I am most aware of this from the Andes but I think it is much more widespread than that.

Fabric - Warp faced or balanced fabric of any width up to your own reach, suitable for blankets and clothes and many other things.

Method - You are the loom! Several horizontal rods hold and manipulate the warp threads but your body provides the tension, with the other end hooked to some furniture or around your own feet. When not in use, you can roll up all the equipment into a small bundle of yarn and rods. You can also use a backstrap loom setup for other methods like tablet weaving.

Warp weighted loom

Projects by @shadowcreepling (here) and @doctormead (here)

Culture - used by ancient Greeks among many many others.

Fabric - any kind of fabric at any size. Shadowcreepling is using a warp weighted loom for a tablet-woven band, Doctormead is probably using heddle rods to make a wider piece of cloth.

Method - the warp threads are held by a bar at the top and tensioned with weights on one end that hang down towards the floor, then the weft is woven into them with any method such as tablets, heddle rods, or by hand (if you have a lot of patience) and beaten into firm fabric at the top or bottom of the loom. Warp weighted looms can be very big, but they are simple and can also be very small and taken apart when not actively weaving.

Tablet weaving / card weaving

Projects by @damage-ko (here) and @foxease (here, hardware from CellesKit on Etsy)

Culture - found as far apart as textiles (geographically and temporally) from Byzantine Egypt and the Vikings

Fabric - a warp faced fabric with patterns made by twining warp threads around each other, usually used for strong narrow bands like collars, belts, and shoelaces.

Method - the cards hold open the shed so you can pass the weft through, then rotate the cards to advance the pattern. Many people make their own with cardboard or playing cards, or you can buy some. The rest of the weaving setup can be improvised with a backstrap (or just a shower curtain hook clipped to your trousers), a cardboard box loom, or warp weights.

Rigid heddle band weaving

Projects by @pisaracraft (here) and @crookedtines (here)

Culture - small rigid heddles like the first project have been found in Roman archaeological sites across Europe. The larger rigid heddle in the second project is being used for "baltic pickup" style designs on the band.

Fabric - can be warp faced or a balanced weave, size limited by the size of your heddle.

Method - you provide tension with any setup you please such as an inkle loom, backstrap, or warp weights. The heddle creates sheds so that you can pass weft yarn through the warp easily. Infinitely many "pick-up patterns" let you weave patterns and even words into the cloth.

Pin loom / potholder loom

Projects by @pardalote (here) and @weavingmyheartout (here)

Fabric - a small square (or rectangle or triangle) of balanced weaving, which can be used alone or patched together into larger fabrics. Pin looms are finer and suitable for many knitting/crochet yarns, potholer looms are chunkier and designed for big elastics, but the method is similar.

Method - wind yarn lengthways around one set of pins and then pull yarn widthways through these strands with a hook. Or, work at 45 degrees in continuous strand weaving! Lots of room to experiment with colour and texture. You can improvise a pin loom by cutting notches in a square of sturdy cardboard.

Needle weaving / stick weaving / peg loom

Projects by @thaylepo (here) and @pastelispunx (here)

Fabric - weft-faced fabric and rugs of any size.

Method - thread long thin warp threads through the pegs, then wind a thick weft (eg heavier yarn, sheep fleece, or long scraps of fabric) around the pegs. Push the weft down along the pegs as they fill up, so that it slides off onto the warp. The pegs can be secured in a base to make a peg loom for large projects, or just handled freely. I believe these evolved as separate crafts and the nuances are different, but the overall method is similar.

Frame loom / tapestry loom

Projects by @squeakygeeky (here) and @battlestar-gasmacktica (here)

Fabric - weft-faced or balanced fabric ideal for wall hangings and upholstery, size limited to the frame being used.

Method - (usually) thinner warp threads are wound round a frame, such as heavy cardboard with notches cut in the end, a picture frame, or a small and flat purpose-made loom. Thicker weft threads are woven in by hand using needles or just small lengths of yarn. Some people make lifelike images, others make more ordinary fabrics or geometric patterns.

Bobbin lace

Projects by @crochetpiece (here) and @noxx-notions (here)

Culture - began in renaissance Italy and spread throughout Europe, often as a cottage industry.

Fabric - balanced fabric usually made of very thin threads in freeform shapes. It's not usually considered "weaving" but the basic cloth stitch is definitely a woven fabric!

Method - each thread is wound onto a bobbin (e.g. a clothespeg) and then bobbins are crossed over each other to weave threads together. The lace is pinned to a cushion to hold everything in place while the design grows.

[dangerphd]

smolweaving resources

a masterpost of resources to complement that post going around the other day with a glossary of several different kinds of small weaving. design your own potholder loom squares: https://friendlyloom.com/pages/potholder-design-wizard

make a pin loom: https://windsweptmind.com/2016/07/04/adventures-in-pin-loom-making-and-so-can-you/

warp a pin loom the regular way: https://adventuresinpinloomweaving.com/2018/09/21/choose-your-warping-method/

the diagonal way: https://howdidyoumakethis.com/square-pin-loom-speed-weaving/

fingerweaving

how-to: https://www.metismuseum.ca/fingerweaving/

another how-to: https://nativetech.org/finger/beltinstr.html

additional resources: https://jumaka.com/2019/03/finger-weaving/

tablet weaving

how-to: https://www.shelaghlewins.com/tablet_weaving/TW01/TW01.htm

another how-to: https://jumaka.com/2019/02/card-weaving/

personal favorite site for designing tablet weaving drafts: https://twistedthreads.org/

backstrap rigid heddle weaving

how-to: https://spinoffmagazine.com/backstrap-rigid-heddle-basics-get-weaving-handspun-bands/

3D printed rigid heddle backstrap loom parts:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6141824

3D printed rigid heddles for band weaving:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3999858

inkle loom weaving

how to build a loom from pvc and get started: https://littlelooms.com/a-free-guide-to-inkle-weaving/

inkle loom/rigid heddle backstrap pattern design: https://carolingianrealm.blog/PatternGenerator.php

[calllmelittleghuleh]

The fact that my ever first Ghost (digital) fanart is a Cardinal Rat ™ is very telling of me 🐀🧀 I didn't draw it but in my heart he's holding a tiny size mic to sing along with Copia for some quality time 🫶🏻

[carnaldesiresiii]

First procreate drawing guys!! so far I’m liking ittt :)

[simplydannie]

Goyle Rageons || Under Rageous || Sounds of Under Rageous || Velvet and Veneer Story Arc || Velvet and Veneer Story Arc (Updated)

I make mistakes, and can be REALLY dumb and not think. So I decided to go back and rework on some stuff of the Species of Under Rageous. This is now done in collaboration with @fairytypingg && @kais-va!

I was originally going to post all species into one post but decided to do them all separately. I would like to start off with the most bright and colorful ones.

Strobe Rageons (named by the awesome @kais-va) are the name given to the bright, illuminating Rageons of the under-city. Think of them like the Techno Trolls of Rageons.

After generations of working in high radiated environments, the radiation exposure in the under-city has caused this alteration in them, causing their hair, eyes, and unique markings to illuminate.

Think of their markings like finger prints, not one Strobe has the same marking designs, each one is unique to the Rageon. Their feelings also control how bright they can illuminate; they have also developed a skill in which they can control when they illuminate and when they cant. Think of a light bulb turning on and off.

Strobe Rageons make up the majority of the Under Rageous government. It is highly unknown why this is, but many of the other Under Rageons agree and hold Strobes high on a pedestal.

They have a strong hate for Europium Rageons (Succubi) and have convinced most of Under Rageous how dangerous this kind is and that they must be taken care of. This caused the Eropium Rageons to isolate and create their own little community, but unfortunately, with the influence of bad Strobe Rageons, this did not make them safe to hate crimes.

The first Strobe pictured is named Apollo and has a very strong hate for the twins. He makes their life hell when he hears about their return to the under-city. His family may also have something to do with death of the twins parents.

The Trolls universe is definitely centered around music. Under Rageous is no exception. Strobes tend to lean towards the sounds of techno, electronic, and reggaeton (that’s me just adding my little flavor of culture lol). They LOVE to be the life of the party, so you can imagine the threat they feel when a pair of teenaged Europium Rageons show up and take the spot light.

[lucascrotti888]

Hello fellow citizens! Starting a new project here called "Hidden Pearls", which I'll draw bands or singers I really like who sadly don't get much recognition for their works as deserved. Beginning with Tally Hall! Such MARVELOUS band if you know what I mean... Can you guess the next one?

[thicccqueyoongimin]

hang tough!!

-y’all, i decided to finally invest in a drawing app, instead of using a free one that drained all my battery with ads. so if anyone has any tips on how to use procreate PLEASE HELP ME. but here is my practice so far^

-ALSO. i would like to maybe start a taglist for my art but im afraid nobody will want to be on it. would anyone be interested in that?? pls let me know, it would make me so happy.

ok enjoy!

[mr-panman]

art dump!! i keep forgetting to upload stuff because everytime i get home i end up passing out

sleep token is keeping me going

[micoz-field-of-dreamz]

i dont like this guy

[carnaldesiresiii]

A copia drawing inspired by hanging around!!!

BUT ALSO WDYM WE NEVER GOT TO SEE HIM WEARING THE LEATHER CASSOCK 😞

[tjwritesfanfics]

Other MGG Characters Masterlist 🎃

Main Masterlist

MINORS DON'T INTERACT ON NSFW THINGS

🔥NSFW 🌻Fluff 💔Angst

Joe Joe (RV) 🚙

🩵Down by the river on a Friday night 🔥💔

You knew you couldn't stay with him forever, but at least for one night you could pretend. This is for imagining-in-the-margins Friends-with-Benefits Challenge.

Franklin (Beginner's Luck) 🎳

🩵Little prodigy🌻

Your daughter, Emma, was finally the age to start bowling and Franklin wanted nothing more than to teach her.

Mok (Magic Valley) ⛓

🩵Head canons

Just my own personal head canons About Him How he met you Dating NSFW

Joe Harper 💪🏻

🩵Prom Night Dream 🌻

When Joe finds out you missed your prom, he takes it upon himself to give you a redo.

(Banners by cafekitsune)

[simplydannie]

Under Rageous’ cutest family!

[little-editor2]

for George Harrison lovers

@remuskinnie4life @george-harrison-daily

[st3phani3]

so I know this ain’t common buttt tv girl ocs !! plus lore and playlist 🫶 there is and will be more don’t worry !!

Part 1 / Part 2

[fireflyatlast]

I finally figured out how to draw the ghoul masks from Imperia :]

[karmicbias]

Woof, my entire torso is sore because apparently I flex my entire core when I'm concentrating?? Which is what I've been doing for most of the weekend because I've literally used a sewing machine once before this.

Didn't quite finish it but it's so close.

Saturday morning/Sunday evening:

(blue for the lining is not accurate but I wanted to since only I am gonna see it 🤷)

It's not perfect, but all things considered I'm delighted. Definitely a trade-off in the amount of time I had to spend being super careful, unfucking a couple things, etc, but I'd rather be methodical and happy with the results - so far so good.