Basket Weaving With a Circular Loom

Laser cut you own loom and weave a basket with T-yarn.

Because the T-yarn is stretch, the weave tends to curl up into a basket shape.We do help the shaping by stretching warp and weft to a maximum.

AGES: 12+

TIME: 2 hours

The number of dents on the edge of the loom defines the width of the warp. Any number for dividing a pie into equal parts + 1 is usable to make the loom, starting from 12+1. (4 and 8 are too low). The uneven number (+1) is necessary to make the continuous weft. The tutorial is realized on a 32+1 circular loom. The pattern was made in Adobe Illustrator, by creating a star with 33 points, and then cutting the edges on both sides with the pathfinder tool. See screenshot. For sure there are other or better programs with options to draw the loom, but during this workshop we use the Adobe Illustrator program.

On the included pattern, the warping diameter is 28 cm, the usable diameter is only 16 cm, we lose 6 cm all around the woven part, this will become clearer as you go through the tutorial. Inside the loom, you could laser cut a smaller loom, on this example, we have added stick shuttles.

We used a 5 mm multiply powerplex wood, settings were speed 0,8 /power 100, after testing of course. 4 mm multiply wood can also do, and will certainly be sufficient with a smaller hoop.The bigger the diameter of the loom, the thicker the the wood should be.

We use a regular knitting cotton or linnen yarn, width 2 to 3 mm (no wool or acrylic, this is to stretching).Tape the start end on the back of the loom bring the yarn to the front, and cross the threats in the centre. Use a lot of tension on the yarn, stretch them tight around the dents. There is only one right way to warp the loom, if the cross-over is centered, you do it correctly.

When you have have made the circle round in warp, you are left with one opening, due to the uneven number of dents.

For the last warp, cut 40 cm warp yarn, take 8 warp yarns at the back and tie them together. Make sure this knot is in the middle of the loom. Put the yarn trough to the front, and tie the other 8 warp yarns together, in right angle on the first knot. Bring the yarn to the remaining dent, and tie it together with the start bit of yarn.

Now you can start weaving.

For the first centimeter of weft, we use the cotton warp yarn, the warp is so dense in the center, the T-yarn is to thick to weave nicely.

The weaving itself, is nothing more than passing the weft yarn alternated up and under the warp yarn. As the following order of the warp yarn is not clear in the center, make the up and down movement more at least 3 cm away from the centre.

Roll some 2 meters of T-yarn on the big stick shuttle, and start weaving where you stopped the thin cotton yarn. Use the stitch to pass up and under the war yarn, pull the woven bit tight after each woven stick length.

It is vey important to pull the yarn very tight every time you weave a stick length.
The stetchiness of the T-yarn will create the round shape of the basket. How do you know when you do the weaving right? you can check right and wrong weave in the red circles zones on the right image.

your woven part is at about 6 cm from the edge.

Cut a warp loops on the back, and tie with a double knot both ends together, at the end of the woven part.

Do this one by one, if cutting too many, your last weft yarn will get completely undone.

When you have uncut the whole basket from the loop, you need to sew al the loose warp ends into the basket, as well as any loose bits of yarn at the center or ends from changing color.
When sewn into the basket as shown on, you can cut away the remaining ends.

Now you have finished your smooth looking little basket. If you want to have a flat weave, wanting to make a coaster or a trivet, you should use non stretch weft yarn, like normal knitting yarn, wool or cotton, or small rope, and not put much tension nor on weft, nor on warp yarn.