Several years ago a small cardweaving craze swept through our group. At least a dozen people wanted to learn. The problem was the cost of starting up. At the time the cost of a hardwood inkle loom was $45 on up. Plunking down that much money just to 'try' a new hobby seemed excessive.

I knew of some non-hardwood inkle looms but tension on the pegs was pulling them apart. The hardwood was necessary to support the tension but was also the major cost of the loom. Once I added the second side there was no problem with tension pulling the loom apart. However, the second side made it hard to warp. The hanger bolts and knobs allowed a side to come off for warping and be put back on for weaving.

The only recent improvement was switching to rectangular knobs instead of round. They require less grip strength to tighten. Recent price increases on the hanger bolts might put the cost of materials back over $10, but it's still a lot more reasonable than $45.

Also, another loom maker in our kingdom has now added an optional second side to his hardwood looms. So, the idea of supporting both sides has sort of been validated in the marketplace.

These plans, especially with the suggested materials, produce a rough starter loom. Bottom line, it works and it's cheap. Someone wanting to progress to more extensive projects is probably going to want a better loom. The particle board IS scratchy, snags threads, and is fairly heavy. Either the same plans with better materials or a commercially produced loom is going to suit the experienced weaver better.

Copyright 1998, Tim Myers Freely redistributable in unaltered form.

Questions or problems email to: HL Toli the Curious tmyers2@unl.edu