Gina Rae Mitchell

Zoom Loom Weaving Tutorial – Beginner Level | Simple Instructions with Photos ~ Addictive Craft Technique

Pin loom weaving is a favorite craft of mine. I find it soothing, a quick gratification project, extremely portable, and endlessly useful. This tutorial is on the 4-inch Schacht Zoom Loom. What a nifty little loom. The Zoom Loom is lightweight yet sturdy. I have made hundreds of squares with it, and it still looks as perfect as the day it came out of the box.

Birsppy Zoom Loom 4"X4" Pin Loom from Schacht

• Schacht spindle company-zoom loom pin loom
• Good Quality product
• Product is manufactured in United States

$48.00

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The Zoom Loom (Etsy Link) comes in a sturdy box with a handle that makes a nice carrying case.

You can also check on The Woolery for their prices, books, and patterns.
What’s in the box?

• 4″ square pin loom
• 6″ weaving needle
• 3″ yarn needle
• full-color instruction book with three projects

The loom is very well designed. The following description is from the company.

• The sloping interior edge guides your weaving needle.
• Gracefully extended sides are easy to hold.
• Molded-in instructions on the front and back are always there when you need them.
• A handy slot holds the starting yarn without knotting.
• Made in Boulder, Colorado!

The following is my step-by-step tutorial for weaving your first square. * Please note this is the way I weave on the Zoom Loom. It is not the only way. Every weaver develops their own techniques & style. *

You will need about 8 yards of yarn. You may measure and cut this first or work from your skein of yarn. Use whichever method is most comfortable for you.

1. Hold the loom so that corner 1 is at the lower left.
2. Place the yarn in the slot, leaving a 4-5 inch tail. The yarn will fall between the vertical & horizontal groupings
3. Take the yarn from corner 1 to corner 3, making sure it is just to the right of the vertical row of pins
4. Wrap the yarn around the group of 2 pins
5. Come back down around the last 2 pins in the group of 4.
6. Continue winding your yarn up & down, always going around the last 2 pins in each group.
7. When you reach corner 4, wrap the yarn around the middle 2 pins and go back down right next to the row of pins ending at corner 2.

Layer 1 is complete.

Next step:

1. Go between the 2 bottom pins.
2.  Keeping your hold on the working yarn, turn the loom 1/4 clockwise so that corner 2 is in your left hand.
3. Wrap the yarn around the 2 pins and take it up to corner 1.
4. Continue as before, weaving up and down, wrapping around the last 2 pins in each group.
5. When you reach corner 3, go between the 2 pins in the final group.

Layer 2 is complete.

You are almost done warping. Time for the last layer.

1. Keeping a firm hold on your working yarn, turn the loom 1/4 turn counter-clockwise. It is now back in the original position with corner 1 in your left hand.
2. Following the directional arrow on your loom, take the working yarn between the 2 pins and down to corner 1.
3. At corner 1, go around the middle 2 pins in the grouping of 4.
4. Continue weaving the yarn up & down only this time, go around the first 2 pins in each group. Notice that your yarn is lining up in the space between the yarns in layer 1. See figure 1 below.
5. Layer 3 ends at corner 2 to the left of the bottom 2 pins. See figure 2 below.

Layer 3 is now complete. You are ready to weave!

If you are working from a skein, wrap the working yarn around the outside of the loom pins 5 times then cut. This will ensure you have enough yarn to weave and work in your ends. Once you are a little more proficient, you will figure out how many wraps you need to have enough but no excess waste. If you pre-cut your length of yarn, you are ready to go.

Locking it all together.

1. Thread your long tail onto the weaving needle.
2. Follow the W arrow at corner 2 on your loom. You always start over an edge loop.
3. Place your needle down into the circle of yarn around the 2 pins (edge loop) and come up under the bottom layer thread.
4. Continue working your way across the loom from right to left (corner 2 to corner 1), weaving your needle under the bottom layer strand and over the top layer strand. You are working next to the bottom row of pins. You will end coming out under your yarn tail that is in the slot.
5. Pull your needle and yarn all the way through. Pull hard enough to tighten the last thread of layer 3. Trust me. You will see this happen.
6. I recommend turning the loom upside down so that corner 4 is now in your left hand. If you are very good with your left hand this step isn’t necessary. You will find what’s easiest for you. I am not proficient at anything left-handed so I turn the loom. I am always then weaving from right to left with the needle in my right hand.
7. Weave across the row, beginning over the edge loop and continuing over-under across the row. See figure 3. Push the woven rows up and down out of your way with the needle as needed. As you are weaving, this will become second nature to you. You will end up with the needle coming out between two groups of pins. See figure 4.

   

   

    

8. Pull through and turn to go back. Keep a light tension. Be careful your working yarn does not loop around the pins. This happens to me often when I am distracted. Just slightly loosen it and slip the loop off the top then re-tighten.
9. Continue until you have woven the entire square. This means you have to lock the last row of layer 2 in by weaving your last row right up against the pins. If your tension was a little too tight, this may take a bit of patience. The last row you weave will be from corner 3 to corner 4.
10. To finish, Weave the tail in by turning and going back in above your last row ( between the layer 2 row & the last row you wove). I go under two threads, then over/under for a couple of inches. Remove your needle and do the same with your beginning tail. Trim off any excess yarn. Tails may be left to use in sewing squares together. I prefer to weave them in while the square is still on the loom so that when I sew my project together, I have fewer weave-ins to do.

You are done! Gently pop the square off of the pins. Take time to admire your accomplishments, and then start another square. They are very addictive.

This tutorial creates a plain weave square. There are so many patterns available to make items from your plain weave pin loom squares.

This little pile of squares made in my tutorial is destined to join a few more to make the cutest Dinosaur Pillow for my grandson., from The Zoo Crew by Deborah Bagley.

You can create intricate patterns in your squares once you are comfortable with the basics. Look for more tutorials and posts about those in the future.

Thanks for reading, and HAPPY WEAVING!

Once you are comfortable with weaving the basic squares, please take a look at my review of the book The Zoo Crew.

Products recommended from this post.

Birsppy Zoom Loom 4"X4" Pin Loom from Schacht

• Schacht spindle company-zoom loom pin loom
• Good Quality product
• Product is manufactured in United States

$48.00

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Susan Bates 14085 Steel Weaving Needle, 5-Inch, Silver/Steel

• Made in Wales
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