Creating a loom

I’ve been busy experimenting with weaving and knitting following my post ‘reevaluating’ and considering how it can be utilised in my project.

I already own a little wooden loom from a weaving workshop I attended in the Hot Walls, but after digging it out and sitting untouched for a week, I decided I needed to get more creative with my approach to weaving. I honestly don’t know where the inspiration came from but I couldn’t sleep so I dragged my ironing board out and decided to convert it into a loom. I started experimenting with old jeans initially, and after getting carried away, it’s safe to say I no longer own any jeans. 

I wanted to use the ironing board legs to create my warp but I struggled with the triangle and getting the fabric to stay taut but this is something I may revisit. I’m sure I can attach something to help keep the fabric in place. Anyway, I proceeded with the table section of the board and then the iron rack. I love the results for the shapes that were created. 

The rack section where you place the iron between ironing garments has these metal rests that prevented me from weaving the full weft so I really liked the final piece that this created. From looping the warp all the way round the full rack, I managed to thread / weave the full 360 loom I’d created. 

The larger piece from the table produced a really interesting weave section. Where the board narrows for collars and cuffs, my warp also reduced. The shape it created could be used in so many different ways as a part of a pattern, forming a sleeve or leg panel, or even joining multiple together to create a larger textile section. 

As I’d already shredded my jeans, I used what was remaining to knit some denim, playing with different thicknesses of strands including the frayed threads. From the denim I moved onto the iron cable and then hoover electric cable which I removed the black plastic coating and focused on the wires. The plastic coating was too rigid to knit and was difficult to cut in a single long piece so I used the lengths to create a weave, embellishing with denim cords to secure it all together. I feel these elements really lend themselves to being used as accessories within my collection, Belts, buckles, straps, necklaces and cuffs. I am toying with the idea of using the plugs and electrical sockets as a fastening on a jacket or bag.