The hula hoop loom:
I didn't make the one pictured in my blog, I borrowed it from the Guild I belong to, but I can explain how I think they made it and how I wove on it. Now I maybe made mistakes, but it was SO much fun. I loved it!
Grab a hula hoop and screw in smooth screws about an inch apart all the way around the front face. (I suggest smooth ones, as if you use sharp wood screws, they'll slice through your yarn.)
Next, you need to put in your 'web' of warp thread. (This will only show at the very centre when you've finished, as the weft thread will cover the rest as you weave.) So if you want a striking centre, choose according yarn. But make sure it's strong and doesn't stretch. If it's not, it will break whilst you're weaving, or stretch out of shape.
To wind: For simplicity, imagine you have only 12 screws on your hoop, like a clock face.
Hoop one continuous yarn from 12 to 6, then on to 1 and 7, then 2 and 8, 3 and 9 etc, until you've made your way all the way around. Now, it would look odd if you only had 12 screws, but as you will have many, many more, you'll end up with a solid centre.
Next, choose the fibre you want to show and just start weaving it under and over the web of threads on your loom. As long as you always go under over, under over, you will weave a circular piece of fabric. I suggest you work one ball at a time, to start off. Once I got the hang of it, I wound several balls together to make a super-chunky yarn and then wove that around.
When you've finished, either slip the hoops of warp threads off their individual screws, knot them close to the edge of your fabric and bury them back in the fabric with a crochet hook.
(For my big green anemone, I then used a big needle and more yarn to gather the edge and then go over and over the edge to bind it and give it lips and shape.)
Alternatively, you can leave it on the hoop and make a feature of the hoop as a frame. Very 70's wall art kitsch!
A tip that I was given, half way through, is to begin to separate the warp threads, by pulling them so that they go over their neighbour's screw (I .e 12 stretches around 1 as well.) This gives you extra warp threads as your fabric grows and gives it greater strength and integrity.
If that hasn't confused you enough, then do get back in touch and I will try to help.
A good book is "Weaving on Rings and Hoops by Lynn Paulin". Not sure if it's still in print, as the one I borrowed from the guild is from 1978!
Do let me know how you get on. Would love to see the results,
good luck
Inga
p.s if there are any mistakes in explanation here, please feel free to contact me and set me straight - nicely. This is just one fibre nerd trying to informally help other fibre nerds to enjoy the things I'm discovering myself.
I ain't no expert, Girlfriends!
