Most people who come into the studio wanting to learn to weave have already decided on a rigid heddle loom. Starting out with a rigid heddle is a smart choice. It is the quickest way from "I'd like to try weaving" to having a finished scarf in your hands, and it is a loom with plenty of versatility. What’s harder to answer is which rigid heddle loom, and what you will actually spend getting started. If you were sitting here with me, this is how we'd talk about it.
What a rigid heddle loom can do
A rigid heddle loom weaves plain weave beautifully. Scarves, wraps, tea towels, table runners, cloth for sewing. Add a pick-up stick and you can weave texture and simple patterns.
All three Ashford rigid heddle looms come with the extra heddle block already in place. Add a second reed and you can weave more complex structures like doubleweave and twill. Whether you want to is a personal choice. Some weavers love it. Others find working with two heddles too fiddly, and that is fine too. For most new weavers, the rigid heddle is the right first step, and plenty of weavers never feel the need to leave it. Experienced weavers consider a rigid heddle part of their essential tool kit.
The three Ashford options
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SampleIt (25cm or 40cm)
The smallest, lightest and least expensive of the three. It arrives as a kit in natural timber, ready for you to finish and put together, and it has a built-in second heddle option. It is a good choice if you want to try weaving without a big outlay, sample yarns before committing to a project, or weave on while on the sofa. The 25cm keeps you to narrow scarves and samplers, so the 40cm is the more useful size if you think you'll stick with it. -
Rigid Heddle Loom (40, 60, 80 or 120cm)
The classic, made from silver beech. Like the SampleIt, it arrives as a kit to finish and put together. It sits on a table or on its own stand, comes in four widths, and takes a second heddle when you are ready for it. The 40cm is where I'd start most people. Go wider only if you already know you want to weave wraps, blanket panels or lengths of cloth. -
Knitters Loom (30, 50 or 70cm)
Lacquered, arrives assembled, and folds in half with your weaving still on it, so you can weave the day it arrives. It comes with a padded carry bag. You pay more for portability and convenience, so it earns its price if you'll be taking it to guild days, workshops or on holiday. If it is going to live on the dining table, the standard Rigid Heddle Loom does the same job for less.
How wide do you need?
Wider isn't better, it is just wider. The weaving width is the widest piece the loom can make, and you can always weave narrower on a wide loom. But a wider loom costs more, takes up more room and is heavier to move. Think about what you actually want to make in your first year, not the blanket you might weave one day. For scarves and most first projects, 40cm is plenty. Another consideration is ergonomics. A wider loom can be uncomfortable for some people, so try a wider loom before you make a commitment.
What comes in the box?
All three looms come with the standard 7.5 dpi reed, two shuttles, a threading hook, a warping peg, clamps and a step-by-step booklet. A 7.5 dpi reed suits a wide range of yarns, including most 8 ply and DK, which is exactly where you want to start. The Knitters Loom adds its padded carry bag. The standard Rigid Heddle Loom has one extra trick. Flip it over and you will find holes for indirect warping, so the loom doubles as its own warping board. The dowels for this are sold separately as Rigid Heddle Warp Pegs ($15).
Putting it together (and why I take two days)
The SampleIt and the Rigid Heddle Loom both arrive unfinished, as a kit of natural timber parts. How long they take to put together depends on your DIY skills, but don't forget to allow time to wax every part before assembly. That is the step people skip, and the timber is better off for it.
Here's what you'll need:
• A decent Phillips head screwdriver and a flat head screwdriver
• A small rubber mallet (good to have but not earth shattering if you don’t have one. Use a small hammer buffered by a block of wood instead)
• A candle or a bar of soap, to rub on the screws so they go in smoothly
• Finishing wax. I use Ashford's Timber Protector, and Howard's finishing wax is my second choice. Sandpaper is included in the box.
How I do it: I take every piece out of the box and check it against the parts list before I do anything else. Then I lightly sand and wax all the parts and leave them overnight. I'll put everything together the next day. It is slower, but then I'm starting with a loom that is finished properly, with nothing missing.
Bonus: The Knitters Loom skips all of this. It is lacquered and arrives assembled.
What it really costs to start
The loom is not the whole cost. Freight, a good reference book, finishing wax and yarn for your first project all add up. Here's what a realistic starter setup looks like for each option.
Each all-in cost adds $20 freight, the book ($35), finishing wax ($25.50) and yarn for a first project ($0 to $50).
| Starter setup | Loom | All-in cost |
|---|---|---|
| SampleIt 25cm | $225 | $305.50 to $355.50 |
| SampleIt 40cm | $255 | $335.50 to $385.50 |
| Complete Weaving Kit (SampleIt 40cm with book, wax, second reed and yarn) | $370 | $390 |
| Rigid Heddle Loom 40cm | $335 | $415.50 to $465.50 |
| Knitters Loom 50cm (no wax needed) | $455 | $510 to $560 |
Freight: most looms ship direct from Ashford in New Zealand for $20 per order. The SampleIt 25cm ships from the studio for $20. The Ashford Book of Rigid Heddle Weaving is the one I recommend if you are just starting out. Finishing wax is Ashford Timber Protector. Yarn is 100g of 8 ply/DK, from your stash ($0) up to hand-dyed (about $50).
What about yarn?
For a first project, 100g of 8 ply/DK will do the job. If you want to keep costs down, use what is already in your stash. Otherwise, choose a yarn you love, because you will be looking at it for a while as you weave and you don't want to be sick of it by the end. That puts the true cost anywhere from nothing to around $50 for something fancy and hand dyed. How different fibres and yarns behave on the loom is a whole post on its own, so I'll save that for another day.
Should you buy the Complete Weaving Kit?
The Complete Weaving Kit is the SampleIt 40cm plus the Ashford book, finishing wax, a second reed (5 dpi), a canvas carry bag and 100g of Merino bouclé with a scarf pattern. Bought separately, the loom, book, reed and wax come to $347. The kit is $370, so you're paying about $23 for the bag, yarn and pattern. If you want everything in one box and you like the look of that scarf, it's good value. If you'd rather choose your own first yarn, or you want the 10 dpi reed as your second reed, buy the pieces.
Want a stand?
A stand lets you weave sitting upright instead of leaning against a table edge. It is a comfort upgrade, not a necessity, and plenty of people weave happily for years without one. The SampleIt stand is $160, the Rigid Heddle Loom stand is $230 for the looms up to 80cm, and the Knitters Loom stand is $257. If you weave for long stretches, it is worth it. If you are still finding out whether weaving is for you, wait. The 120cm Rigid Heddle Loom ($589) needs its own stand ($370).
If you do get a stand, an accessory tray is a nice-to-have rather than a need, but it gives your shuttles, threading hook and scissors somewhere to live. The natural tray for the Rigid Heddle and SampleIt stands is $69.90, and the lacquered tray for the Knitters Loom stand is $93.50.
What you don't need yet
Extra reeds (including the second one for double heddle weaving), boat shuttles, a warping frame, a fringe twister. All useful, all things you will want eventually, and all easy to add later. Buy them when a project asks for them, not before. If you insist on an extra reed, buy the 10 dpi. Your first few projects will teach you more about what you need than any list will.
The thing nobody tells you
The best first loom is the one you will actually warp up again after your first project. Choose the one that fits your space, your budget and how you want to weave right now. Don't let anyone, including me, talk you into more loom than you need.
If you want to talk it through, get in touch or book a studio visit. I have all three types of looms in the studio, so you can sit at each one, and we'll work out the right one together. No upselling, just a straight answer.